The Bouverie Tap - Folkestone

April 5, 2022

Let's be clear, this isn't a hidden gem - anyone who knows Folkestone knows about The Bouverie Tap. Their Sunday roasts are probably the best in town. But this is exactly the sort of unassuming place someone visiting Folkestone could easily walk right past... and without being told, you'd simply be missing out on one of the best small pubs we've ever been to.

Walking through the doors is a step back in time, the vintage memorabilia from pre-1945 is fascinating - posters advertising dances in village halls from the 1910s makes your mind travel to a very distant era. The amount of WWII posters and signs could make this feel somewhat uncomfortable in the current times we live in, but this does not feel jingoistic in the slightest - and if anything reminds us of the perils (and consequences) of nationalism. Sitting with a pint of the house pilsner, looking at these fascinating historical items, really feels like one of life's simple pleasures.

What isn't simple, but is most definitely a pleasure, is the food. The moules frites we enjoyed on our last visit were just delicious - we had to restrain ourselves from just drinking the garlic, cream & white wine sauce like a mug of hot soup after we'd devoured a half kilo of moules each!

On previous trips we've also enjoyed the best pub roast we've had in years - the roasted pork belly is a joy to behold! Their roast is so good its basically ruined all other pub roasts for us... So enjoy it at your own risk.

We also can't skip over the excellent drinks on offer, almost all local. Wine from just a few miles away, cask ales from some fantastic local breweries, while the gin and tonics really showcase the best of the county.

You can probably tell we really love this pub. It's reached the point that when we walk past Bailey tries to drag us in (one of just a couple of places with that distinction!), and we take that as a real seal of approval.

When in, he has always been warmly welcomed, even if he himself sometimes gets a bit gobby to the staff. Dogs are very welcome inside on level 1, the team clearly love them and genuinely take the time to introduce themselves to their four-legged visitors - after checking with the owners that its ok to do so first. And given Bailey's tendencies to sometimes be a little unsure around strangers leaning over him, we love that touch!

Pints and Paws overall summary

• What did we have? 2 x Moules Frites; 1 pint of Bouverie Pilsner; 1 half pint of Krombacher Pils; 2 glasses of Chenin Blancs

• How much did it cost? £46.10

• How would we describe it? Themed without in any way feeling tacky. A must for memorabilia enthusiast.

• Did Bailey enjoy himself? Absolutely. Friendly staff, plenty of space between tables, dogs of all sizes will settle comfortably here

• Venue website: www.thebouverietap.co.uk