I tried the top rated café in Kent’s best town and couldn’t believe my eyes
Sometimes there really is nothing better than watching the afternoon drift away from the comfort of a cosy café. I recently checked out one in Folkestone that has the honour of being considered the best in the town, according to online reviews.
Steep Street Coffee House sits in the vibrant Old High Street and holds a near perfect TripAdvisor score of 4.5 stars out of five, from just shy of 400 reviews. Ranking as Folkestone's number one tea and coffee shop on the travel and review site, past guests really have sung the praises of this seaside gem.
One said it offered the “best coffee cake” they’d ever tasted, while another said it has “the best coffee in Folkestone”. Many visitors have remarked how busy the spot gets - a testament to its popularity - and Steep Street is also a hit with dog lovers as the café welcomes four-legged friends to enjoy some R&R here as well.
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Folkestone itself was recently voted as the best place to live in Kent by our readers, having also been named the best place to live in the whole of the south east earlier this year by The Sunday Times. To be the top-rated coffee shop in what is seemingly our county’s best town at the minute is no small feat, so I just had to check it out for myself.
Even amid the rainbow of colourful shopfronts that can be found in this part of Folkestone, Steep Street still manages to stand out with its orange and green façade. Immediately it became clear just how popular this spot is, with nearly every table already taken when I stopped by around midday.
Thankfully there was still a table right by the front window available, so I plonked my jacket down and headed over to the counter to make my selection. Having seen so much hype around the coffee, I grabbed a flat white to see what all the fuss was about, along with a ham and cheese croissant.
Reviewers had also raved about the different cakes here so, after some difficult decision making, I went for a slice of the vegan caramel Biscoff cake. My order came to £12.05 which, for my three items, didn’t seem too bad - especially given how much the big chain coffee shops are charging these days.
First to arrive was my coffee and from just one sip I understood all the high praise. An absolutely exceptional cup of Joe that was rich in flavour and delightfully smooth, Steep Street was off to a good start. Around this time I was very glad I had arrived when I did, with the queue for the till now stretching out the door and more people having to opt for the outside seating.
My food arrived not long after and, once again, the quality did not disappoint. My croissant was incredibly delicious, being gorgeously flaky and buttery, making for a perfect midday bite.
The star of the show however was - without a doubt - the cake, the size of which I just could not believe, looking about as big as my head! You certainly can’t complain about the portion size here and I was beginning to wonder if I should have just ordered this on its own...
Thankfully I was very hungry so, despite the mountain of sponge in front of me, I was fairly confident I’d be able to clear the lot. Once again, the reviews had absolutely got it right, this cake was simply sublime, being perfectly moist and just amazing in its flavour, while the caramel frosting was highly addictive.
Biscoff really is just the gift that keeps on giving, and this cake is proof of that. Had I not known prior, I also don’t think I would have even realised this was a vegan cake and was easily among the best I’ve ever had.
Once my plate was finally clear and I was left feeling a little like Bruce Bogtrotter, I sat and sipped the rest of my coffee, enjoying my view of colourful Folkestone. With each returning trip to the town, I’m starting to see just why everyone loves it so much, and this café has only added to that.
I can completely understand why it's been ranked so impressively and even though it’s the only café I’ve actually been to in Folkestone, I feel it would be an incredibly hard challenge to find one even better than Steep Street. For the avid readers out there, this is also a book café, with walls lined in novels that are available for sale - all the more reason to watch the world go by from this fantastic little gem.
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