We love Margate in the Autumn! The madness of summer gives way to a calmer Autumnal energy, a bit more space for both the locals and tourists to breathe, but still plenty of things to do.

Some top tips for a perfect Autumn day in Margate:

We would recommend starting the day in the Cliftonville neighbourhood where our Rove studio is based. Cliftonville was recently voted as ‘The 8th Coolest Neighbourhood’ in the world by Time Out and if the amount of good coffee and cake on offer is anything to go by, then we are in wholehearted agreement. There are so many great cafes to choose from – Forts, The Grain Grocer, The Good Egg ...to name just a few. A relatively new kid on the block is Oast Bakery on Northdown Road. Everything is baked on site using sustainable and high quality ingredients and EVERYTHING is delicious. Would highly recommend the chocolate & cardamon buns. Very handy (and dangerous) to have it just down the road from our studio...

After a little mosey around Cliftonville, head towards Harbour & Tide, one of our local stockists. Harbour & Tide is a local beach store selling goods for modern seaside life. With a focus on functional, joyful and sustainable products. You can replenish your Rove sock collection whilst you’re there, so you really must pop in unless you want cold feet all winter... They also have a Swim Club that is open to all, so jump in the sea with the locals if you’re feeling brave!

Just across the road from Harbour & Tide is the Turner Contemporary (you can’t miss it) which is always a must see when visiting the town. The gallery is currently showing a group show edited by and featuring Mark Leckey. There is also an excellent gift shop to buy all your Margate souvenirs!

We love the small curated lifestyle and homeware gallery L’Absurde Objet on the High Street. A mix of carefully curated vintage pieces and contemporary art works from emerging artists that is well worth popping in to.

For lunch, head to the Old Town where you will find many wonderful options. Two classics (and favourites of ours) are Bottega Caruso and Angela’s. These are not well kept secrets though, so remember to book in advance!

After lunch, high on good food and sea air, you can check out the wonderful Margate Bookshop in the Old Town. Friendly, knowledgeable staff and a great selection of books.

To continue the Margate art trail, next up we would recommend visiting the Carl Freedman Gallery. The gallery shows world class contemporary art exhibitions. Currently showing is a major new solo exhibition of Benjamin Senior’s work ‘Minor Streets’. On until 12th Nov 2023.

If you are lucky enough to be visiting in November, we are hosting one of our popular darning workshops on 29th November 5.30pm – 7.30pm! So come join us and learn a new skill :) If you can’t make this date, we will be hosting another darning workshop on Sat 13th January 10.30am - 12.30pm if you are planning a winter visit to our fair town.

To end the day (if you still have any energy left?!), you can sit yourself down at the new Streets bar and restaurant on Northdown Road. Small sharing Indian inspired plates, good drinks and cosy, chilled out vibes. It’s been a busy day, time to treat yourself!