You’re never more than a pebble’s toss from a café in Whitstable. This Scandi-style outfit is the go-to for a farm-to-cup brew of ethically sourced coffee beans and reverse-osmosis water (yeah, us neither) cut with milk from grass-chomping Kent cows. Best enjoyed with a new book and Swedish buns from Bygga Bo bakery. Like this? Make Garage Coffee your next pit-stop.

If you like cafés that look as if they’ve tumbled down from East London, this isn’t for you. Set on Island Wall (a road back from the sea; the houses here are gorgeous), this idiosyncratic café-meets-general-store is where you’ll find locals sinking into battered furniture, supping coffee with their Sunday paper, invariably with a decent full English to boot. Pro tip: pick up one of Windy Corner’s barbecue packs and head to the beach for an al fresco supper.

We warned you: there are lots of coffee shops in Whitstable. Visit Café Revival for a side order of feel-good with your cuppa. On the first floor of the Horsebridge Arts Centre, this social enterprise by mental-health charity Mind serves a rainbow of herbal teas, Union Coffee and stronger tipples if required. There’s a pay-it-forward scheme, a wholesome vegetarian and vegan menu, a record player for customers to spin their own vinyl and, best yet, ice-cream served old-school with whipped cream and sprinkles. We’ll take the knickerbocker glory.

Sitting pretty on the water’s edge, this clapboard pub – The Neppy to locals – is an icon of Whitstable. On a good-weather day, visit just before sunset, order a pint, grab a bench outside and gaze across The Swale to the Isle of Sheppey. There’s live music at the weekend and an outdoor barbecue in summer, which draws crowds. If it’s looking too busy for your liking, the nearby Duke of Cumberland and Smack Inn are equally buoyant boozers.

Specialising in craft beer and gin, this queer-run bar promises a warm welcome to all, dogs included. It serves a rotation of – you guessed it – 12 kegs from local breweries including Kent’s Time & Tide, as well as bottles and cans if you’d rather stock up for a bevvie on the beach. There are 20 gins, too, and a handful of botanical cocktails. If you need us, we’ll be in the courtyard garden quaffing a sloe negroni.