The Lobster Shack, Whitstable

THe signs outside claim certain opening hours, but the bar doesn't take any notice of them. It's closed

This tucked away extended beach hut sits on the shorefront and is virtually an annexe for the nearby Hotel Continental, also part of the Whitstable Brewery Empire. The hut/shed/bar is built from reclaimed timbers and as one would expect, is pretty basic inside although since it first opened 3 or 4 years ago, it seems to have gone down the clubby route so there are vast expanses of floor space and a slightly raised stage area for DJ’s and live bands. There are benches on the beach at the front and sides that offer panoramic views across the Thames Estuary and the distant wind farm. The beers are of course mainly from the Whitsable Brewery (which is actually based near Maidstone) and since my visits always co-incide with Whitstables biggest day of the year (the Annula Oyster Festival) they often have several others racked up behind the bar from other local micros. One criticism is that the ales are always far too cold and the plastic glasses isn’t particularly welcoming either although I suspect that this is just for the festival period. I gather that the place is only open Fridays to Sundays and whilst during the daytimeit may be a tranquil enough place, at nights the clubbing kicks in so you need to pick the time that suits you. I’m not as fond of the place as I was when it first opened but it usually provides us with our first pint of a long day each July and it is certainly a bit unusual.