The George & Heart House

The George & Heart House feels like one of Margate's more characterful all-rounders, combining a cosy pub, restaurant, private garden and boutique rooms inside a beautifully restored Grade II listed former coaching inn. The overall mood is warm, stylish and full of personality, but still rooted in proper pub comfort rather than hotel stiffness.

What really sets it apart, though, is the attitude towards dogs. The team here are genuinely obsessed — not just tolerant, but properly delighted to have them in — which shifts the whole feel of the place. It's the difference between "dogs allowed" and "dogs very much part of the experience," and you feel it as soon as you walk in.

A very good choice when you want somewhere that feels a bit special without losing that easy, relaxed sense that everyone (including the dog) is completely welcome.