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Brighton - Where's good at the moment?


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I had dinner at Drake's Hotel in December and thoroughly enjoyed it. And after much eager anticipation was somewhat disappointed by Momma Cherry's. Maybe because I'm American and had eaten many of those dishes better cooked at home or maybe because my friend and I just talked too much after not having seen each other for 20 years.

Bernice

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I'd vote for Gingerman at Drakes or the original in Hove over Seven Dials where I've had two very disappointing meals although I must admit that my last was about 2 years ago. I would heartily recommend Bodega D'Tapa in Church Street, a tiny tapas bar run by a Spaniard. Click for review.

Pinxto People is also worth checking out. I'd go downstairs in the tapas bar but you can opt for the posh restaurant upstairs where the service is excellent and food variable.

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Heard lots good on Gingerman at Drakes

Some good and not-so-good reports from Seven Dials.

Went to Bodega D'Tapa the other day and wasn't impressed with a few cheap and oily microwave heated plates.

La Fourchette has always been good for me.

Or there's the usual Hotel du Vin of course.

For Sunday lunch get out of Brighton and go to the Jolly Sportsman - a recent a deserved winner of best sunday lunches in the south east in the observer. Book or turn up early for a seat in the small bar.

Kambi's on western road - Lebanese - would be my recommendation for dinner. Went at the weekend and it was great. BYO too. Always busy so book for dinner.

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Went to Bodega D'Tapa the other day and wasn't impressed with a few cheap and oily microwave heated plates.

I haven't been since just before Christmas when I had a terrific charcuterie plate a speacial of black paella which was lovely and some fabadas which were great. The place is tiny, you can't swing a cat in it hence the need for the microwave which I don't think is a huge problem as the food is properly cooked in the first place. I had a large glass of some really good Rioja reserva (96 I think) for about a fiver. I just loved it. I'm going to check it out again tomorrow after work and see if my memory is playing tricks on me.

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yeah, I went for lunch and wasn't drinking and was sharing with someone who doesn't eat meat so had to pass on chorizoey things, which are always the best part of tapas for me.

tomato stew with peppers was tasty but very oily. Seafood paella was short on seafood but fairly tasty. I can't remember the third dish we shared. Something nicer than tesco french stick as bread would have been good.

Nice cosy little room.

They were closed for a week or so in May. They had a ghost.

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They were closed for a week or so in May. They had a ghost.

we had a problem with a ghost this year, but it only took one nights work to sort it out- dread to think how bad theirs must have been!! :laugh:

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I would go to the Gingerman at Drakes for Saturday dinner. Fantastic food prepared by a chef who is still clearly passionate about what he does - it shows in the menu and the food.

My top tip for Sunday lunch would be a relative newcomer to the Brighton restaurant scene - Riddle & Finns. It's a shellfish/seafood and champagne bar set up about 3 months ago by the owners of Due South. Its quite small and is in the Lanes (and not along the seafront as you might have hoped) but despite its less than obvious location, it is wonderful and just what Brighton needs. Lots of oysters, heaving platters of shellfish, great chips and salads, potted crab, whitebait etc and all very good quality. They serve several champagnes by the glass and have a good wine list. Puddings are limited but if you've worked your way through the shellfish platter don't know if you'll manage anything else :wink: .

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hullo, hullo

we went to Brighton quite recently and couldn't get a table at SevenDials at the right time so ended up in this newish gastro(eek)pub called the Chimney House a bit of a walk from there. We had a really quite lovely (and goodness me a bit cheaper) dinner: nothing crazy, but goats cheese with peas, mint and broad beans was delicious, and I had some top-notch fish for main.

And -- now I remember why the meal is wee bit fuzzy -- it has a good wine list. Like proper. And I think some decent cider too. It's no smoking as well, I think [/not in a facist way]

Certainly it's good if you're going for a few nights and want a more informal meal...

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plenty of good suggestions thanks everyone, made a bit harder by the fact that one of my fellow diners is a vegetarian, and likes a bit of choice. selfish swine i know!

turns out we're staying at pelham hall which seems to have a decent restaurant, well if you believe the (probably edited) quotes from matthew forte et al on their website.

how good is the lebanese place offcentre? should have a few veggire options to appease my friend!

if it were up to me, then it would be gingerman, and who knows, it still may be

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turns out we're staying at pelham hall which seems to have a decent restaurant, well if you believe the (probably edited) quotes from matthew forte et al on their website.

Do you mean Pelham House in Lewes? If so that's about 20 minutes by train from Brighton or a bit longer by road depending on the traffic. I was there last night by coincidence.

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I tried sevendials in February and can recommend it. Food was good and the waitstaff were cute.

Definitely check it out - am slightly biased as the family who own it are friends of mine. Weather is supposed to be good this weekend and they have a large terrace outside as well.

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turns out we're staying at pelham hall which seems to have a decent restaurant, well if you believe the (probably edited) quotes from matthew forte et al on their website.

Do you mean Pelham House in Lewes? If so that's about 20 minutes by train from Brighton or a bit longer by road depending on the traffic. I was there last night by coincidence.

I think I do. Did you eat there?

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Well, Seven Dials was good, seriously good in fact, both the service and the food. Pelham House (where I am right now) was pretty bad. Bad service, worse food. Thank god I'm not eating here again.

If anyone wants me to I can give you more details when I have more time.

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Kambi's, the lebanese place, is about two thirds veggie.

Glad you enjoyed the dials. If you're in Lewes you really should go to the Jolly Sportsman, just up the road in lovely countryside.

Or the Ram, in Firle - very nice pub grub.

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Pelham House (where I am right now) was pretty bad. Bad service, worse food. Thank god I'm not eating here again.

If anyone wants me to I can give you more details when I have more time.

Would be very interested in your thoughts on the place. I did eat there and left a little bewildered by the food which was a strange take on fusion cooking.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Pinxto People is also worth checking out. I'd go downstairs in the tapas bar but you can opt for the posh restaurant upstairs where the service is excellent and food variable.

this was really very good indeed. Went to watch the spain match last week not intending to eat but looked so nice we couldn't help ourselves.

There wasn't much we didn't try from the tapas menu by the end and ate our way through gazpacho, roast chicken and ham croquettes, pimentos padron (tiny green peppers chargrilled), a plate of cured chorizo and some lovely little cooked choricito sausages (served with toasted bread and tomato/garlic dip), several cheese plates and a good number of little bite's from the bar.

There's about 15 plates on the menu rangeing between 4 and 10 and the same number of proper tapa on display on the bar at a pound each.

Free beers came round when their first goal went in and a lovely bottle of rioja vega went down very well.

It looks and feels very slick and I presumed it was a chain, but no.

Wouldn't hesitate to go back and will definitely try the posh restaurant upstairs.

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We had a very nice lunch at the Real Eating Company in Hove a couple of Saturdays back - very fresh and tasty (half) lobster with good chips for £15 - wish I'd gone for the whole. Still hungry so shared a pudding, good cheeseplate and a huge charcuterie plate between three of us. From memory about £75 for three including service, coffees and a few drinks.

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