Hotel Continental, Whitstable

Before reverting back to its original name, this elegant looking beachside hotel was a rather down at heel bikers and music pub called the Harbour Lights that I did manage to visit on a couple of occasions until it was unceremoniously closed down by police in the early 90’s. Today the dinginess has been replaced by a slightly more luxurious and up-market lounge bar with an adjoining restaurant specializing in the local oysters. The bar area is to the right and is quite spacious without being cavernous with a bright and airy feel aided by the large picture windows. A large mural stretches along one wall adding a splash of interest to what could be a fairly bland room. The larger part of the building is the restaurant and is slightly raised although I’m not sure if it offers any sea views given the sea wall in front of the building. There is a balcony above the main restaurant entrance however I do not get the impression this is an asset that cane be used by the general drinker although there is some outside seating on the pavement. The Hotel is owned by the Whitstable Oyster Company who also manage the Whitstable Brewery bar further along the beach and the Brewery itself hence the beers are sourced from the Whitstable Brewery. There are no hand pumps so everything is in keg form although my recent visit found a barrel of IPA perched on the counter. Whether this is a regular thing or just to cover the additional Festival crowds I can’t say. I did recall prices on my initial visit a couple of years back being a bit hefty but this time they didn’t seem any worse than some if the other pubs in town. It’s not a place that we generally use but it does has a certain seaside hotel ambience and does offer an alternative to the multitude of Shepherd Neame pubs in town.