Following its 2022 launch, Fort Road Hotel on Margate’s waterfront has unveiled Colina, a brand-new all-day restaurant opening within the hotel on Wednesday 7 February. 

The hotel is the brainchild of Matthew Slotover (Frieze co-founder), Tom Gidely (artist), and Gabriel Chipperfield (designer and developer).

Situated at the highest point of Margate Old Town, Colina, meaning ‘hill’ in Spanish, will serve a daily menu of smaller and larger seasonal plates, interspersed with nostalgic Southern European specialities which showcase seafood and cicchetti.

Shaped by Head Chef Luis Freitas’ early memories of eating locally cooked food in his Portuguese hometown, Colina’s menu will be driven by the ingredients typical of Southern Europe, woven together with influences from the diverse culinary traditions of Naples, Greece, and Andalusia. 

For lunch or dinner, guests can begin with charcuterie and patatas bravas, before moving onto soused bream crudo, crispy cod cheeks with lemon escabeche and other seafood delicacies.

For mains, a squid burger with green romesco in a freshly baked bun from Broadstairs’ Modern Boulangerie; house-made Malfalde with slow-cooked oxtail ragu or pork belly with peperonata, using meats from whole carcass Northdown Butchers; and to finish things off, crema catalana served with shortbread. 

A blackboard of daily evening specials will be chalked up in front of guests in the dining room with the likes of grilled John Dory to share between two or other fresh, seasonal catches cooked on the grill.

The wine list will focus on regions in Italy, Spain and Portugal, accompanied by the occasional French and New World favourites.

Organic and vegan wines will also be available. 

Located on the ground floor of the art hotel, Colina will see the 35-cover restaurant space refreshed with new furnishings hand-picked by Gabriel Chipperfield, co-founder and developer of the project.

Lining the room with Foresso tables, made sustainably with Timber Terrazzo table tops, the bistro overlooks some of artist J.M.W Turner’s favourite sea vistas. 

For breakfast, eggs and soldiers, sausage sandwiches made with house brown sauce, the eponymous ‘Fort Road Full English’ or shakshuka with hung curd and chilli.

At this all-day dining spot, walk-ins are also welcome for brunch to enjoy dishes buttermilk pancakes, spiced apple compote, and mascarpone before heading to the Turner Contemporary for a fix of culture. 

For those seeking a nightcap or early evening aperitif, the restaurant is connected to the hotel’s basement bar – a subterranean mezzanine with walls lined by the works of Tracey Emin, Tim Noble, Nicolas Deshayes and other Margate locals who have made their stamp on the art community.

There, a cocktail menu of well-recognised classics is elevated with house-made syrups and carefully preserved ingredients, elongating their use throughout the seasons. 

Slotover said: “We instantly fell in love with Luis’ cooking, and with Spain, Portugal and Greece being so often associated with some of the best seafood in the world, it made complete sense to introduce his Mediterranean palate to our waterfront hotel, adding another star to Margate’s crown of exceptional fish-forward restaurants. As far as we’re aware, there’s nothing else quite like it in the area – a place you can dip into at all times of the day, for a quick bite, early breakfast or full blown dinner and drinks”.