Once a scruffy old boozer with football on the telly, The Walmer Castle has morphed into a friendly gastropub thanks to a keen new team at the helm. The ground floor is still a boozer with draught beers, daily specials on chalk boards, a west-facing terrace and a mezzanine snug for assignations, but the main foodie action is upstairs. Well-laid tables, an open fire and leather bucket seats set the scene for some wholesome gastropub food: a generous starter of mushrooms on toast takes an umami hit from Cropwell Stilton sauce, while a plate of slow-cooked pork belly stuffed with black pudding benefits from Tewkesbury mustard. Carnivores also make a beeline for the steak and Irish stout pie, while veggies might veer towards the quinoa, mushroom, black bean and roast pepper burger pepped up with smoked tomato hummus. If you’ve given this place a miss in the past, we suggest it’s time to go back.