[Food] Restaurant 2024 thread

[Springal]

Mrs GB just got herself a new job so we broke our eating out ban last night to celebrate, by popping in to The Urchin.

Got the last walk in table and had a superb and good value (which, yes, is different to 'cheap') meal. Soft shell crab to start for me which is their best dish IMO, incredible balance of flavour and texture, followed by moules / frites - hard to f*** up but theirs are excellent. Mrs had squid followed by the spicy prawns which were reportedly excellent. Shared a cheese plate afterwards, always a triumph of shopping but exactly the ones I would have bought. Great service, good booze (an aperitif and shared a bottle of Albarino). Bill was £150 ish, not cheap for sure but better than the quoted bill for Rockwater with no starters earlier in this thread.

The place was full on a Tuesday night. The above is why.

Pre child Urchin was always our place after some daytime drinking in Hove ! Really need to try and get back

 

[heathgate]

Ok, this is a bit out their as far as location goes for most on here,.... but there are a decent number of Albion out here in the west country....

Taunton - Augustus restaurant... just about as good as it gets without going to a Michelin star place, loved it... https://augustustaunton.co.uk/

Near Glastonbury - A quirky back lane Somerset levels pub/restaurant.... a real favourite of ours,... great open kitchen so you can see the guys doing their stuff... on the outside looks shabby, open the door, wow, very off the wall... - https://thesheppey.co.uk/

 

[BrightonCottager]

I was going to do a review of The Urchin, but @Guinness Boy beat me to it. I went there for Saturday lunch last weekend with another local Fulham supporter and it was superb - the oysters, beer, moules, squid, everything was tip top. Plus, we were 0-0 when we left and a 2-1 win by the time we got home. Happy Days.

 

[BrightonCottager]

A couple of weekends ago tried The Permit Room on Brighton (part of the Dishoom restaurant group).

Surprisingly spacious. We were there for lunch and it was superb. Decent value and great for vegetarians. Cocktails were decent but some were a little small.

We tried the samosas, chilli fries, ragda patice (two lentil patties topped with tangy curry) as well as a cauliflower curry and a jackfruit pilaf

Had a look at their breakfast menu and will try than another time.

We went there during the soft launch. Food was excellent (& half price), service a bit disorganised and the music really loud.

 

[Ⓩ-Ⓐ-Ⓜ-Ⓞ-Ⓡ-Ⓐ]

A fairly new Indian has opened up at the far end of Church Rd (near Etch) called Madrasi. It's a tiny place and doesn't look particularly atmospheric to sit in there (we always do takeaway), but the food is fantastic. We've lived in Hove since 2020 and struggled to find good Indian food bu absolutely love this place. They do dosas! Highly recommend.

MADRASI'S Taste of South India · 194 Church Rd, Brighton and Hove, Hove BN3 2DJ

★★★★★ · South Indian restaurant

maps.app.goo.gl

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

A number of us are fans of the Troll, and I have often wondered what happened to him. Well, he’s alive and well but sadly leaving Brighton for Isle of Mull. Our loss, their gain. One last hurrah in Brighton before he goes….

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Menu

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

“A branch of the Karen’s Diner chain, which sells itself on its deliberately rude staff, has closed in Brighton after traces of drugs were found all over the premises. According to local Brighton newspaper the Argus, a police licensing check found traces of cocaine, heroin, MDMA and ketamine throughout the business, including in the toilets and on the kitchen pass. ‘There are some very high readings and most alarmingly a (very high reading) for cocaine on the baby-changing table,’ Sergeant Vince Lam told theArgus. A spokesperson for the parent company, which has ended the franchise agreement for the Brighton outpost, said: ‘Clearly the restaurant has operated outside of our guidelines and this is unacceptable.’”


ooops

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I had never heard of Karen’s but it sounds hideous

“Karens is an interactive diner and an absurdly fun experience. At Karens you will be greeted and waited upon by rude waiters and forced to play a variety of stupid games. “

You’d probably need a shot of heroin after experiencing this.

 

[dwayne]

I had never heard of Karen’s but it sounds hideous

“Karens is an interactive diner and an absurdly fun experience. At Karens you will be greeted and waited upon by rude waiters and forced to play a variety of stupid games. “

You’d probably need a shot of heroin after experiencing this.

Stupid place. Mental about the drugs found though.

 

[Bakero]

Stupid place. Mental about the drugs found though.

Which hospitality venue in Brighton, or elsewhere in the country, isn't riddled with drugs?

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

Which hospitality venue in Brighton, or elsewhere in the country, isn't riddled with drugs?

Take a quick swap around any toilet in England and you'll find cocaine and all sorts. I guess in this case they also found it all over the dining areas as well.

But it's closing because of private intervention being that they had their franchise agreement ended, not because of police action.

 

[Peacehaven Wild Kids]

Which hospitality venue in Brighton, or elsewhere in the country, isn't riddled with drugs?

What I’ve never really got about coke use is that the users will a) snort it off the top of a toilet cistern (would you eat off one?) or b) ingest something that’s possibly been imported via a condom up someone’s arse ‘ol. The mind boggles

 

[Bakero]

What I’ve never really got about coke use is that the users will a) snort it off the top of a toilet cistern (would you eat off one?) or b) ingest something that’s possibly been imported via a condom up someone’s arse ‘ol. The mind boggles

I see your point but is a toilet cistern dirtier than a kitchen table, for example?

The inside of a condom is probably quite clean, I'd imagine. Not that your average gram in the UK has seen the inside of one. Smugglers would need to swallow a hell of a lot of rubbers to quench the Britain's thirst for bugle.

 

[Springal]

“A branch of the Karen’s Diner chain, which sells itself on its deliberately rude staff, has closed in Brighton after traces of drugs were found all over the premises. According to local Brighton newspaper the Argus, a police licensing check found traces of cocaine, heroin, MDMA and ketamine throughout the business, including in the toilets and on the kitchen pass. ‘There are some very high readings and most alarmingly a (very high reading) for cocaine on the baby-changing table,’ Sergeant Vince Lam told theArgus. A spokesperson for the parent company, which has ended the franchise agreement for the Brighton outpost, said: ‘Clearly the restaurant has operated outside of our guidelines and this is unacceptable.’”


ooops

The range of drugs especially some being found on kitchen surfaces. How’s anyone working while buzzing around on MDMA, or nodding off to some heroin

 

[CHAPPERS]

Went down to Shelter Hall the other day. Had heard good thing about VIP Pizza but it was bang average and not very Italian at all. Way too much cheese and swimming in grease off the meats. Pizza 500 is approximately 45 times better if you can get past the terrible service in there.

Had one of the wife's gyozas from the Bao joint too, which was devoid of flavour and a massive MEH on a plate.

They will obviously do well given location but I won't be rushing back. I might not even go back EVER, that'll learn them.

4/10

ps my cortado after was alright
pps they tried to add service on to the bill in the app automatically but I'm not tipping for someone to walk for 20 seconds holding a plate no matter how friendly you are does that make me a bad person?

 

[CAPTAIN GREALISH]

Easter Sunday at the copper clam fantastic meal

 

[Bakero]

Went down to Shelter Hall the other day. Had heard good thing about VIP Pizza but it was bang average and not very Italian at all. Way too much cheese and swimming in grease off the meats. Pizza 500 is approximately 45 times better if you can get past the terrible service in there.

Had one of the wife's gyozas from the Bao joint too, which was devoid of flavour and a massive MEH on a plate.

They will obviously do well given location but I won't be rushing back. I might not even go back EVER, that'll learn them.

4/10

ps my cortado after was alright
pps they tried to add service on to the bill in the app automatically but I'm not tipping for someone to walk for 20 seconds holding a plate no matter how friendly you are does that make me a bad person?

That's a shame about VIP. It was decent in its early years (many Italians agreed with that too).

Haven't been to Shelter Hall myself but my partner went a couple of years back and enjoyed it. She had the gyoza (not sure if they were from the bao place), as well as ceviche and a charcuterie board.

 

[Machiavelli]

That's a shame about VIP. It was decent in its early years (many Italians agreed with that too).

Haven't been to Shelter Hall myself but my partner went a couple of years back and enjoyed it. She had the gyoza (not sure if they were from the bao place), as well as ceviche and a charcuterie board.

The Old Steine branch of VIP is still in fine form, and is better than Pizza 500 too.

 

[Bakero]

The Old Steine branch of VIP is still in fine form, and is better than Pizza 500 too.

Good to hear. What would you rank as the number one pizza place in Brighton these days? Or top 3?