Closer to France than London, Deal enjoys many creative and culinary flavours that have rippled across the Channel. Head to No Name Shop on the High Street to pick up a heady selection of French cheeses, charcuterie, freshly baked bread and custardy flan Parisien. It’s a mere five-minute stroll from the beach – perfect for picnic fodder. For British produce, nip down the road to Filberts Foods.

The Rose aside, this RIBA-award-winning glass-and-timber café is where locals brunch. Set on the concrete-clad pier it serves full Englishes, avocado-topped fare and some great sweetcorn fritters (vegans, take note) with a side of 360-degree sea views. Chalk-scrawled daily lunches run the coastal gamut from buttery, briny mussels to fish-finger sarnies.

This casual-contemporary restaurant wouldn’t look out of place in London’s West End, but instead, it has tumbled down from the capital and landed in a narrow, pedestrianised passage that threads between Deal High Street and the beach. With the Michelin Guide’s seal of approval, its modern-British plates laden with local produce rank among the town’s pricier dining experiences. We recommend heading here on a Sunday for the much-loved “Raid the Larder'' evening, when dishes are often concocted on the spot and have that low-waste feel-good factor.

As with No Name Shop, this restaurant celebrates Deal’s proximity to France, in this case by reimagining the kind of Gallic dishes you’d expect to gobble in a Parisian bistro. A “‘bistronomique” dining experience comes courtesy of chef, owner and Loire Valley-native Benoit Dezecot (formerly of The Sportsman), who chalks up seafood-focused menus using local, seasonal produce – if you see crab risotto on there, order it. Sated, move on to Frog and Scot’s sister wine bar, Le Pinardier, a few doors down.

When this place first popped up as a summer experiment in 2012, it proved such a hit with Dealites that it not only became a permanent fixture on the High Street, but spread into the neighbouring property too. Set over two light-flooded, industrial-style floors, it’s a go-to for craft coffee, cinnamon brioche, veggie brunches and mezze lunches. Our order? The grilled cheese sandwich on homemade sourdough and a colourful roasted-squash salad. Like this? Stop by the train station’s espresso-sized Post Room on your way in or out of Deal.

It’s unsurprising that this seaside town is peppered with several chippies, including The Fryer Tuck and Blue Mermaid. For us, Middle Street Fish Bar is the best. Order a freshly battered cod, triple-cooked chips splashed with malt vinegar and mushy peas to take away before hot-footing it to the beach, pulling up a comfy pebble and digging in as the wind whips through your hair. Tables are also available.

Special mention goes to chef Scott Roberts’ Dining Club. You’ll have to coincide your trip with booking a spot on one of its weekly dinners, and fork out a tenner to become a “member”. For the effort, however, you’ll be rewarded with an experience that’s closer to a private dinner party than eating in a restaurant. Knock elbows with locals as you tuck into weekly-changing menus that take culinary cues from across the world. Wine is BYO and there are a few rooms upstairs, should you not feel like rolling too far after feasting.