Food guide 2007
Yummy, yummy, yummy, I’ve got love in my tummy
At SOURCE, we anonymously review at least two varied eateries every month, sneaking our cameras in and ordering big, to report back on Brighton & Hove’s best – and worst – meals. You’ll see some of the positive ones framed on the walls of places but luckily you don’t have to hear the irate phonecalls from cafés, after we’ve blown the gaff that they’re under-performing. Basically, nobody knows local food better, as demonstrated by our rapidly expanding girths. Trust us...
Bankers / Bardsleys,
116a Western Rd / 22-23a Baker St
The seaside without fish’n’chips is like London without the petty crime. There are plenty of decent chippies in the city, but two stand out. Bankers has a restaurant favoured by old couples but amazing chips and fish, cooked while you wait. Bardsleys on the other hand is a friendly, family-run endeavour that gets its fish from local, not over-fished sources. It merely depends on what part of town you’re in.
China China, 33-35 Preston St
Cheap, quick and tasty – that’s what you want in a café, but it’s not often you find food other than the typical greasy spoon. China China is as inexpensive as your local Chinese takeaway but lets you sit inside and soak up the bustle. We’ve been so often, we’ve ended up diving into the odder corners or the menu and there are some real gems amongst the 260-plus options.
The Dorset, 28 North Rd
Popping in for a bite in the Dorset on a Saturday afternoon is part of being a Brightonian. Whether your feet are killing you from a heavy retail expedition or you’ve met a mate wandering through the North Laine, there’s a buzzing vibe here and some great food. Treat yourself to the fresh fish or go for the ever-popular moules. It’s not cheap for a quick snack but the food quality is bloody excellent.
The Forager, 3 Stirling Pl
Taking pub grub to its absolute limits, this Hove eatery is something special. Great service (informed, friendly, helpful) will help you find your way through the mix of unusual and everyday local, organic ingredients. It’s a great dining room-cum-boozer and we love the open kitchen. Not cheap but could probably charge much more.
Hop Poles, 13 Middle St
It might be “only a pub” but, by the gods, the chef at the Hop Poles really knows how to put a menu together. Loads of interesting specials every day, chocked full of tasty, seasonal ingredients, the choice here is better than most restaurants but without the price tag. The place is a vibrant drinking hole though, so if you’re after somewhere quiet, be sure to go at lunchtime. Those in Hove will find the Coopers Cask (Farm Rd) firing again.
Momma Cherrie’s, East St
Famous for its appearance on Gordon Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares, Momma Cherrie and her “soul food” has become one of the most famous places to eat in Brighton, and one of the hardest to get a table. Mr Fucking Ramsey really helped to turn it round, the Deep South food is amazing, and Ms Cherry is the most entertaining hostess in town.
Moshi Moshi, Opticon, Bartholemew Sq
Raw fish – you either love it or hate it. Unless you’re in darkest Hove where the more chilled Okinami is placed, or fancy the flashier Yo! Sushi, Moshi Moshi is the best place Japanese. The ubiquitous conveyor belt rolls round but the Bento Boxes are a filling and tasty alternative for those who find sushi a little, y’know, undercooked.
Oblong, 81 George St
Superb high-end modern British food with broad scope, kick-arse Sunday lunch and a heavy rockabilly twist in the bequiffed ambience. Oblong is less than a year old but has contributed a lot to the revitalisation of George St over the last few months and is dragging a fair few Brightonian stalwarts deeper into Hove than they’ve trodden before.
Pause, New England St
Just above Preston Circus, lush café Pause is off the beaten track for most townites but hosts a loyal Preston Park yummy mummy crowd, as well as a surprising number of rival local media types, who politely ignore each-other in the flesh after slating each-others’ endeavours in print. With its astounding scrambled egg and goat’s cheese, as well as fantastic pancakes, Pause is definitely a contender for the best “posh” brunch in town.
The Pond, 49 Gloucester Rd
Thai food is amongst the most popular pub grub these days, and Brighton is no exception. The Pond is one of the best of the many offerings, with an ex-pat chef and wide menu of favourites and specialities. It’s very reasonably priced and there’s a mini-restaurant upstairs that makes the meal seem more of an event than an expanded bar snack.
Shakespeare’s Head, 1 Chatham Pl
Bangers and mash has taken a leap forwards in the last few years and we’re no longer happy with Smash and Walls. Gourmet sausages. Plenty of potato options are the name of the game here. There’s no point in listing examples – if you can turn it into a sausage then it’s here. Like the St George Inn (see pubs) there are nearly 1400 combinations. We’re aiming to have tried them all by before we hit the grave.
Terre A Terre, 71 East St
If you’ve got a bit of money in your wallet and you agree with Morrissey’s belief that meat is murder, then you’ll love this nationally acclaimed veggie restaurant. Paul McCartney is a regular, along with most of the broadsheet restaurant critics, who all love it. Even carnivores will feel satisfied. As long as you can get past the classically obtuse menu.
Wagamama, North Rd
There are always queues out the door here, and when the dining experience is so quick and some communal you know the food must be special. A massive chain, Wagamama still manages to but unique with its long shared tables, serving up great noodle soups and Far East cuisine.
Woodies, Kingsway
We’ve ruined the hamburger in the last few years – tasteless mass-produced mush served in chain “restaurants”. Woodies take it back to the 50s heyday, not just in taste and size but also in style. This diner especially looks very authentic and the food is amazing, with more variety than you can imagine. Also check out the milkshakes, to which the SOURCE team has a crippling addiction. For those stuck in town, Rockola on Trafalgar Street is a good alternative.
Cafes
There aren’t as many proper cafés as there used to be – damn you Starbucks! – but with massive portions, Tiffany’s (22 North Rd) is a good place for a fry-up if you’re really hungry. Billie’s (34 Hampton Pl) specialise in interesting hashes that also are very filling, while the Sanctuary Café is a charming place for vegetarian food. On the other end of the scale the Market Diner (19-21 Circus St), a late night freak scene eatery with echoes of the Star Wars cantina bar.
Coffee. While Brighton has all the usual chains (Costa, Nero’s et al – and even a rare non-railway station branch of ‘tude-fuelled chain Puccino’s (you know, weird confrontational handwriting on everything), there are enough indie haunts to satisfy. The best known is RedRoaster at the bottom of St James’ St, where they’re true artisans. Hove’s austere Talullah Tea Rooms (9 Hampton Pl) also offer a menu of specific roasts in individual cafetieres, while the Duke Of York’s Cinema (see Culture) deserves a special mention for recently switching to buying its fantastic coffee directly from a Nicaraguan collective.
Takeaways
It often seems like Brightonians are too busy to cook – running from gallery to gig to club to someone else’s bed, so there’s plenty of takeaways. Grubbs’ Burgers (various locations) are so good that most shun McD****ds, with loads of options, all cooked to order. The health-conscious Spice Nutriment (66 Queens Rd) is an exceptional Indian, while food doesn’t get much cheaper than a large slice of bready pizza from Pizza Fritta, who can be found outside the Churchill Square shopping mall. La Cucina’s (01273 202206) authentic pizzas are perhaps the best delivered.
Juice Bars
In the last couple of years there has been an explosion in juice bars, mostly in the North Laine. It all started, strangely, with a milkshake emporium, Shakeaway (8 Bond St), who make every flavour of milkshake you can imagine and many more beside. Pulp Kitchen (31 Bond St) is the most pure, earthy or the bars, a more health food orientated place, while Sejuice (56 Gardner St) is slicker and more chilled with a light and airy feel and sofas in the back. |
