This is why there has never been a better time to eat out in Hastings

Owned by an Italian family, Dimarco’s was situated at Wellington Place, in the town centre in the building which is now McDonalds, next door to Woolworths.

It was a vibrant place, filled with hissing steam from the coffee machines and a haze of blue cigarette smoke.

I remember the waiters in their smart maroon jackets, but most of all I remember the extravagant desserts they sold, scoops of glistening ice cream, sundae, pastel coloured frothing milkshakes in fluted glasses and - the Holy Grail - the Knickerbocker Glory - a towering layered ice cream dessert served in an impossibly tall glass, arriving with the longest spoon I had ever seen, to reach the bottom of that glass.

I must have pestered my parents for the best part of a year before I finally got to dive into one of those.

Dimarco’s closed in February 1985 and is still fondly remembered by many Hastings people.

Despite those happy childhood memories, the food map of Hastings was very small a few decades ago - more of a rocky outcrop than a continent.

I remember, long before the days of TripAdvisor, struggling a little when asked by people ‘where is a good place to eat in Hastings?’ Back then it was Fagins, in the old town, for its pizza, perhaps an Indian restaurant and fish and chips, of course.

But look at the town now. We are spoiled for choice, you can literally eat the world in Hastings.

People can enjoy a freshly cooked Hungarian breakfast in the delightfully eccentric Steam Punk themed Cookhouse Cafe in Queens Road, which also serves about 150 different flavours of milkshake. Not far from it, you can sample Russian blinis and Eastern European food and beer at the Sunshine Cafe and Bar. Queens Road also offers authentic Mexican food, wood fired pizzas and Japanese food. It is a microcosm of what Hastings and St Leonards can offer in terms of eating out.

In recent times I have sampled incredible vegan fish and chips, made with battered banana blossom, and tasted possibly the best macaroni cheese - made without cheese - at the Hempist vegan restaurant in the Old Town.

Apparently its National Pie Week this week and right next door to the Hempist is the Albion pub, famous locally for its range of delicious home-made pies, made with locally sourced ingredients where possible and catering for meat lovers, vegans and vegetarians.

Webbes at Rock-a-Nore has a well deserved reputation for its fish and seafood, attracting diners from miles around. While in the Old Town you can also sit down to a delicious Thai meal in a bookshop.

The food offering in St Leonards is just as diverse. You can enjoy fresh Hastings fish baps within a few feet of the sea at Goat Ledge, or authentic American style burgers at Half Man Half Burger. That end of town has two excellent pizza restaurants and in Kings Road you can sample authentic Caribbean food at Mama Putts.

All of these outlets are doing an incredible job to offer us such quality and variety and we should support them as much as we can.

These days, if someone asks me where is good to eat in Hastings, I could probably keep them talking for the best part of an hour.

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