Tiny reviews of Brighton food and drink
Bison started as a craft beer shop in the Lanes, and recently opened their second location which is a bar and bottleshop, so falls under our remit. As a shop, it’s excellent for craft beer, wide range, great service. For me, as a bar, not great – really, it’s a shop with a couple of tables in it. Fine, but not a place to hang out.
Verdict: Ok
Location: 57 Church Road
Popular Italian restaurant known for two things: being a great Italian restaurant, and gelato. Can’t speak to the former, but can now understand why on a hot day people are queueing out the door for the latter! Not expensive either with generous scoops.
Verdict: Awesome
Location: 8 King’s Esplanade
Smallish cafe that we went to for breakfast. Food really tip top and very reasonably priced. Not their fault, but avoid Dalston cola! Only downside is not much seating so probably gets very busy of a weekend.
Verdict: Awesome
Location: 63 Holland Road
Visited this straight after Brighton Craft Beer Co. and I think it’s more what a lot of craft beer enthusiasts want – a run-down-by-design type interior, small, etc. Very wide selection of beers, and excellent service. The Dizzy Gull provides food (brought to you by the people behind The Set, so had high expectations) and it was, at best, ok. I had a schnitzel that was obviously prepared with care (panko breadcrumbs etc) but was overdone and tasteless.
Verdict: Ok
Location: 38 Dean Street
Apparently the second of these, the first being in London. Much more airy and spacious than it looks from the outside, with a big menu (literally on a clipboard that they change daily) of craft beer if that’s your jam, on tap and in cans/bottles. Friendly service and excellent homemade scratchings.
Verdict: Awesome
Location: 22-23 Upper North Street
Classic pizza/chicken/etc takeaway joint; low minimum for free delivery, food hot and tasty on arrival. Can’t ask for more!
Verdict: Awesome
Location: 80 Beaconsfield Road
The cafe of St Ann’s Well Gardens, a decent sized interior and loads of outdoor seating for summer goodness. Not fancy, but mostly pretty good sandwiches, chips and cake; just take care if they try and go fancy on the specials (an £8 mezze platter was fine, but tiny).
Verdict: Ok
Location: St Ann’s Well Gardens
Little cafe with attached off-licence/fancy food shop. Had a brownie and a drink and it was fine, this cafe leans towards a “caff” with bacon sandwiches and the like so would suggest best when you want that.
Verdict: Ok
Location: 232-234 Eastern Road
Bibimbap takeaway that we had through Deliveroo. The food is fine, tasty even, but totally overpriced for what you get, and in one case cold; the other was warm so can’t blame Deliveroo for that. Won’t be returning.
Verdict: Don’t go
Location: 49 Gardner Street
Brighton outpost of the famous London resto (which I’ve never been to so no comparisons). Honestly, fantastic from start to finish. Bright, spacious interior, legions of helpful staff and lots of room, to start. Then just brilliant cocktails, and all the food (with one exception) was excellent, and really amazing portions – a crispy duck salad starter, for example, had loads of crispy duck, and creme brulee was huge (which was great, as it was delicious). All of this for not really much money, considering. Only negative was my minute steak being overdone but this was 100% my fault in conveying my wishes to the waitress. Overall, a new favourite.
Verdict: Awesome
Location: 51 Ship Street