The Gin Tub

Have wanted to go here for YEARS since the conceit is they have retro phones on each table which you use to order your drinks. Just went in for one on a Friday night, they will make you share a table if there’s just two of you and it gets busy, but that’s fair enough. Nice cosy vibe, bustling but you can hear each other pretty well. And had an amazing jaffa cake gin!

Verdict: Awesome

Location: 16 Church Road

https://www.thegintub.co.uk/

Topolino

Stopped in on a quiet night, very nice service, a nice spot! The pasta I would say was above average, really delicious carbonara sauce in particular, but a very average side salad. Overall had a nice time, but unfortunately for Topolino the competition for Italian is VERY strong and for quality/price I can’t give it top marks.

Verdict: Ok

Location: 97 Church Road

https://www.topolino.uk/

Yemen Mandi

As the name suggests, Yemeni food, which is new to me; lots of lamb. Really enjoyed lamb and okra, minced meat with vegetables, and really tasty bread to pull apart and dip etc. And an amazing cheese sauce thing on the side. I say awesome but it’s pretty rusty as a restaurant in terms of service, speed, giving you a glass with your can of drink though. And be careful as loads of stuff comes with bread and it’s enormous, you probably don’t need more!

Verdict: Awesome

Location: 79 London Road

https://yemenmandi.co.uk/

Anakuma

Sister restaurant to the excellent Halisco and very close by, doing bao buns and small plates with cocktails. Cocktails to be fair were very good – a fantastic thyme infused dirty martini and a Hibiscus Whiskus (prosecco and ginger and gin). Food a little mixed. Very nice corn ribs with miso butter, spam fritters and gochujang ketchup also delicious. Korean fried chicken a let down – nice, but really more like a general tasty chicken dish than fried chicken. Bao buns pretty ok but meat chewy. Dessert super amazing – deep fried pistachio bao bun with gochujang caramel which really works. As is often the case with these, if it wasn’t Brighton I’d probably be more keen, but we are awash with this sort of food, so my verdict is based on: I had a nice time, but not bothered about going back.

Verdict: Ok

Location: 50 Preston Street

Can’t find a website

Vero Gusto

Bills itself as an “Italian Bakery and More…” and it’s – it’s ok. Pizza slices are a bit strange, half of them seem to be focaccia based which I was fine with but not what you’d expect, and they heat up – ok. Sweet treats that drew us there in the first place – similarly. Would probably get a worse grade but it’s pretty reasonably priced especially for the pizza, and they’re very nice!

Verdict: Ok

Location: 2 St James’s Street

Wabi Sabi

Fantastic Japanese, lovingly fitted out, great service and very reasonable prices – I thought gosh, £9/£10 for sushi rolls was a lot but then that’s 8 pieces, so very good value. Had great pumpkin korokke and chicken katsu rolls, fantastic tempura and really interesting chilli salmon sashimi.

Verdict: Awesome

Location: 121 Church Road

https://www.wabisabihove.com/