An Itinerary: 48 Hours in Deal
For my birthday this year I was set on doing one thing and one thing only (okay, maybe a couple of things- I do like to milk it, but I really wanted to do this one thing). And that, dear friends and readers- was a visit to the seaside! A couple of nights by the coast with my family; a selfish wish for annual leave to be spent in my company and an excuse to dust off my jelly shoes and march on down to one of my favourite British seaside towns.
At this time of year it feels like there is nowhere more beautiful. To see the sea shimmering in harmony with the sunshine, to sit on the pebbled beach- arms around your knees and cardigans pulled over hands when it’s chilly. To lumber weighty bags of vinegary chips back in carrier bags for dinner, or to end up abandoning half of them on the beach as hungry seagulls threaten to gobble them up first. Towering, blousy hollyhocks outside pastel-hued cottages and smatterings of wild flowers lining coastal pathways. The first-dip-in-the-sea-squeals and sandy shoes, socks and toes. All before catching a sunset (if you’re lucky) or simply just being woken by the gossip of seagulls- it’s not peaceful, but it’s definitely not London traffic either.
And of course, one of my favourite places to head to is Deal. Just over an hour and a half from London, to me it is the perfect British seaside town. A perfect balance of quiet and calm (although, admittedly, if you go in the earlier part of the week a lot of things will be closed), quaint, colourful and plenty to do for a couple of nights outside of the city. A hum of tradition with a small arcade on the front with a little shop to buy buckets, spades and fishing nets at the entrance of the pier. As well as plenty of beautiful contemporary shops, cosy places to eat and windows to nosy in on during an afternoon meander.
Anyway! I thought I’d pop together a little itinerary of some of the things we got up to during our time there- you could absolutely stretch it out if you wanted, and if you take a car, there are so many other beautiful seaside towns a stones throw away too- magic!
Monday
Staying: Spindrift
I found the beautiful Spindrift on Air BnB, and it really was the perfect seaside bolthole. It had the most airy open plan kitchen and living area (which provided ample inspiration for our own renovation; the tiles! the plates!), so much attention to detail (I was fawning over the Fee Greening prints) and the most heavenly retro tiled bathroom and children’s bedroom (which made for perfect downtime reading with me and little A). Additionally, it was a stones throw away from everything we could have wanted and was very easy to find somewhere to park, which can sometimes be a pickle in busy seaside spots! What a gem!
Lunch: Deal Pier Kitchen
Perched at the end of the brutalist pier is this cosy little lunch spot; which I truly believe would be just as beautiful on a rainy day (although the walk down may be a little sketchy) as it would with the sun leaking it. Not only that, but the food here was wonderful. Delicious cakes, breakfast eggs and offerings for little ones too.
Pier, Beach St, Deal CT14 6HY
Late-afternoon
Between lunch and some important birthday cake in the afternoon, we spent time exploring the town and enjoying some very quiet early-June beach time. Although a lot of things are shut on a Monday, we did manage a snoop in Smugglers Records which has an impressive selection (and beer on tap, if you’re that way inclined, too).
Dinner: Updown Farmhouse
When it comes to special occasion spots for dinner in and around Deal, I knew that the wonderful Rosie would be the person to ask for any spots not on my radar. With The Rose and Blue Pelican coming up (the Blue Pelican have a lovely private dining room too); it was Updown Farmhouse (where we’d gone a couple of years ago for my 30th) that we ended up booking a table at; and trust me when I say that this place is truly something else. I’ve actually written a post about it here previously; but having heard important intelligence that they’re opening an outdoor pool this summer (!!) this special spot is about to become even more breathtaking.
Updown Farmhouse, Updown Rd, Betteshanger, Deal CT14 0EF
Tuesday
Lunch: Deal Deli
For the perfect picnic lunch, featuring homemade bagels and very delicious posh crisps, make a note to make an early pitstop at Deal Deli. They also have shelves of lots of lovely labelled goods, which will definitely have you craving one-of-a-kind jam flavours and seasonings you’ll have to justify room in your suitcase for.
High St. Deal. CT14 6BE
Early-afternoon: A brilliant bike ride
One of my favourite things we did over the couple of days we spent in Deal was hire bicycles for a cycle along the coastal path. I’d walked past Hut 55 several times in the past (they also do yoga classes, seriously delicious cakes and homemade picnics too) but the thought of going on a family cycle with Arlo was something I was really looking forward to. With childrens seats and bikes on offer, it’s such a gorgeous way of exploring the town and getting to go a little further without taking the car. They’re amazing at recommending routes too, so if you need inspiration the people there were brilliant.
Deal Beach, Marine Road, CT14 7DN
Dinner: Sea View
Our initial plan was to get fish and chips from Middle Street Fish Bar who do amazing traditional fish and chips, but alas- they were closed! After asking the girls at Hut 55 for their best chippy suggestions- we collected dinner from Sea View, and it was wonderful. I can definitely see why the locals love it so much!
69 Beach St, Deal CT14 6HY
Wednesday
Breakfast: The Rose
No visit to Deal is complete without popping into The Rose; whether that’s for breakfast, a late afternoon cuppa and cake or a pre-dinner cocktail. It’s the most beautifully designed hotel and restaraunt and every time I come away I’m completely inspired by their interiors and menu (just take a nosey at their Instagram, or this blog post for more)! They’ve also opened The Pelican Rooms for beachside treatments (which sound like the dream), and are the team behind The Blue Pelican, which is also meant to be delicious.
91 High St, Deal CT14 6ED
Late-morning – The big mooch
Before we left we naturally had to take advantage of a few of the beautiful shops being open, so popped into some of these gorgeous ones below:
Barkened: A wonderful gem of a shop covering gifts, womenswear and *the* cutest selection of items for your four-legged friend too.
Hoxton Store: A beautiful selection of clothes, candles, soaps and gifts.
Will and Yates: I fell in love with the curation, artwork and objects in this shop. The kind of shop you both want to move into and spend a lot of money in.
Mileage: I am *so* sad this shop was shut when we came, as we saw the most beautiful lights and painting in the window- but if you’re planning on doing some antiques shopping (or fancy some A* browsing) I can’t recommend a nosey here enough.
x
