Country pub of the week: the Sportsman, Seasalter

I waited seven years to dine at the Sportsman after first reading of it, and cursed myself for every wasted minute and month. The Sportsman works because it holds the element of surprise: the drive to it, cutting out of Whitstable through barren coastal fields, does not offer promise.

The building itself, with its jutting conservatory (where those just drinking can sit), is no beauty. And then comes the food: the five-course, £80 tasting menu is the one to have: it changes, but oysters tend to be a constant, and expect lots of grilled fish and roasted meats. There will be seaside touches throughout — seaweed here and there, pebbles from the beach as part of the presentation. The wine list offers uncommonly good value. It is as plain a pub as they come, with no gastropub pretensions despite its Michelin star, but it happens to serve some of the country’s best food.

Faversham Road, Seasalter, Kent; thesportsmanseasalter.co.uk