Opening on Harbour Street in June on the site of a former deli, Keller will be led in the kitchen by fellow Fordwich Arms alumnus Ollie Clifford-Cox, most recently of two-Michelin-starred Hide and Fox in Kent.
Keller will be a relaxed restaurant serving a produce-led menu cooked over a charcoal-fired Bertha oven. Dishes will include rarebit croquettes; roasted scallops with vadouvan spices; beef tartare with shoestring fries and gherkin ketchup; red mullet with braised fennel and Noilly Prat sauce; rump of lamb with merguez, tomato and goat’s curd; and a brown sugar custard tart with crème fraîche ice cream
Locally caught oysters and seafood will also be available.
Ashton-Konig, who previously oversaw the wine programmes at both The Fordwich Arms and The Bridge Arms, and most recently worked at the two-Michelin-starred Da Terra in Bethnal Green, is putting together a wine list that balances Old and New World bottles, alongside standout producers from Kent and surrounding counties.
Two wines will be available on tap from Uncharted Wines by the carafe, with a wide range of bottles starting at approachable price points also available.
There will also be an ever changing by-the-glass selection showcasing Ashton-Konig’s favourite producers, as well as a concise reserve list offering rarer bottles.
“Opening Keller in Whitstable feels very personal to me, as it’s somewhere I’ve spent a lot of time and built a real connection with,” says Ashton-Konig.
“It’s a thriving community of independent shops, and we are excited to be a part of it. Our aim is to create a relaxed, modern space with a real focus on quality in both the food and wine.”