It was named the Sunday Times’ best place to live in the south east last year, and now it’s been touted as the best place to visit in the whole of the UK, narrowly beating the undeniable charms of…Stoke-on-Trent.

Ok, so you might like to take Time Out magazine’s latest list with a small pinch of salt. But Folkestone, with the cobbled streets of its creative quarter, gorgeous seafront gardens and revitalised pier, undeniably has a lot to offer visitors - particularly thirsty ones.

Full disclaimer before we go any further - this is not my first rodeo when it comes to this particular bar/cafe.

Marleys and me, like man and dog in the film, have shared many an adventure. It’s been my last spot of the night and first stop in the morning. Last time I was there, I shared my pancake stack with a hairless cat - eat your heart out Owen Wilson.

But, like the movie, I was worried my most recent visit might turn into a tearjerker when I arrived to find, to my horror… Marleys was missing!

I searched high and low and, after a traumatic three minutes, relief set in when I discovered it had merely moved down to the bottom of the Old High Street. Phew!

It seems silly to get so attached to a cafe, but Marleys is much more than that - it’s a Folkestone institution.

Set up six years ago by pals Charly Mayo and Mark Hogarth, queues regularly snake out the door for its unbookable brunches, and by night it becomes a candlelit bistro. It’s got a near-perfect TripAdvisor score, bagged several awards, and even has its own merch.

In other words, just like its famous avocado on toast, it seems Marleys is smashing it.

But on this sunny afternoon, it was the cocktails that were calling us.

We were greeted by an enthusiastic waitress with a big smile who showed us to a banquette to wait while she cleared the table she had in mind, having sized us up.

No sooner had we touched down than she reappeared to wave us through, warning us we’d need to run a gauntlet of prams - this was going to be the first In the Mix review where we’d be outnumbered by babies.

Like its previous incarnation, the décor at this new, much bigger site is beautiful, with chilled-out boho vibes, earthy tones and fairylight-laced hops hanging from the ceiling.

The drinks menu was similarly relaxed and grounded in its Kentish roots.

Wines were listed from vineyards in Tenterden, Maidstone, Ashford and a few miles down the road at Terlingham while, turning to the cocktails, local spirits formed the base for light fizzes and spring spritzers.

Despite being tempted by some very reasonably-priced rosé, I opted for a sparkling cucumber, sage and gin concoction while my drinking partner ventured into the more experimental part of the menu and tried a Sweet Thyme, with maple syrup, bourbon and fresh herbs.

Mine was a refreshing burst of botanicals that slipped down a little too easily - let’s call it a palate cleanser - while his was the main course - a more complex proposition that required some considered sips back and forth and discussion before getting a unanimous thumbs up. Ok, maybe just one more swig to check…

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Then naturally, it was fruit for pudding, and I finished off my liquid lunch with a Pink Lady featuring Maidstone gin mixed with prosecco, citrus and strawberries. This was the stand-out, and could definitely encourage me to try harder to get my 5-a-day.

The other half’s peach and white wine mix was nice enough, but might just have benefited from a bit of fizz. Then again, any more bubbles and we would have floated out the door like Charlie and Grandpa Joe at Wonka’s chocolate factory.

It’s hard not to like Marleys. It would be easy for this harbourside cafe-cum-bar-cum-bistro to stretch itself too thinly by trying to be all things to all people, but, just like the cocktails, it manages to add a little sparkle to everything it does - elevating the simple to something that feels a bit special.

It’s clearly driven by owners with a lot of passion for this town, and judging by its expansion, that fondness is more than reciprocated by the locals.

I, for one, can’t think of a better way to spend a sunny spring afternoon than with a spritzer here, soaking in the buzz of this up-and-coming seaside town.

Marleys, 2-4 South Street, Folkestone Creative Quarter, CT20 1RW

Décor: The design is earthy, inviting and unpretentious, with enough exposed wood, hops and greenery to remind you you’re in the Garden of England, and enough soft furnishings to make you not want to give up your seat, regardless of how long the queues outside might get *****

Drinks: The menu is spot on in its description of its cocktails - uncomplicated and unassuming. I loved the use of seasonally-inspired ingredients and locally-sourced spirits, but you’ll need to be in the mood for fizz ****

Price: Rosé starts at a fiver and cocktails were between £7.50 and £11.50 making them some of the cheapest we’ve come across so far. Marleys only narrowly misses out on the fifth star as perhaps this is explained by the fact they’re a little lighter on ingredients and complexity than others we’ve sampled ****

Staff: We received a very warm welcome and, despite how busy the place was, the waitresses were attentive and service quick *****

Best for: Ladies that lunch