Buoy and Oyster

Quick Take: Buoy and Oyster, Margate

Buoy and Oyster sits on Margate's High Street at number 44, and its address alone tells you something useful: this is a venue that plants itself in the working centre of town rather than the tourist-facing seafront. If you've been once and you're wondering whether to return, the short answer is yes — particularly if you want to see how a coastal bar handles drinks with more ambition than the average seaside pub.

The name signals the intent clearly. Oysters anchor the food offer, and the bar program is where Buoy and Oyster distinguishes itself from the standard Margate drinking options. A bar that commits to pairing shellfish with thoughtfully constructed drinks is making a statement about how it wants to be used: slowly, with attention, ideally more than once. For a returning visitor, that means working through the drinks list rather than defaulting to what you ordered last time. The combination of brine-forward food and a considered cocktail or wine selection is a reliable pairing format, and Margate has few venues that execute both sides of that equation.

Booking here is easy by Margate's increasingly competitive standards. Walk-ins are a realistic option outside peak summer weekends, but if you're visiting on a Saturday between June and September, a reservation is the sensible move. The High Street location means you're within easy reach of the Old Town's other bars and restaurants, which makes Buoy and Oyster a natural starting point or mid-evening stop rather than a destination you need to plan an entire night around. For the full picture of what's open in town, see our full Margate bars guide and our full Margate restaurants guide.

If the drinks program is what draws you back, it's worth comparing Buoy and Oyster against what's available elsewhere on the Kent coast. For sheer cocktail depth you'd need to travel — 69 Colebrooke Row in London or Bramble in Edinburgh operate at a different level of technical ambition , but within Margate, the bar here is operating above its local competition. Nearby options like Fez and The Lifeboat serve different needs: Fez skews livelier and later, The Lifeboat is a pub-format option. Buoy and Oyster occupies the middle ground , more considered than either, without demanding the commitment of a tasting-menu evening.

For broader context on where Buoy and Oyster fits into Margate's offer, explore our full Margate hotels guide, our full Margate wineries guide, and our full Margate experiences guide. If you're planning a wider UK bar trip, Bar Kismet in Halifax and Mojo Leeds in Leeds are worth adding to the itinerary for contrast.