Secret Eater: Nick & Franco's

Nick & Franco’s Deli Bar
12 Brighton Sq
(01273) 723522
Mon-Fri 8am-5.30pm, Sat 10am-5.30pm, Sun 10.30am-4.30pm

THE PLACE: Mostly the massive SOURCE distribution list is mainly laid out sensibly by shop, pub and café names but the spot that Nick & Franco’s now takes is simply down as “Nice meatballs deli”. We’d been grabbing cheap pasta there for years. So when someone suggested it for our food review this month we were excited, and then shocked to hear it had changed owners. Its still a place for cheap Italian eats but how will it compare?

THE MEAL: The good news about Nick & Franco’s is that it’s proper. Real Italian food served and cooked by Italians in an environment that feels like an upmarket Rome café. The bad news is that they don’t serve meatballs. We come to grips with the concept of change and order penne with spicy chorizo and peppers (£3.55) and more penne with bolognaise ragu (£3.55). Both fill the huge plates, with the former having warm flavours provided by the soft chorizo. The bolognaise was similarly tasty but wasn’t as thick and meaty as the tomato heavy sausage dish. We don’t need a sandwich to go with it but just for the experience (honest, we’re not gluttons), we order a freshly made Sicilian (£3.65) – crammed full of grilled Mediterranean veg and soft but sharp pecorino cheese on toasted ciabatta. It’s all washed down with hot chocolate (£1.80) and a can of Italian lemonade (£1).

THE VERDICT: Why would you buy a pre-packed sandwich for lunch when you could have a lovely, hot cooked meal brought to you at tables in the sun or inside a cool café? It’s great value compared to, say, Pret A Manger and when the meatballs return – please! – we’ll be here every day.

WERE WE SUSSED: Actually, yeah, we think we were. Sitting outside we weren’t as careful with our camera as we could have been and got clocked. No one said anything but we didn’t get charged the 40p eat in fee.

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