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Being absent from Kent for several years, we were intrigued to discover recent positive reviews of the group of new Foodie pubs overseen by the now notorious I'm-a-celebrity-Michelin--starred-chef John Burton-Race.

We were particularly curious about ‘Harvey’s restaurant’ in Ramsgate. Had we blinked and missed Ramsgate becoming the new classy Dartmouth of the South East? Had Whitstable finally fallen off the Champagne & Oyster podium? We looked at the website with wide-eyed anticipation – "Oyster & Wine bar and their own fish market"!!? "Newly refurbished premises right opposite the marina""?
Quick!!! – lets get there for lunch before the rest of the world finds out about this….or so we thought....

Having (at last) secured a place to live; back ‘home’ in good old Kent, this was an excuse for a family celebration. My brother-in-law lives in the area and is a wheelchair user, so we decided to ring the restaurant in advance to book a suitable table. Despite the Disability Discrimination Act, we occasionally are disappointed to find that restaurants are not as flexible as they should be in accommodating their customers who are less-able bodied. At the time I dismissed the fact that no-one rang me back after leaving a message but in hindsight this should have sent alarm-bells ringing....

We booked for a sunny Friday lunchtime. We were assured by the staff-member who took the booking that the tables were “fully accessible”. However we were surprised upon arrival at 1pm to find the doors closed and no outward evidence of the restaurant being open. Despite this, we accessed by the side door and found the two staff present very helpful and courteous. Sadly, the tables laid out were all inaccessible to a wheelchair user – down a foot-deep drop - and it was with some considerable and somewhat embarrassing encouragement that the staff moved a table to a central place in the room. I was unsure where the toilets were but suspected they were also inaccessible. Of course Harvey’s is a very old building and it was highly likely to have problems with making appropriate modernisation. However, I cannot understand why the large step down to the eating area was not made into a ramp during the recent "extensive refurbishment" (or at the very least made clear upon booking).

More bad news followed: the website advertised ‘set lunch offer’ was off (with no explanation). So we ordered from the daily menu. The food was only average. Presentation was good but lacked vegetables. My sea trout was undercooked in places and over-cooked in others and the fish-pie was lacking in seasoning and had no smoked haddock (isn’t that illegal?!! LOL). The staff openly admitting that it indeed included "cheap off-cuts of various fish" (but this didn’t stop them charging us £14 for it)! The service was good, but without ANY fellow diners there was little ambience and the music was a repetitive irritation (Level 42 – no doubt because they have a forthcoming reunion tour at the nearby Margate Winter Gardens). Were those strawberries in plastic tubs on the bar from a supermarket? Oh dear… perhaps I'll skip the £8 desserts.

Overall, perhaps it was not surprising that the restaurant was empty. The four of us enjoyed the meal, but when the bill came and totalled £90 we were shocked. We had ordered one starter, no wine or desserts. Interestingly, during our lunch some other customers were drawn in, but declined the menu when they discovered the set lunch was not available. They really have got it so wrong here. Are they forgetting this is RAMSGATE!?!

We exited to the nearby ‘Belgian Cafe’ for dessert and after-dinner drinks, where the accessibility, ambience and prices were much more welcoming.

Ramsgate the new 'Millionaires Playground"? Eh, ...well , actually no. Not yet anyway.....Raspberry beer anyone?