Tiny reviews of Brighton food and drink
A really cool potion themed bar. While you can theoretically just walk in and have a drink, the main draw is the potion “experience” where you get a welcome drink from a mythical beast, then make two – quite involved! – potion drinks for yourself, interacting with some neat little props on your table using your wand. Well worth a go!
Verdict: Awesome
Location: 1-2 Clarence Gardens
Went in and the boy had a chocolate and marshmallow waffle, and I had a breakfast one with egg, bacon and cheese. We enjoyed it, but it’s quite spendy for what you get, and the waffles were ultimately a bit overdone. Better off going to one of the many dessert places around town I think!
Verdict: Ok
Location: 49 West St
A lovely large space (although you have to watch noise levels from the tellies towards the back) with fantastic staff, and a really great offering of food at very reasonable prices.
Verdict: Awesome
Location: 4-5 George Street
The sister to the excellent Latinoamerica next door, a brunch, wine and tapas bar. Really nicely fitted out cafe, and great empanadas, and lethally sweet dulce de leche cheesecake!
Verdict: Awesome
Location: 34 Church Road
Cool little place right in North Laine, vegetarian canteen – you choose a main, then two sides and two toppings. I had chickpea and leek fritters with chilis, with lime and thyme wedges and garlic cabbage, with aioli and hot sauce. Really good, real food.
Verdict: Awesome
Location: 17 Kensington Gardens
Really cool location, with a “food hall” of currently 7 kitchens, the lineup of which does change at times. All ordering done online which is great, and we had amazing food from the Salt Shed (incredible bavette), Zest Hanoi Kitchen, and a temporary Santa Monica thing. Definitely worth a trip.
Verdict: Awesome
Location: Kings Road Arches, Shelter Hall
Vegan chippy, and I think pretty good. It’s bigger and nicer inside than it looks, and the food is presented beautifully. I wasn’t a massive fan of the smoked haddock, though I did like the texture, but I liked the jumbo lemon prawns. I’ll be back to try more.
Verdict: Awesome
Location: 127a King’s Road
Vegan Japanese, tapas style, and easily one of the best restaurants (meat or not) that I’ve been to in this town. Particularly good was the tempura cauliflower and “chicken” bao burger, but basically we had 12 things, 1 was pretty good, and all the rest were wow.
Verdict: Awesome
Location: 44-45 Baker Street
Gave these guys a try as they popped a menu through our door. Bad idea. First issue, got pinged that order was on the way and it took ages – I can only assume they did several deliveries in one go, which meant the food was cold. Soggy bhaji which I might chalk up to that. But chicken passanda was gritty, chicken was dry and chewy. Won’t do these guys again.
Verdict: Don’t go
Location: 175 Church Road
I struggled a bit with this one, as we enjoyed a lot of this. Nice joint, for one, not too cramped, nice but not too fancy. Good service too, and I appreciated that the small plates aren’t thrown at you all at once. But ultimately the food was a bit uneven. Some very enjoyable corn fritters and mushroom tacos, then middling fish tacos (great when you got the sauce, but not enough of it) and octopus tacos that didn’t hit the mark, and chicken parcels in a domineering sauce that was out of kilter with everything else.
Verdict: Ok
Location: 135 Kings Rd