Sargasso, Margate Harbour Arm, Stone Pier, Margate CT9 1AP (01843 229270). Small plates £7-£11, large plates £9-£19, desserts £6, wines from £25
It is the simplest of dishes: half a dozen fat Cantabrian anchovies, the colour of well-varnished teak, lie in a pool of deep green olive oil, dotted with sparkling droplets of what turns out to be lemon juice. On the face of it, very little has happened to get this to our table. Some seriously good anchovies, meaty, salty and powerful specimens with a lingering depth of flavour, have simply been taken from their resting place, dressed and sent on their way. But there is so much more going on here; something that goes to the very heart of the best restaurants. It is an expression of exquisitely good taste. Sargasso, in Margate, is sodden with the stuff.
