bus cafe in Margate

I love nothing more than a cooked breakfast and I’m always looking for new and different variations on the “Full English” breakfast. 

I love walking along Margate seafront and I’ve walked past the bus cafe so many times and never been in, so I booked a table for us and we headed over to Margate to see why they have won many awards for their breakfasts. 

open bus doors
Me in Margate

Our Visit

I love places that are quirky and different and I was so looking forward to going to the Bus Cafe for a treat for Breakfast.

BaldHiker Social Walks
Outside open bus

Breakfast is said to be the most important meal of the day and the one thing I love about a cooked breakfast is that you can have it at any time of the day and it still tastes great.

There’s plenty of parking around the cafe and it’s right opposite the train station if you don’t drive. You can’t miss it.

As soon as you turn the corner onto the seafront it’s right there in front of you, standing proudly looking out to sea. We were so excited to be going to have breakfast on a bus looking out onto the fabulous, sandy shores of Margate. 

Upstairs seating

We were warmly welcomed by the waitress and shown upstairs to the upper deck and the seating area. As always when you go upstairs on the bus you have a big decision to make, either to sit right at the back, if you were the naughty ones, or right at the front, if you loved to see where you were going and watch the cars flying past.

We chose near the back as it was more private and we were given a menu to peruse. 

Laminated menu

Everything looked so delicious and tasty it was such a difficult choice. I think as it was our first time there we wanted to go for the full monty but it really was such a hard decision to make as everything sounded so nice.

We chose the full English Breakfast option “The Hangover” which consisted of refried smokey Heinz baked beans, mumbled egg, tamai mushrooms, crisped bacon lardons, butterflied, locally made GF sausage, homemade pickled onions, homemade mustard aioli, toasted seeds, balsamic glaze and spinach and served on sourdough bread. 

The Hangover

Their Hangover breakfast won the Uk Breakfast of the year in 2019 and I can totally understand why. The presentation was superb. It was laid out as you would expect fine cuisine to be presented.

It looked amazing and we couldn’t wait to dig in. It literally was a taste sensation. I loved everything and I loved the way there wasn’t too much of anything and hints and tastes of everything. It had seeds for nutrition and texture and the homemade pickled onions were so tasty.

I also loved the ethics of the bus that all the food is locally sourced where it can be. 

We were both in awe during and after eating the breakfast and agreed it was one of the best breakfasts we had ever had and said that we would love to go back again and try the smaller bits like the crumpets or beans on toast or the sausage or bacon sandwiches. 

I think that is the biggest praise for an eating establishment, that you would like to come back to try more on the menu. 

Outside Menu bus cafe

The service was great and the views were spectacular and the food was sublime. What was there not to like? They have lots of different variations of the breakfast too replacing meat for fish and Vegetarian and Vegan options, catering for all, including a children’s menu.

You may be asking what are Mumbled Eggs?

Mumbled Eggs

Mumbled eggs are made by cooking the egg whites first and then adding in the yolk right at the last minute, so it’s like a cross between a scrambled and fried egg.

What is the Bus Cafe?

The Bus Cafe is what it says it is. It’s a cafe on a double decker bus with the seating on the upper deck and the kitchen on the lower deck. 

It’s a vintage 1980s double decker Bristol VR bus that has been converted into a cafe and is affectionately Called “Rosie”. The lower half is the kitchen and up on top is one of their eating areas with a fantastic view of the harbour. 

Front of bus

Where is the bus cafe?

The Bus Cafe can be found on the seafront in Margate on Royal Crescent Promenade. 

How did it come about?

The idea of a bus cafe was thought up by owners Simon Lindley, Jodie Ellena-Lindley, Xander Muir and Lois Du Plessis.

They serve fresh, locally sourced ingredients and everything is cooked fresh on the bus. They are also very environmentally friendly and use recyclable, biodegradable packaging and do their utmost to upcycle and reuse. 

Local Suppliers

Their local suppliers include: Garage Coffee, Woodlands Farm eggs, Nash Farm fruit and veg, JC Rook and Sons Butchers and Grain and Hearth bakery. 

Awards

The awards that they have won include The National Breakfast Awards, Best Takeaway Food in Margate and The National Breakfast and Brunch Awards. 

Margate

Margate is a seaside town in the North coast of Kent in the South East of England.

It’s famous for its beautiful sandy beaches and is home to The Turner Contemporary Gallery and Dreamland both situated right on the seafront. 

The town has a lovely nostalgic, Victorian feel and many things to see and do for adults and children alike. It’s easy to get to with a train station opposite the promenade. It’s definitely a place to visit. 

Margate seafront

Conclusion

I love Margate, I love quirky unusual places, I love the seaside and I love breakfast so this ticked all the boxes for me. The Bus Cafe was amazing.

We were warmly greeted and fed some delicious food and made to feel so welcome. The views were spectacular and we felt like we were dining like royalty.

After filling up on breakfast we had a lovely walk along the seafront and it really was just the perfect way to start the day. I can highly recommend it.

A perfect place to watch the world go by and eat award winning cuisine. If you would like to book a table please visit the bus cafe where you can book a place on the bus or on the outside seating.

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One Comment

  1. Moira VEITCH says:

    A very well deserved review. My favourite breakfast place especially during the Summertime. Thank you to you and all your wonderful staff.

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