Mark Sargeant's Rocksalt restaurant is helping to rejuvenate Folkestone, while entrepreneurs look to develop its seafront
Folkestone, with its elegant Edwardian stucco terraces and sea cliffs, was once as fashionable as Brighton, which is hard to imagine now, especially if you spend too long in its down-at-heel town centre. But along the seafront things are looking up. Local businessman Roger De Haan and his son Josh kickstarted the town's rejuvenation with the development of a creative quarter and, last year, encouraged chef/restaurateur Mark Sargeant to open Rocksalt, a new restaurant cantilevered over the harbour. Its combination of local, sustainable fish (Folkestone flounder, plaice, lobster, smoked fish from Hastings) served in a contemporary setting (lime-washed oak floors, Cherner chairs, floor-to-ceiling windows) has proved successful. A couple of hours spent eating here, looking out over the channel to France, makes Folkestone feel pretty fashionable again
• What to see Rocksalt, 4-5 Fishmarket, 01303 212070, rocksaltfolkestone.co.uk; open Mon-Sat 12pm-3pm, 7pm-10.30pm, Sun 12pm-3pm