It was 28°C, and driving into Ramsgate, it felt like I was on holiday.
The sails in the marina peeked into view as we descended the hill, and the slight midday breeze kept the temperature just right.
On a sunny day at the town’s royal harbour, it feels like you could be on the Italian coast.
And I was here to get a taste of some mouthwatering Mediterranean cuisine – dished up in a way I’d never seen before.
A resident’s rave review of a meal at Wandering Hut in Harbour Parade had sparked my interest.
Finding this hidden gem was a challenge, though – even with the help of Google Maps.
Located at the back of the town’s visitor centre, you’d miss the entrance if you weren’t looking for it.
But it all added to the feeling that I was entering a private portal to another world where the sun is always shining and the food smells amazing.
My pal and I were immediately welcomed by a friendly waitress and we decided to sit outside in the courtyard garden, which is surrounded by vibrant hanging baskets and fake-ivy walls.
Looking at the menu, I couldn’t quite contain my excitement.
At Wandering Hut, any one of the array of pasta dishes – and pretty much everything else except pizza – can be served in a smaller, self-named ‘tapas’ size.
After ordering a Coke and a half of Peroni, we got to work.
Vongole, a favourite of ours, is the first choice, followed by a mushroom risotto, paccheri primavera, paccheri amatriciana and aubergine parmigiana.
The wait was only about 20 minutes and soon our table was filled with a concoction of delicious-looking dishes.
We decided to dive into the mushroom risotto first, which had a rich, savoury, earthy mushroom flavour.
I liked how a selection of fungi had been used, and the parmesan crisp and rocket it was topped with complemented the creaminess of the rice perfectly.
Next was the vongole, for which we had high expectations.
The clams were perfectly cooked and soaked up the sauce as they should.
The dish was a bit spicier than you would typically expect in a traditional spaghetti alle vongole – but I liked the flavour.
Paccheri primavera – large flat rounds of pasta with a selection of veg including courgettes, aubergine and tomatoes – was next up.
The pasta was perfectly al-dente, and the mixture of veggies worked well together, with a deep, garlicky flavour.
Despite sharing all these between the two of us, I was already feeling full. The portions are very generous for a tapas size.
I had to power on, though, as the aubergine parmigiana had not yet been touched.
While I tucked into this one, my friend tried the paccheri amatriciana – sausage and bacon pasta, essentially.
I don’t eat meat, so I didn’t get a taste of this one, but he said it packed a punch from the herby, spicy Italian sausage.
The parmigiana is layers of aubergine in a rich tomato sauce, topped with mozzarella and baked.
It was served with bruschetta, and – once it had cooled down – was delicious with stringy mellow cheese and the tangy tomatoes, soaked up by the veg.
We were well and truly stuffed after getting through all five dishes, but managed pretty much every last piece of pasta.
If I had one criticism, it would be that three of the offerings – the aubergine, vegetable pasta and vongole – were all quite oily.
Despite being good-quality olive oil, this did get a bit too much by the end.
However, it didn’t bother my friend, so maybe it’s more of a personal taste.
After the food, half a pint, three Diet Cokes and a tip for our lovely and efficient waitress, the bill came to £59.12.
I’ll definitely be back. In fact, when I told my mum about my visit, she insisted on going, so it will be sooner rather than later!
Out of five:
Food: Good quality ingredients, and I just love the ability to order little dishes of my favourite pasta ****
Drink: How much can you say about a Coke and a Peroni? They were cold and refreshing. Some mocktail options would have been good for the non-drinkers, to complement the extensive cocktail menu ***
Décor: Feels like you’re on holiday. They’ve obviously spent a lot of time and thought decorating the place, and the inside looks as lovely as the outside *****
Staff: Timely, friendly and efficient *****
Price: For five decent-sized dishes, ranging from £7.50 to £9, I thought the price was fair. We could have ordered less. A Coke was £3.50, and half of a Peroni cost the same ****
