Ramsgate Shopping Guide

(Updated September 2024)

It’s been a few years now since I moved down to Ramsgate from London, but I still enjoy exploring the town finding interesting places to eat and shop. Shopping in Ramsgate is not ideal, as like the rest of this part of Kent, the local High street has been badly damaged by the extensive out of town shopping available at the soulless Westwood Cross.

The following map covers a selection of different types of Independent shops available in the town, including the ones described below.

There are also a series of smaller Maps for each different type of shop.

Click here to view Shops by Type

Kings Street

In King Street you have Michaels Bookshop a very interesting second hand book store, the Haberdashery & Fabric shop, which is spread over two floors and well worth a visit – check out its button wall, which looks like an Art installation

 

Harbour Street and Charlotte Court

In Harbour Street you will find Alchemy by Saltworks a lovely shop selling Womens & Mens wear with a focus on shoes and bags, Turner Rowe Art Centre selling Glass & Ceramic Art works and souvenirs and Limarni a shop selling designer handbags, backpacks and accessories made by Coco Barclay.

Charlotte Court is just off Harbour Street and in the Old Police Station at 12 Charlotte Court you will find the original branch of Saltworks, arguably one of the most interesting and stylish shops in Thanet. They have done a great job converting the old police cells. They sell ladies and children’s clothing, designer furniture, gifts, jewellery, perfume, jams, chutney and speciality teas.

York Street, Queen Street and Turner Street

A branch of the artisanal bakery Staple Stores is located at the bottom of York Street and for bouquets, flowers and plants you have the attractive York Street Flower Shop

then towards the top of York Street in Queen Street you will also find a rather stylish Homeware and Plant shop called Potters as well as Lizzie Fright an Art Gallery and shop that sells ceramics, jewellery and cards.

These shops are on the same street as Union Yoga + Cafe, and just round the corner from the award winning Flavours by Kumar – a modern India Restaurant in Effingham Street that serves delicious food.

You can head up the High Street a bit and turn off at Turner Street to check out two shops  The Recovery Well/Wellbeing Hub which sells products such as oil burners, soy wax and other eco friendly wellbeing products for personal use and for the home,

and Magick, a Wican & Pagan gift shop,that also sells jewellery, candles and crystals,

or you can continue up Queen Street, to find directly opposite Waitrose The Elephant in the Room a gift shop that sells all sorts of adorable, quirky and unusual gifts and cards

and then just a bit further up you’ll find Stories from the Past, a Vintage shop specialising in women’s accessories.

West Cliff Road and Addington Street

Queen Street leads into West Cliff Road and just off West Cliff Road is my favourite street in Ramsgate – Addington Street.  This street is in the early stages of regeneration and has such a lot of potential.

On the corner you can’t miss Vinylhead  a rather cool record shop, selling old and new vinyl, a real find for music lovers, and much bigger than it looks from the outside.

Then head up Addington Street, the home of The Falstaff Hotel, the Laurent Delaye Gallery and a range of interesting shops including :-

No 36 by SP, a lifestyle shop.

The Sewing Room, a high quality clothes alterations and repairs service that also sells vintage clothing, Silk Road for preloved and Handmade items for the home and Odds & Sods for preloved & upcycled Furniture & Homeware.

The Marina

On one side of the Marina, you have the Arches, where you will find some retro/vintage/antique shops (see Ramsgate Retro Shopping Guide for more information) and don’t miss Harbour Active a retail clothes shop that is located directly above Harbour Bikes, it stocks Animal and Gas Monkey brands,

and Clareys Chocolates the Ramsgate Chocolatier making artisan chocolate, operating from Coco Latino.

 

The High Street

The High Street in Ramsgate, like so many High Streets in the UK these days is not very interesting, however if you head for the top end of the street there are some Retro/Vintage shops, Ramsgate Thrift Store, a colourful vintage clothing store and Island Vintage with it’s large and diverse collection of ceramics, a collection of vinyl, Hi-Fi, CDs & cassettes. There is also the cleverly named It’s Sew Ramsgate, a Sewing and Pattern cutting School that sells vintage fabric and haberdashery and just around the corner in Chatham Street is Howling Sounds a specialist Vinyl record shop.

ST LAWRENCE

If in the St Lawrence area don’t miss:-

Foliage – A plant shop & cafe bar.

Retro/Vintage/AntiqueShops

One Shop not to miss is the Petticoat Lane Emporium which is a collection of Shops and Stalls, it’s the starting point for the Ramsgate Retro Trail described in the Ramsgate Retro Shopping Guide.

Click here to view the Ramsgate Retro Shopping Guide.

Charity Shops

Click here to view the Ramsgate Charity Shops Guide.

Gallery Shops

Click here to view the Ramsgate Art Gallery Guide .

Specialist Shops & Services

The Grumpy Goblin Gaming Emporium – A specialist Gaming Store that sells Trading Card Games, Table top games, Board games, Graphic Novels and much more. They also run regular Tournaments and Events.

Curio Collectors Emporium – A Hobby Shop & Cafe, that sells models, paints, board and card games, hobby and art supplies. They also have on site Games nights.

Board at Home – A Shop selling board games, puzzles and accessories. They host a regular Board Games Club in their ‘Board Room’.

Paris Drycleaners – A highly recommended, efficient and reasonably priced drycleaners in Queen Street.

Timpson – A good local shoe repair, locksmith and key cutters at 2 Harbour Street.

Sherleys Pet Store – The local Pet Store in Queen Street.

Supermarkets, Food Shops & Stalls

The town is well served for Supermarkets. It has the only Waitrose in Thanet and away from the High Street there is an Aldi, a couple of  branches of Tesco, a large Sainsbury’s, an Asda, an Iceland, Londis, Costcutter and a
Co-op.

As well as :-

• The Family House Oriental Grocers in Kings Street, specialising in food & drink products from China. The staff are very helpful and if they don’t have an item in stock, they are happy to order it in.

• The Oban Supermarket in King Street selling, International Food, Drink, Cigarettes, Fruit & Vegetables and fresh Halal Meat.
• Days Supermarket a Food & Drink Convenience Store in Harbour Street.
• Baltic Branch in Queen Street, a grocery store, which specializes in East European food.
• I&P Romanian Food a grocery store selling European Food.

See Supermarket Map

Food Shops/Stalls include :-

• Cannons Fishmonger & Seafood Stall
• Taylor Meats
• The Rose Farm Shop

Additional Information

When visiting shops in Ramsgate check the opening times as they can change, especially in the Winter season.

To learn more about Ramsgate check out the Visit Ramsgate web site.

For more information on places to Eat and Drink in Ramsgate and information on places to Eat, Drink and Shop in nearby towns and villages, see the East Kent/Thanet Guide.

 

 

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