[Food] Restaurant thread 2021

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

Went to Kolbeh in Worthing last weekend. It’s been going under the radar for a while - Persian food in a slightly ‘glam’ setting. Their social media presence is lacking, as is much about their menu but had seen some good reviews.

Usual starters of nice breads, hummus, aubergine dip type thing, and a lovely blitzed chicken paste type Russian salad thing.

Mains are generally grilled kebabs or lamb chops, as well as a chicken curry served with incredible rice and salad. The veggie in our group had an aubergine & chickpea curry, I had the mixed lamb & beef which although fairly pricey at £20 was extremely filling.

Really not sure where they are aiming - it’s kind of trendy but not really well advertised or anything. Also big mark down for beer offerings - bottles of Desperados or Carlsberg are the options and neither are what I’d call premium. Especially when the crates of Carlsberg are stacked against the end of the bar marked at £9.99 for 12 bottles being sold at £5 a go….

Has this replaced Picasso's?

 

[Springal]

Has this replaced Picasso's?

Yep!

 

[amexer]

Can anybody recommend a restaurant in Lewes

 

[swd40]

Apologies for bouncing the thread, possibly overlooked in the Arsenal build up.

Anyone?

Been a few times for their steaks, which were good but apparently https://www.baqueano.co.uk/ Is supposed to be even better.

 

[Originunknown]

Can anybody recommend a restaurant in Lewes

Theres a Rustico which has opened where the Lamb used to be. Casual Italian place. Inexpensive but good quality pizzas, pasta and salad.

The rights of man is always reasonable for pub fayre.

Castle Chinese worth a look for Chinese food.

Edit, to add the Thai next to the Landsdown too called Erawan

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

Can anybody recommend a restaurant in Lewes

I've heard good things about Fork on Station Street which reopens in a couple of weeks. Cote is reliable. Avoid Fuego lounge - dreadful.

 

[CHAPPERS]

I had mixed feelings about Fork, mostly around the portion sizing which I thought was on the verge of taking the piss. Good food and cooked really well but is Lewes ready for a 20 quid cod dish that you have to top up with the 4.50 chips yet you still leave feeling underfed? Nice whipped ricotta starter though. Service bang average but this was not too long after opening. 5.5/10.

Spend the money on a taxi to Blacksmiths Arms in Offham for goat curry.

 

[Perry's Tracksuit Bottoms]

Theres a Rustico which has opened where the Lamb used to be. Casual Italian place. Inexpensive but good quality pizzas, pasta and salad.

The rights of man is always reasonable for pub fayre.

Castle Chinese worth a look for Chinese food.

I thought Rustico was distinctly average when I got takeaway, but maybe we'd been spoilt by The Hearth which was absolutely brilliant while it existed. Best pizzas in Lewes are now the ones from the van under the arches at the staion.

 

[Originunknown]

I thought Rustico was distinctly average when I got takeaway, but maybe we'd been spoilt by The Hearth which was absolutely brilliant while it existed. Best pizzas in Lewes are now the ones from the van under the arches at the staion.

Would say Rustico is a 7/10 but the Hearth pizzas were good yes. Yet to try the van under the bridge, will do soon.
'Pizza Fuoco' is the name, but not a restaurant as such.

 

[Perry's Tracksuit Bottoms]

Would say Rustico is a 7/10 but the Hearth pizzas were good yes. Yet to try the van under the bridge, will do soon.
'Pizza Fuoco' is the name, but not a restaurant as such.

You're right - definitely not a restaurant, though they do have tables if you don't mind keeping your coat on!

Happy to second your recommendations of Castle Chinese and Erawan.

I also had a fantastic breakfast at the Needlemakers recently, run by the people from the Roundhill pub in Brighton. They've recently opened a new 'small plates' restaurant there in the evening which is pricy but may well be interesting.

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

Anyone been to Hixon Green in Lewes and if so, how was it?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Anyone been to Hixon Green in Lewes and if so, how was it?

I walked past it on Friday, looked like it had permanently closed.

 

[Perry's Tracksuit Bottoms]

I walked past it on Friday, looked like it had permanently closed.

Closed at the beginning of July, didn't survive the pandemic.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Closed at the beginning of July, didn't survive the pandemic.

So sad, if they had managed to survive another month or two they may just have been ok, more people eating out now.

 

[Bozza]

A quick word for Worthing's Ami Bistro, which we visited on Friday night as part of quite a large group.

We've been before and I can remember absolutely nothing at all about the visit, which suggests it didn't stand out as being particularly good nor bad, which is why we hadn't returned.

However, Friday's meal was really good. I had Goat's cheese and chive truffles, followed by Chipotle-roasted cauliflower and finally the cheeseboard and each were very good indeed. It is possible to get a cheeseboard wrong, and I was left a bit disappointed by the effort in Pitch a few weeks earlier. The cauliflower dish was the stand-out. I hadn't expected much from the one veggie dish on the menu, but I can't remember enjoying a dish like this for a long, long time.

There was praise from the fish and meat-eaters too. I think the only slight disappointment I heard was from [MENTION=236]Papa Lazarou[/MENTION] and his starter of prawns.

They coped very well with a large group too, on what was a busy Friday evening for them. I'll be going back sooner rather than later.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

So sad, if they had managed to survive another month or two they may just have been ok, more people eating out now.

Whilst it’s sad that places close down, the pandemic is providing an opportunity for others. There’s quite a few new places opening up here in spaces vacated by businesses which didn’t survive. I follow a food blog and this May the “new” section was rammed. Most are small independent businesses but even big names like Brewdog have snapped up vacant lots. A local brewery called BRLO has also taken over a craft bar which went bust so we now have a new tap room down the road.

Hopefully similar will happen with this spot in Lewes.

 

[keaton]

Whilst it’s sad that places close down, the pandemic is providing an opportunity for others. There’s quite a few new places opening up here in spaces vacated by businesses which didn’t survive. I follow a food blog and this May the “new” section was rammed. Most are small independent businesses but even big names like Brewdog have snapped up vacant lots. A local brewery called BRLO has also taken over a craft bar which went bust so we now have a new tap room down the road.

Hopefully similar will happen with this spot in Lewes.

We've got two new craft brewery taprooms in the last year or so, I'm not sure we can support anymore

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Whilst it’s sad that places close down, the pandemic is providing an opportunity for others. There’s quite a few new places opening up here in spaces vacated by businesses which didn’t survive. I follow a food blog and this May the “new” section was rammed. Most are small independent businesses but even big names like Brewdog have snapped up vacant lots. A local brewery called BRLO has also taken over a craft bar which went bust so we now have a new tap room down the road.

Hopefully similar will happen with this spot in Lewes.

Yep very true, all part of the great circle of life l guess, when some fail and die, others will always move in and take their place.

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

A quick word for Worthing's Ami Bistro, which we visited on Friday night as part of quite a large group.

We've been before and I can remember absolutely nothing at all about the visit, which suggests it didn't stand out as being particularly good nor bad, which is why we hadn't returned.

However, Friday's meal was really good. I had Goat's cheese and chive truffles, followed by Chipotle-roasted cauliflower and finally the cheeseboard and each were very good indeed. It is possible to get a cheeseboard wrong, and I was left a bit disappointed by the effort in Pitch a few weeks earlier. The cauliflower dish was the stand-out. I hadn't expected much from the one veggie dish on the menu, but I can't remember enjoying a dish like this for a long, long time.

There was praise from the fish and meat-eaters too. I think the only slight disappointment I heard was from [MENTION=236]Papa Lazarou[/MENTION] and his starter of prawns.

They coped very well with a large group too, on what was a busy Friday evening for them. I'll be going back sooner rather than later.

The food in AMI is great although it can sometimes get noisy in there. They don't seem to change their menu very often so it can become a bit repetitive as somewhere to go to regularly.

Whilst it’s sad that places close down, the pandemic is providing an opportunity for others.
Hopefully similar will happen with this spot in Lewes.

It's quite a large space and was previously occupied by Aqua before they went bust. I'm surprised another larger chain hasn't taken the space as it is in a good location with the hotel above and car park behind. I'd love to see someone like Nando's say that they are opening there just for the reaction of those Lewes residents who would think it is not the sort of place that they want in the town.

 

[Perry's Tracksuit Bottoms]

It's quite a large space and was previously occupied by Aqua before they went bust. I'm surprised another larger chain hasn't taken the space as it is in a good location with the hotel above and car park behind. I'd love to see someone like Nando's say that they are opening there just for the reaction of those Lewes residents who would think it is not the sort of place that they want in the town.

I believe the rent there is very high and, just like some similarly expensive new build residential properties in the town, they remain empty...