Pomus Folkestone marks the expansion of Ryan Jacovides' acclaimed restaurant concept, bringing the award-winning Margate restaurant's distinctive charm to Folkestone's Creative Quarter. Nestled on Tontine Street, Pomus Folkestone has taken over the former Brewery Tap pub site. The venue is substantial yet intimate, with space for a total of 80 covers, with 50 inside across banquette seating and a kitchen counter bar, and an additional 30 on a garden terrace.
What makes Pomus special is its commitment to being more than just a restaurant. In keeping with the brand's ethos, the site doubles as a cultural space, hosting art exhibitions and events, continuing the legacy of the building, which has remained dormant since the late 1990s.
The culinary offering is led by Keiran Golding, a Kent-based chef whose CV includes The Blue Pigeons, Wyatt & Jones, and No.9 at Chapel House Estate, alongside time spent under Gordon Ramsay in London. Here, Golding works alongside Pomus Margate head chef Aaron Costen to create a menu focused on bar snacks and sharing plates, with particular emphasis on local seafood and Kentish produce. While the menu changes monthly, examples of dishes you might expect to find include crab rosti with grapefruit and fresh herbs, smoked ham and chicken terrine with mustard and pickles, and popcorn chicken with ancho chilli. All dishes are designed to be shared by the table, and come out the kitchen as soon as they're ready - tapas style!
In contrast to its Margate sibling, the Folkestone restaurant has introduced something new to the Pomus concept - a daytime deli and sandwich counter - where guests can choose from a selection of eat-in and takeaway options.
Design-wise, Jacovides has personally overseen the aesthetic, promising a space that feels both fresh and familiar, drawing on mid-century influences and sustainably sourced vintage furnishings, including repurposed library shelving and restored stained-glass windows.