The Hovelling Boat Inn, Ramsgate

Official site of The Hovelling Boat Inn - hovellingboatinn.co.uk

Well, I really didn't know this was one of those micropubs which are all the rage round East Kent, so my efforts to find the bar were in vain. The beer's kept in a temperature-controlled lobby just behind the main room. 4 ales (but only 1 from Kent when I visited) and 3 ciders comprised the draft offering, although there's also some wines and a selection of bottles. There's clearly been a bit of money spent with lots of new furniture, polished wood and 6 tables. The glass shop-front ensures a bright airy feel. The Hovelling Boat really didn't feel at all like the low-cost, grumpy old-man's drinking den that often comes across in the micropub manifesto. Indeed it struck me as having more of a future than some of the town's more traditional, though fading, pubs.

Official site of The Hovelling Boat Inn - hovellingboatinn.co.uk