Willy’s

Willy’s has opened at Margate House Hotel

Yes, yes. Anyone who has listened to our radio show on Margate Radio (if not, what are you listening to on a Friday at 9am!), knows that for weeks I’ve been joking about Willy’s tongue in cheek branding - I Love Willy’s indeed - but it would be wrong to write the place off as a flippant or unserious restaurant.

Tucked away in Margate House Hotel on Dalby Square and with Mark O’Brien (formerly of Snake Oil BBQ at Daisy) helming the open corner kitchen, and a comfort food heavy menu based on British / Irish classics, Willy’s is a secret smash hit already. Although given it was full on a Saturday evening in January, perhaps it’s not as secret as you think.

Don’t miss the welcoming lounge bar

And let’s talk about cosy. On a cold, windy Saturday evening in January, Margate House Hotel is like a welcoming hug. From the muted lounge palette and gorgeous 1920s style bar, Margate House Hotel have nailed somewhere special to go, while being somewhere you want to hang out for a while. It feels like your ideal home, fully stocked and staffed and with an incredible chef out the back.

Even better, no one came to gently hustle us on to turn the table over, we sat at our table for a good 30 mins chatting after our pudding before braving the chilly weather.

So don’t miss…

…the menu

Heavy on the meat, heavy on the comfort, Willy’s offers something that’s been lacking in a lot of other Margate restaurants. There are no small plates here, this is proper portions, simple ingredients delivered deliciously.

The pork scratchings were the perfect little nibble while we had a pre-dinner mocktail, while the scotch egg and beef tartare were hearty starters. The tagline for Willy’s is ‘go hungry, leave happy’, I’d definitely recommend the first part (and we definitely did the second), because Mark loves to feed people.

The beef tartare was also refreshingly spicy, with a decent little kick and was absolutely demolished.

While sausage and mash is the signature dish, the beef shortrib, barley risotto and lovage sauce was a grown up Sat night meal that makes the most of sustainable, seasonal ingredients, and good quality meat and put them together in a way you probably wouldn’t cook at home.

In winter, warming food is a must and Willy’s definitely delivers on that front.

I can’t state it enough - leave room for dessert. The sticky toffee pudding is divine.

Drowning in salted caramel sauce, (why is there never enough sauce elsewhere?), balanced with a ginger ice cream, it’s absolute happiness in a bowl. We fought over the last mouthful.

Delicious!

Sticky toffee pudding of dreams was ‘ere

…the drinks

Dry January shouldn’t stop you going out to eat, and it’s great to see, as many places now, the no-lo menu has had as much attention as the cocktails. We had a gorgeously refreshing homemade limeade and a Mother Root and tonic (like a kombucha), all delivered from the bar as you’re eating.

The small but mighty menu

…the vibes

When Willy’s opened I jokingly described it as Soho House LA chic (out on the sun terrace which you’ll have to wait for the weather to warm up before using) and it definitely has the air of a private club.

Heavy on the personal attention and as Willy’s is at the back of the hotel it feels like finding a secret space. The reds and pinks, low lighting, candles and soft seating again feels more like Soho than Margate, especially as everyone seemed to be checking out who else was at the other tables.

With the choice of retiring to the lounge for post dinner drinks, as if you’re hotel guests, it’s hard to tear yourself away and get back through the front door and back into the real world. As a local, if you ever wanted to have a staycation in Margate, this is it - I would move into Margate House Hotel and revel in my dream life for a weekend.

Don’t Miss This…

Don’t save it for a special occasion. Or pop in for snacks and starters and sit at the kitchen bar. Also the Sunday roast is quickly creating a stir. We’ll need to go back.

Willy’s is open Thu - Sat 5pm - 9pm, and Sun for roasts from 12pm - 4.30pm. Walk ins and booking available. Book here

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