Restaurant 2017

[Machiavelli]

Finally got to The Hearth in Lewes on Saturday for a bite to eat.

The Hearth is a bakery/pizzeria next to the bus station. Firstly, the decor is great and the music seemed to be strictly reggae and dub which was nice.

We started with homemade meatballs (great tomato sauce with these) and also had turkish flatbread and some garlic bread with cheese. Everything obviously from scratch on premises, even the flour is responsibly milled (locally grown, heritage too) and you can really tell. The Neopolitan pizzas with sourdough bases were as good as anywhere in Brighton, though Fatto a Mano MIGHT just shade them. All puddings were simple yet tasty, including tiramisu, treacle tart and affo gatos. Decent bottle of Picpoul on the wine list as well as a load of beers, mostly Harveys of course.

Recommended.

8/10

I've been there a couple of times and it's decent, but not a patch on one pizzeria in Brighton that you haven't (and I won't) mention.

 

[Machiavelli]

Interesting comments on Set, Isaacs and 64 Degrees. I went back to Set for the second time a few weeks back. This time we went at lunch, and we were the only people on a Friday lunchtime in the main restaurant, so the feel of the place was very different. It was good, but nothing beyond that, and downgraded my first impression.
I did go to Salt Room last Monday, taking advantage of their BYO £5 offer. The wines we took were stunning (2015 JJ Prum single vineyard Riesling, 2007 Van Volxem single vineyard Riesling, 2005 Corton Bressandes Maratray Dubreiul, 2010 LaTour Martillac , 2009 Monbazillac Domaine L'Ancienne Cure), and the food was impressive too, in a classic style, well executed. The snacks were great, as were the starters and mains -- I wanted to eat most of the things on the menu. Cheese was the only disappointment -- we select better cheeses from Sainsbury's and Waitrose.
Will definitely go back. On a Monday.

 

[Don Parasol]

FWIW I wasn't impressed with Isaac At at all recently... He is talented no doubt, and there were good things (some of the vegetables were cooked really well), but none of the courses stood out. A low point was the two meat dishes - both beef, which was odd in itself. Firstly a sirloin dish with broccoli if I recall, which had nice flavours, but they had used only the leanest part of the meat, I suspect removing any fat before cooking, and it meant the meat itself was fairly flavourless. Same with the next dish - a tartare with raw beetroot was an amazing combination, but the use of fillet meant the meat lacked flavour, as there was such a small amount of it that any beef flavour was simply lacking. I buy meat from his beef supplier so I know he can do much better! Their breads/patisserie were very good mind. I thought the English wines were good (but the volumes definitely smaller than they claimed which annoyed me). I don't mind tasting menus if the cooking is excellent, but the feeling I got was of a young talented chef that was nowhere near ready to execute what he was trying to do. One to watch, but currently there's much better fine dining to be had elsewhere in Brighton IMO.

 

[KingKev]

Interesting views. Have you been to Etch yet? I thought it was miles better than Isaacs.
It's a similar set menu concept so very comparable. The food here really was outstanding.highlights were the duck, the apple panacotta but most of all the trout carpaccio, with fried cockles and I kid you not cockle ice cream.

All served in a very relaxed atmosphere with Steven Edwards wandering around and having a completely informal chat at your table. We opted out of the wine flight option (not a fan) and had a decent bottle of Reisling, plus a glass of red. All this with pre dinner drinks and a couple of espresso martinis to finish cost £200 for two of us. Not cheap but certainly good value.

Possibly the best meal I've ever had in Brighton and Hove and I think they have raised the bar for 64 degrees, Isaac and the set etc.

Went to Etch. a couple days of weeks back. Agree it was very very good and better food-wise than the Oxford Blue in Windsor that we went to the week after and which has been tipped for a Michelin star. So a great addition to the B&H scene; but only for special occasions at those prices I'm afraid.

Had a good night at the ginger dog earlier in May; a dinner hosted by Ridgeview with the chef from Ginger Pig / Master Chef professionals (Matt?) cooking and every course accompanied by both a glass of one of Ridgeview's fine sparklers and a taste of the base wine from which the final fizz is made. Great idea; very decent food (cod with mussels, sea veg and a beurre Blanc probably the pick) and got to taste at least one Ridgeview (a rose de noir?) I'd not had before.

And so to the Little Fish Market last Saturday for a birthday treat. First time I've been for about 3 years. You can now pay by card (yay!) and it's now a 5 course 'fixed' menu (plus an amuse Bouche) at £55 plus £38 for an interesting wine flight with larger than usual servings of the wines we felt.
Mrs KK a little worried by having no choice on a fish-heavy menu (they do ask re allergies etc)...however I have to say it was probably the best meal I've had this year, at least locally. Smoked mackerel amuse bouche, warm oyster with elderflower granita, trout from Hampshire, grey mullet and then monkfish (both from the channel) all blindingly good. Pudding the only let down; a too-sweet lemon meringue tart - but hey I'm a savoury boy and the fishy delights were great.
£200 for 2 including ample wine flight and pre-dinner aperitifs. Nice.

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

Hey I live just down the road, and didn't even realise that restaurant was there. I quite like the sound of it and will probably give it a try soon.

Rather like you though, I easily get irritated with these little extra unforseen 'additions' to the bill, and as for adding a 10% service charge to just say, a table for two, that's taking things too far.

Looks like it opened in 2014 but I only noticed it a few weeks ago despite walking past it numerous times in that period.

 

[McTavish]

Did you have the set menu or the tasting menu?

Set - and it was plenty.

 

[Goldstone1976]

Vinoteca Italiana - Carshalton Beeches

Been several times recently with my mother, who lives locally. Probably the best family-run neighbourhood Italian I know. Normal stuff on a long menu, including really pretty decent wood-fired pizzas, as well as home made pastas, risottos, fish, meat (including rabbit), and a daily changing specials menu. Never anything other than busy, and deservedly so. Starters ~£6, mains £12-£17.

Locanda Locatelli it isn't, but a really top notch neighbourhood restaurant. Bravo.

 

[Goldstone1976]

Interesting comments on Set, Isaacs and 64 Degrees. I went back to Set for the second time a few weeks back. This time we went at lunch, and we were the only people on a Friday lunchtime in the main restaurant, so the feel of the place was very different. It was good, but nothing beyond that, and downgraded my first impression.
I did go to Salt Room last Monday, taking advantage of their BYO £5 offer. The wines we took were stunning (2015 JJ Prum single vineyard Riesling, 2007 Van Volxem single vineyard Riesling, 2005 Corton Bressandes Maratray Dubreiul, 2010 LaTour Martillac , 2009 Monbazillac Domaine L'Ancienne Cure), and the food was impressive too, in a classic style, well executed. The snacks were great, as were the starters and mains -- I wanted to eat most of the things on the menu. Cheese was the only disappointment -- we select better cheeses from Sainsbury's and Waitrose.
Will definitely go back. On a Monday.

Decent wines there. Pick of the bunch? Back to Sushi Tetsu tonight. Chez Bruce next Thursday.

 

[Machiavelli]

Decent wines there. Pick of the bunch? Back to Sushi Tetsu tonight. Chez Bruce next Thursday.

VV (I visited there a while back, and have just bought a few cases of their 2015s) and the Corton.
I used to live near Chez Bruce, and have been there about a dozen times. Its consummate.
If there's one restaurant I want to go to in the UK, it's Tetsu. Do report back.

 

[Goldstone1976]

VV (I visited there a while back, and have just bought a few cases of their 2015s) and the Corton.
I used to live near Chez Bruce, and have been there about a dozen times. Its consummate.
If there's one restaurant I want to go to in the UK, it's Tetsu. Do report back.

I'll pick up a couple of bottles - thanks for the tip.

I did a (brief) review of Tetsu after our first visit on this thread somewhere - rather than doing another review for public consumption, I'll drop you a PM.

Never been to Chez Bruce before, but been meaning to go for absolutely ages. Did you live between the Commons? I've just bought a flat in Bennerley Road. Nice area - bit foo foo, but very pleasant.

 

[McTavish]

Have you been to Etch yet?

Not yet. Added to the list. This thread is costing me a fortune!!

 

[Munkfish]

Any advice on Latino America in Hove, Is it any good or somewhere to avoid?

 

[Machiavelli]

I'll pick up a couple of bottles - thanks for the tip.

I did a (brief) review of Tetsu after our first visit on this thread somewhere - rather than doing another review for public consumption, I'll drop you a PM.

Never been to Chez Bruce before, but been meaning to go for absolutely ages. Did you live between the Commons? I've just bought a flat in Bennerley Road. Nice area - bit foo foo, but very pleasant.

I wasn't that close, Clapham North and then the (then notorious) Landor Road in Stockwell.

 

[Simgull]

Has VIP Pizza in The Steine been mentioned here? Went last night as wanted a quick bite near the Brighton Centre. What a great little place - heaving at 5:30 as well!
Good value fresh pizza in a wood oven - very Neapolitan style all run by Italians (and attracting a lot of Italian customers). Great selection of Italian deli food as well

 

[big nuts]

Went to Bincho Yakitori in Preston Street before the Kraftwerk gig. Superb meal, 18 sharing dishes and 8 beers came to £99.40. Great food and decent value.

Plenty to sample and with some dishes starting at £3/4 you can afford to be adventurous.

Highly recommended.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Went to Bincho Yakitori in Preston Street before the Kraftwerk gig. Superb meal, 18 sharing dishes and 8 beers came to £99.40. Great food and decent value.

Plenty to sample and with some dishes starting at £3/4 you can afford to be adventurous.

Highly recommended.

Sounds like you had a quite a night.

 

[big nuts]

Sounds like you had a quite a night.

Brighton Beer Dispensary at 5:30
Meal 6:00
Kraftwerk 8:00-10:00
2 Old Fashioned's in Bar Valentino 10:15-11:00
2 pints of Burning Sky Easy Answers Prince Albert 11:10-midnight

Great night!

 

[Simgull]

Brighton Beer Dispensary at 5:30
Meal 6:00
Kraftwerk 8:00-10:00
2 Old Fashioned's in Bar Valentino 10:15-11:00
2 pints of Burning Sky Easy Answers Prince Albert 11:10-midnight

Great night!

Good stamina!

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Brighton Beer Dispensary at 5:30
Meal 6:00
Kraftwerk 8:00-10:00
2 Old Fashioned's in Bar Valentino 10:15-11:00
2 pints of Burning Sky Easy Answers Prince Albert 11:10-midnight

Great night!

Excellent work. Bar Valentino is on New St? If so I used to love that place.

 

[Machiavelli]

Has VIP Pizza in The Steine been mentioned here? Went last night as wanted a quick bite near the Brighton Centre. What a great little place - heaving at 5:30 as well!
Good value fresh pizza in a wood oven - very Neapolitan style all run by Italians (and attracting a lot of Italian customers). Great selection of Italian deli food as well

Ah. I think I followed you into VIP. But you're not supposed to mention it on here: it's packed by 5.30 because they're pizzas are exemplars of their kind, so you don't want to publicise it too much further, because then you might not be able to get in at 4.30.