The sunny weather is BACK! And when that happens, what’s better than a trip to the seaside?
A few weeks ago we had a day out in Folkestone with family. If you’re in the area, I highly recommend visiting the town’s Harbour Arm. The former railway terminal for the Folkestone-Boulogne ferry has become a real hive of cultural activity, from live entertainment to some incredible food and drink spots.
You can walk through the old train station (including on the former train tracks, now bedecked with all kinds of plants) and, most excitingly for my son, there’s a playground on the beach itself.
Food and drink-wise, there are tons of choices – see here for the full list of places. Of course, most places were pretty rammed with the advent of the nicer weather. Having seen a sign advertising Cavells when walking through the old station, though, we thought we’d check the place out.
This Mediterranean restaurant isn’t in the main Harbour Arm complex. Instead, you’ll need to walk to the end of the station and round a corner. Here, you’ll find two converted train carriages. One of these is Cavells’ kitchen, reception and drinks serving area, the other is the dining room.
There are a few tables outside too, but with the wind chill, indoors seemed a much wiser option! We only had to wait 5 minutes for a table to free up before we could head inside.
Two things stand out straight away when you walk in: the view, and the decor. The sea views are beautiful, and the restaurant itself is just as stunning with its sumptuous wall coverings, perfectly polished tables and comfortable yet stylish seating.
The menu is packed full of Greek, Lebanese, Cypriot and Spanish delights: from stifado and saganaki to fattoush and falafel. Main courses are around the £20 mark, and there are plenty of vegetarian and vegan options – as well as a dedicated kids’ menu.
It’s a kids’ menu that features a halloumi dish, much to the delight of the squeaky cheese-obsessed seven-year-old. His meal (£8) offered two thick slabs of salty grilled halloumi on top of half a pitta, along with skin-on fries, sliced cucumber and a little pot of ketchup. His ideal meal, in all honesty! “I’ve never had ketchup with halloumi”, he proclaimed, but he loved it.
Next to me, the steaming dish of moussaka (£19.95) was enormous. Breaking through the thick layer of cheese-topped bechamel uncovered a wealth of tender potato, aubergine and spiced minced lamb. This was a truly hearty dish, packed with delicious flavours.
I ordered from the Topped Greek Flatbreads section of the menu and chose the chicken gyros (£19.95). A mound of tender, spiced chicken topped the pillowy flatbread, the cooking juices from the meat imparting plenty of flavour. The side salad was crisp and fresh, the oil-drizzled tzatziki full of flavour, and those skin-on chips were delicious. A hearty, flavourful lunch that definitely fuelled me for our subsequent wander round the harbour.
We loved how friendly and helpful the team at Cavells were – it’s always nice to find people who genuinely seem to love what they do! The only real downside to the experience was that it’s a little walk from Cavells to the nearest public toilet (they don’t have their own facilities) – worth bearing in mind if you’re dining with small children. Otherwise, if you’re in the Folkestone area and in search of decent Mediterranean food, I highly recommend giving Cavells a go.