Where to Eat in Faversham

Start where the town does, around Market Place and its narrow spread of medieval streets. Leo Lounge sits right on Market Place, handy for an all-day sort of meal, while The Bear Inn on the same square is a traditional pub open daily for drinks and food — a reliable spot to watch the market-day comings and goings. Just off it on Market Street you'll find Maypole and the Swan Cafe, along with Castella, a café open Wednesday to Sunday. Court Street, running north out of the centre, gathers a cluster of cafés together: Café Guild, Fay's Place and Havisham's are all here, alongside ASK Italian if you're after a familiar Italian menu.

For coffee and a sit-down, Faversham is well served. HatHats Coffee opens from 8am daily, and Costa on Crescent Road covers the reliable-chain end of things. Grain & Hearth on Gatefield Lane pairs a bakery with a café and keeps Tuesday-to-Sunday hours, which makes it a good morning stop. Something a little different: Spack's Cat Cafe on Lower Road is a cosy spot where you can have a drink in the company of friendly cats. Le Cafe Bonjour Encore is another relaxed place to linger over a coffee and a chat.

Down towards the Creek, the pubs come into their own. The Albion Taverna on Front Brents is a Shepherd Neame house open daily from noon, with the waterside right on the doorstep — a natural pick for a slow afternoon. Further out at Hollow Shore, the Shipwright's Arms is a proper out-of-the-way Creekside pub serving drinks and food, worth the walk if you like your pubs remote and characterful. Benedict's of Kent, tucked into the Riggers Workshop on Standard Quay, is a good café stop when you're pottering around the historic quayside.

For more traditional pub food and a pint, Faversham has plenty. The Sun Inn on West Street sits right in the heart of town, The Anchor is on Abbey Street, and Furlongs Ale House on Preston Street leans towards drinks in the afternoons and at weekends. Shepherd Neame — the town's own brewery — is behind several, including the Bull Inn, which opens from 4pm on weekdays and noon at weekends, and the Railway Hotel handy for the station.

If you want a proper dinner out, there's real range. Posillipo at Provender Mill does Italian in an atmospheric riverside setting, while Read's, at Macknade Manor on Canterbury Road, is a restaurant a little way out of the centre. In the town itself you'll find The Carriage Restaurant and Jadz among the sit-down options. For Indian food, Spice Lounge on Preston Street opens for dinner daily and does a Sunday lunch, India Royal is on East Street, and Prince of India is a well-regarded Preston Street takeaway.

Preston Street is also the go-to for a quick bite. There's a run of fish bars here — Gaslight Fish Bar and Ossies Fish Bar among them — plus Park Fish Bar over on East Street. For kebabs and pizza, Best Kebab & Pizza House and Faversham Kebab House are both on Preston Street, while George's Turkish Restaurant offers something more sit-down in the same neighbourhood. Faversham Grill, at the Corner Shop on Upper Brents, and Domino's at Limes Place round out the takeaway options.

Chinese food is easy to find too: the Great Wall on West Street and Shanghai on East Street both offer takeaway, so you're covered whichever side of town you're on. For lighter daytime eating, Cosgroves, Jittermugs and Moonlight Cafe (open from 7am) sit along Preston Street, Diana's Tearoom & Pantry does takeaway on East Street, the Gallery Kitchen Cafe on Abbey Street opens Tuesday to Sunday, and the Secret Garden Tea Room is a gentle spot for tea and cake.

However you approach it, Faversham rewards a wander: coffee and a bun around Market Place in the morning, a stroll down to the Creek, and a pub or a plate of good Kentish cooking to finish. Hours and days vary from place to place, so a quick check ahead never hurts — and half the fun is discovering which corner suits you best.