The Hovelling Boat Inn, Ramsgate

Sidestreet micro. Fairly tidy inside - exposed brick, wood floorboards, some bench seating and IKEA tables with plenty of space, you aren’t crammed-in like a battery hen unlike some other micros in the county. As mentioned below, the place doesn’t really catch much in the way of summer sunshine which actually works in its favour should you want a bit of relief from the rays. No servery, you need to hang around at the blackboard for service via the cold room. Five ales on with a selection across the styles and Isles. I went for the Neptune Pectolus though my order of a half turned into a pint, fortunately it was in good shape for stillage (NBSS 3.5) if not a brew I had much truck for taste-wise. No music or TVs but there is apparently a pétanque area at the rear. Clientele mainly consisted of elderly jolly boys and the sedate feeling of the place suited them nicely. Another good Ramsgate alehouse. 7.5

Excellent micro-pub, with no pretentions whatsoever - just good beer, a few basic bar snacks (including a fine cheese and onion roll) and good-natured conversation. Five (mostly local) real ales on offer when I called in, e.g. a double-hopped pale ale from the Four Candles micro-brewery at nearby Broadstairs (£3.10).