Tiny reviews of Brighton food and drink
Bagelry right in Brighton Station. Lots of different kinds (although points off for no bacon and egg), I had a salt beef bagel with swiss cheese. Pro: clearly quality ingredients, especially the beef. Con: Quite expensive really – £5.50 for that, which seems a bit much.
Verdict: Ok
Location: Brighton Railway Station
Little cafe with savoury eats, coffee etc. Had none of these. Instead, was finally seduced by the cakes in the window which look amazing constantly. Peanut butter layer cake and red velvet cake. My stars. Extraordinary.
Verdict: Awesome
Location: 97 Trafalgar Street
Part of the Ginger Man group, gastropub that I really wanted to love. Great building, lovely space, amazing appetisers (oysters and fried pig’s head), fantastic service….but our 700g sharing sirloin steak was just pretty damn poor for the money. Dessert of chocolate ganache also pretty average.
Verdict: Ok
Location: 3 Hove Street
Didn’t eat here, but it’s a lovely place inside like a fancy West Hampstead type place, the food looked lovely and the garden is actually a garden. Winner.
Verdict: Awesome
Location: 48 Hove Street
The Speakeasy above The Wick is a perfectly nice cocktail bar with a decent amount of space and pretty ok cocktails, but it’s sure as hell not a speakeasy, so massive points off.
Verdict: Ok
Location: 63 Western Road
Another on the Time Out list, and it’s pretty crazy. It’s a small bar when you walk in, with a thick smell of incense, but basically it’s just super quirky. Cool carved booths, a pulpit in the back and a little cushioned hideaway too. Really tasty cocktail had here; insane quantity of craft beers also.
Verdict: Awesome
Location: 10 Western Road
I’d heard about this place before but hadn’t been inspired by what I read – until I walked past and saw people eating breakfast! So we tried it, and: wow. They’ve got a garden out back to eat in, and we had a breakfast wrap (cheesy eggs!) and a vegetarian “bunny chow” (South African thing – hollowed out bread loaf full of breakfast goodness) and they were both amazing. Really top shelf food, friendly staff, great environment, and you really don’t pay much for all that either.
Verdict: Awesome
Location: 30 York Place
Cafe/resto type place specialising in chicken. They do brunch as well which looks great, but I had fried chicken and waffles and it was TASTY. Just make sure you want to eat some chicken. Or some brunch.
Verdict: Awesome
Location 87-88 Trafalgar Street
Pub by railway station: you are expecting less than the finest. The Grand Central however is bloody brilliant. Inside all sorts of nice chairs and tables – lots of character and lots of space – and amazingly they have a secret roof terrace (big as well) to boot. Haven’t eaten here but enjoyed a couple of beverages.
Verdict: Awesome
Location: 29-30 Surrey Street
Italian resto; had the best gnocchi of my life here, and my companions also had wonderful pasta – salmon and octopus. Friendly staff, nice wine, great prices – awesome. Even awesome enough to offset their use of Comic Sans in their signage, and that’s saying something.
Verdict: Awesome
Location: 29 Preston Street