[Food] Restaurant thread 2023

[CheeseRolls]

I used to really enjoy these threads, but the last couple of years it has gone from here is somewhere interesting to try/avoid, to mainly pretentious guff.

Lunch on Sunday in Casa Don Carlos, was as consistent as always. Their Rabbit special has been one of my top dishes in Brighton for many years. The usual advice applies avoid the Paella, unless you think that Cornish Haggis, might be a thing worth trying. The main reason for mentioning it, is that CDC can be a pain to get a table in the summer. This time of year it is much easier and a lot more chilled.

 

[keaton]

William Sitwell reviews Fork, Sussex: ‘It brings sophistication and aspiration to Lewes’

Clever, confident cooking, a strong independent voice – but with just a little too much icing on the top

www.telegraph.co.uk

Fork gets a very positive review in the Telegraph,(12 ft ladder will get you around the paywall)

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

William Sitwell reviews Fork, Sussex: ‘It brings sophistication and aspiration to Lewes’

Clever, confident cooking, a strong independent voice – but with just a little too much icing on the top

www.telegraph.co.uk

Fork gets a very positive review in the Telegraph,(12 ft ladder will get you around the paywall)

Grace Dent also reviewed this a short while ago

Fork, Lewes, East Sussex: ‘The sort of place I dearly want to succeed’ – restaurant review | Grace Dent on restaurants

A small, neighbourhood restaurant with a heart that is bursting with ambition

www.theguardian.com

 

[MattBackHome]

Halisco, Preston Street.

Superb quality Mexican fare, served up by an enthusiastic and friendly bunch of oiks who do a side line in superb margaritas. Roughly 50 quid a head for loads of food and cocktails.

It's now in my top 5 Brighton restaurants. The renaissance of Preston Street is worth noting.

10/10 (!)

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Halisco, Preston Street.

Superb quality Mexican fare, served up by an enthusiastic and friendly bunch of oiks who do a side line in superb margaritas. Roughly 50 quid a head for loads of food and cocktails.

It's now in my top 5 Brighton restaurants. The renaissance of Preston Street is worth noting.

10/10 (!)

Out of interest what are your other 4?

 

[MattBackHome]

Out of interest what are your other 4?

Why thanks for asking, HT!

Bincho, Planet India, Set and Damasco Grill in no particular order

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Why thanks for asking, HT!

Bincho, Planet India, Set and Damasco Grill in no particular order

Thanks. Agree about Bincho, been there a few times…..those chicken skin skewers! Not been to the others but I’ll keep them in mind.

 

[The Clamp]

Cafe du Jardin, Lewes.

Me and a mate took a walk from Ditchling Beacon to Lewes today and back. Took lunch in this lovely cafe/restaurant in Lewes. It’s in a reclamation / antique yard and the weather was good enough to sit outside. Good but fairly basic menu.

I went for the ploughman’s platter and was impressed. Charcuterie meats, pickles, onion marmalade, cheeses (Red Leicester, manchego, goats cheese, and cheddar) olives and a decent, chunky salad. Rounded off with a decent pot of Earl Gray.

Also had a good tea-cake for afters.

Was all very passable. Not amazing but the outstanding service and friendly staff and other friendly customers made it a great lunch .

We even got roped into helping a chap carry a bunch of antique rugs into the main building.

Lovely setting, chatty clientele who made a fuss of the dog. Yeah, was great. Would recommend.

 

[The Clamp]

To add; my friend had the steak which he said he would have sent back if it wasn’t for the really lovely staff being so bloody lovely.

It’s not a place to order a steak .

He did think the Mocha cake he had for pudding was excellent though.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

“And proof that the hospitality sector can be a very efficient source of fundraising like this: the homelessness charity StreetSmart, which every year in the run-up to Christmas gets restaurants to add £1 to every bill to help tackle the issue, has announced that this year’s campaign raised £750,000, which is £50,000 more than last year. £97,000 of that came from the restaurants inside Selfridge’s. Burnt Orange in Brighton raised £6,000, and £2,000 came from Celetano’s in Glasgow. More than 50 UK homelessness charities now receive money from the initiative. At streetsmart.org.uk.”

 

[Bozza]

I noticed that Ben Wilkinson's move to The Pass last year has been a success, as they've regained their Michelin Star.

That makes the score:

West Sussex 3 - 0 East Sussex

 

[Jesus Gul]

In Pizza news Wild Flour Ovingdean got a very very high 9.5 or was it 9.3 on 'bitetwiceratetheslice' Instagram, Paolo

 

[Pevenseagull]

Cafe Malbec closing.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

I noticed that Ben Wilkinson's move to The Pass last year has been a success, as they've regained their Michelin Star.

That makes the score:

West Sussex 3 - 0 East Sussex

Absolutely, nice to see my local restaurant rewarded again.

 

[Springal]

Went to Mowgli today in the former site of Oasis down Duke Street. Indian food in thali / small dish type style. Very modern, bunch of tables the seats are essentially swings.

Small chain run by Nisha Katona who is on most BBC food programs at some point.

It has just opened but was completely full at lunch today. Good range of food, all the curry’s were pretty well spiced, even the milder ones. The ginger chicken curry , lamb keema & the chaaat bombs were very good.

Did find one or 2 dishes a bit watery, price was about right - personally I’d probably rather go curry leaf cafe or chilli pickle - but it does have a ‘trendier’ factor about it and good drinks menu

 

[Gwylan]

Went to Mowgli today in the former site of Oasis down Duke Street. Indian food in thali / small dish type style. Very modern, bunch of tables the seats are essentially swings.

Small chain run by Nisha Katona who is on most BBC food programs at some point.

It has just opened but was completely full at lunch today. Good range of food, all the curry’s were pretty well spiced, even the milder ones. The ginger chicken curry , lamb keema & the chaaat bombs were very good.

Did find one or 2 dishes a bit watery, price was about right - personally I’d probably rather go curry leaf cafe or chilli pickle - but it does have a ‘trendier’ factor about it and good drinks menu

Have to try this soon. My eldest has just got a gig as a bartender there, so I can go and keep an eye on him

 

[MattBackHome]

Any recommendations for places in Liverpool?

In other news we went back to Bincho and it was predictably perfect.

Also Adelphia on Prssron Street highly highly recommended for some absolutely superb Stifford and baklava.

 

[Bozza]

Kenny Tutt's Bayside Social is closing imminently. We've been there a couple of times and enjoyed its tapas-y like offerings, but I've often gone by when running and it's either been closed or all but empty.

New Worthing food mafia merchants Perch are moving in with Perch Pizza - authentic Brooklyn style stuff apparently. We'll see...

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

Went to Cucinetta in Worthing last night - a small Italian restaurant on Portland Road.

The food there is pretty simple but very fresh and nicely presented. We had two starters, two pasta mains and a couple of soft drinks at less than £20 each and were very full at the end. Service is friendly and not intrusive. Will definitely go back again to try a non-pasta dish.

 

[Bozza]

Went to Cucinetta in Worthing last night - a small Italian restaurant on Portland Road.

The food there is pretty simple but very fresh and nicely presented. We had two starters, two pasta mains and a couple of soft drinks at less than £20 each and were very full at the end. Service is friendly and not intrusive. Will definitely go back again to try a non-pasta dish.

Agreed - went there a couple of months ago for dinner with friends.

Nothing extraordinary, but very solid indeed and I'd happily go back.

Which reminds me...

We had Mothers' Day dinner, after the football, at Rincon de Pepe, a Spanish tapas place just north of West Worthing crossing. It's somewhere I'd wanted to try for a long time, but had never got round to it for some reason.

Again, it was a really decent tapas place with all the usual dishes served well. What also stood out was our waiter talking me down from ordering too much. I half-listened and reduced some of our order but we still had too much food, but that meant we could put leftovers into a few boxes which we took home and they made up most of dinner a couple of nights later. Again, I'd certainly have no hesitation in going back.