EAT FOOD HERE (2)
- LOS AMIGOS:
- We only stopped here because we wanted something European, and all the other places we thought might be open on a Sunday in
Hove, were closed.
Los Amigos is a Mexican-Italian restaurant, and is very expensive for what you get. It's also not really very authentic, apart from the tortillas, which were out of a packet. They do cater for birthdays, and we witnessed a very happy 40th!
Main courses start at £5.95 and continue upwards to £18. Paella for two is £21. Other dishes involve things such as Pasta, Duck, Lamb, Chicken - but we didn't really pay that much attention to the Mains, as we only stopped for a starter. There didn't seem to be much Pork on the menu (?).
We had fried Mozzarella (in breadcrumbs, and from a packet), and Nachos with Guacamole, Salsa, Jalapenos and Sour Cream. Pleasant, but not filling, and not really worth £4.70/£4.90 a head. The Orange Juice was fine, and Los Amigos hosts a selection of Fine Wines and Spirits etc. Desserts looked OK. Staff seemed OK (?). Service was not included, and we were rather aptly given Humbugs with our bill!
Verdict: Not recommended unless someone else is paying!
60, Church Road, Hove. 01273-778777.
- THE GOURMET PALACE:
- A smart, comfortable Chinese restaurant in the heart of Kemptown. Gourmet Palace is set in pleasant, bright, clean surroundings and
hosts a warm, lively atmosphere. The service is good, and so is the food! I had the 'Kung-Po Chicken', which was lovely, and included
many unexpected extras such as Cashew Nuts, in the sauce. LBG had the 'Deep Fried Sweet and Sour Tofu', which she said was slightly
over-done. We both had rice accompaniments, at around £2.50 a head. The Main courses were from around £4.00, with the Chicken
being £5.70. Not much more to say really, I liked it quite a bit. Desserts looked appetizing. Drinks - good.
49, St. James's Street, Kemptown, Brighton. 01273-604060.
- HAPPY GARDEN:
- Lively little Chinese Take-Away with useful all-in-one meal deals like Sweet and Sour Pork with Rice for £3.60.
Usual stock of other dishes also available. Friendly service and also open most lunchtimes and every day of the week.
Delivery service also available.
Western Road (nr. Waterloo Street), Hove.
- LEONARDO:
- Leonardo's - we like. Great atmosphere and truly Italian (or Sicilian). Good setting on Church Road, pleasant surroundings,
efficient and friendly service. At Leonardo's we feel that they care about: food, each other and you - the diner. We
sometimes go there just for desserts and coffee. They do a delicious, but rich (!) Sicilian Ice Cream Cake,
with splashes of brightly coloured fruity sauces apparently carelessly flicked across the plate like criss-cross
machine gun fire! We haven't really had a proper meal at Leonardo's, but it's bound to be great - the Pasta is good.
Prices are good too. Go there!
LBG may be quoted as describing the profiteroles as "Bloody Lovely!"
55, Church Road, Hove. 01273-328888. www.leonardo-restaurant.com
- THE KING AND I:
- The King and I, as its name may suggest, is a Thai Restaurant. It is very centrally located, on the edge of the Lanes and can
accommodate plenty of diners. The traditionally-dressed staff are overtly polite, but not intrusive. The overall atmosphere is
most pleasant and we ended up having a good chat with the people on the next table, who needed advice on which food to
choose. We think they chose too many main courses, but we went for one each with rice and desserts for afters. I can't
actually remember what the savoury course was like, but I enjoyed it. The desserts, we both agreed were fantastic, creamy
and green. I enjoyed the little tadpoles (not real ones) floating about in warm Coconut Milk and LBG took on the other one,
which I think was more sticky and chewy. Very memorable. Prices were a little over average, but you won't be disappointed.
2, Ship Street, Brighton. 01273-773390.
- GAN BEI (now 'JADE'):
- Do an eat-as-much-as-you-like menu for about £12.95 a head. During the daytime, they do a lunch special. We ate
here when it was Gan Bei, and it was OK. 'Jade' looks better.
29, Western Road, Hove. 01273-778180.
- SAWADEE:
- Sawadee is a busy Thai Restaurant in Kemptown with a lively atmosphere and friendly staff. The interior is bright and colourful - but not tacky, and the two dining areas are
spacious, yet cosy.
There is a good selection of starters and main courses, with Curries, Stir-Fries and Specialities - all reasonably priced. There are also Noodle dishes and Rice dishes. LBG chose Sweet and Sour Tofu (which she said was "almost to die for") the first time we came here and Stir-Fried Tofu in Ginger and Spring Onion, the next. I savoured the deliciously creamy Chicken Yellow Curry (£5.95), which is my favourite! We both had Jasmine Rice (£2.00) accompaniment too.
Sawadee do some interesting desserts such as: Tapioca, Longans and Coconut Milk; and Thai Egg Custard - yum!! We drunk Jasmine Tea, but you could also choose from a variety of Beers, Wines, Spirits, Aperitifs, Liquers and Soft Drinks. Warm Sake is also available at £3.00 a portion.
Sawadee do Take-Away, Set Menus and House Specialities - all of which is very appetizing if you're out for that authentic Thai experience! Open seven days a week, all day at weekends. May be advisable to book in advance.
87, St. James's Street, Brighton. 01273-624233.
- LA FOURCHETTE:
- If you're looking for good food in the Brighton area, then La Fourchette could be for you. It's centrally located on
Western Road, near Waitrose and has a large enough seating area for 30-40 people. We went straight in for the main
course and LBG had the steak with Sauce Poivre and French Fries, at about £12. I chose the duck breasts seated on
Celeriac, with Courgette and Tomato, which I really enjoyed. Others chose fish dishes, and there are vegetarian
options. Complimentary tasty snacks were given out before the main courses. La Fourchette hosts a huge choice of
wine, per glass, carafe or bottle. Desserts are recommended, perhaps try the Gingerbread Parfait or the Pistachio Ice
Cream. Prices: Main courses from about £9, Starters from about £5, Desserts, about £5.50. Coffee at the end. With a
restaurant like this, its hard to find fault, but we're picky, so we thought of two. Firstly, I don't like it when the waiter
makes the decision that a customer would like more wine from the bottle; I like to feel in control of my wine intake,
and also the bottle seems to go down quicker if the person who's making money on it decides when to pour. Secondly,
LBG has this to say about the 'chips': "the display was somewhat passe - ie - the stacking effect". OK, enough said. If
you feel like a splash, to La Fourchette make a dash!
101, Western Road, Brighton. 01273-722556.
- CANDY BAR:
- Candy Bar is not strictly speaking a restaurant, but we went there for food one afternoon when many other eateries were shut. Candy
bar is really a girl's and women's bar, with different speciality evenings such as Arm Wrestling and Karaoke. Apart from drinks (we had
fruit juices), Candy Bar serves a bijou menu of "Tasty Tit Bits". First on the list is 'Slips and Dips', which consists of a "menagerie" of
breads, with various oils, Houmous and Olives - great - and all for £2! LBG had one of the Home-Made "Orgasmic Organic" pies, which
she really enjoyed. Not bad at £3.50! So, Candy Bar also have a few other assortments on the menu, but you get the idea - tasty
parcels and fun with friends, etc. etc.
33, St. James's Street, Brighton. 01273-622424.
- RED ROASTER:
- Great interior to this ex-post office, with plenty of light flooding through the skylights in the high ceiling. A massive feeling of
space is further gained by the use of a huge mirror on one side of the grand hall. Just about enough tables and chairs for this
busy Café/Restaurant at the bottom (Old Steine) end of St. James's St. We had a bowlful each of Café au Lait (£2.00) (Caff and
Decaff) plus Croissant (£0.90) and rich Chocolate Brownie (£1.00) - mmm, nice! Check
it out. Red Roaster has adopted a NO-SMOKING policy. Not 'spit and sawdust' prices, but great (clean) atmos.
Old Post House, St. James's Street, Brighton. 01273-686668.
- THAI CONNECTION:
- Staying in Hove for a minute, we venture to Thai Connection. This is a newly re-furbished eatery on one of Hove's main shopping
streets. The restaurant is split-level, and has plenty of wooden and traditional decor surrounds. Background music is of the traditional
Thai variety. There is a great selection of Curries and other Meat and Vege. dishes, including Tofu! Green Curry is £4.95. We ventured
here on a cold Winter's day, for late lunch. The experience was mostly enjoyable, but LBG was unhappy with the 'Owner/Manager' who
strolled in, immediately turned down the Calor Gas heater (without checking with the customers first) and wandered about the
restaurant in an unconducive way. Apart from that, very good.
14, Blatchington Road, Hove. 01273-205009.
- REVITALISE:
- We were nicely surprised by the Revitalise café. Not because we weren't expecting it to be good, but because - as
a Vegetarian/Organic eatery - we thought it might be a repetition of many in the same league. Actually, we rated it
much better than certain other vege fooderies we could mention.
The atmosphere at Revitalise is good. Being in the centre of Hove it is not so crowded as Brighton and we were afforded the luxury of space and ambience (partially provided by the peaceful background tunes). We were greeted by a visiting Tarot-reader who had placed herself available for consultation at a table near the entrance. The walls are decorated with some very aesthetic paintings and books and Ayurvedic Medicines are for sale.
The Menu is mostly Organic and completely Home-made. There are choices such as: Salads (£3.75), Jacket Potatoes (from £3.45), and Sandwiches and Wraps - with fillings that include Cheese, Tofu, Roasted Veg, Houmous and Avocado etc. There is also Soup of the Day (£2.95), but we went for the Mains (£4.50/£5.50) - of which I had the Cottage Cheese Burger. This came with a multifareous Salad (including Quinoa - yum!). LBG had the Tortilla (with salad), which as she said "was full of Veg and Potato". We reckon they are good value as we were left almost too full to eat Desserts. However, our intuitions got the better of us and we were forced to sample the delicious orange- flavoured Lebanese Cheesecake with crushed-Pistachio topping - "Mmmm. Very good cake." The café also hosts a wide variety of Teas, Coffees and Cans; but best of all in the drinks range are the Organic freshly-pressed juice combinations (£2/£3), like the 'C Double' (Orange and Carrot) that I had. This one and others such as 'Stress-Buster' and 'Ultimate De-Tox' can have shots of Aloe Vera or Spirulina added for an extra 80p.
LBG says: "I liked the Tahini and Shoyu Salad Dressing; and I was impressed with the Stair-lift facility for Disabled people, as the Toilet is downstairs".
Verdict: Recommended for a lunch stop-off when in the area.
86, Church Road, Hove. 01273-738389. Monday-Saturday: 9am to 8pm. www.revitalise-u.co.uk
- KAMBI'S:
- 'Most likely' the best Lebanese cuisine in Brighton and Hove. Dishes range from Mezes to Charcoal Grills and cater for vegetarians,
vegans and meat-eaters alike. Every time we have eaten there, the food has been fantastic - and pretty reasonably priced too. Main courses
start at £5.50 and rise to £10.50. Meze for two persons is £15.00. Starters are between £2.00 and £3.25. Desserts are good too. Try the
Rosewater Sorbet - it's lush! Free local delivery and outside catering also provided. Gets busy, especially at weekends, so maybe try
booking in advance. They also do Take-Away (including Shawarma).
107 , Western Road, Brighton. 01273-327934. Fax: 01273-204323.
- CAFÉ BELLA:
- This little eatery is a bit of a gem amongst the pigeons, due to it's undemanding and unsophisticated nature. You can
have a fairly pleasant, affordable meal in congenial surroundings, whilst also being at the heart of Brighton's thriving
cultural scene. OK, so it's nothing too special food-wise, but if you're out for a quick convenient bite, at a good price
and you don't mind a bit of 'spit and sawdust' (not literally), then Café Bella is the one. They do: All Day Breakfasts,
Pasta Dishes, Greek Specialities, 3 Course Dinners, Salads and Grills. The restaurant is also family-run and is open 7
days a week, between 9am to 9.30pm. Opposite Safeways.
120, St. James' Street, Brighton. 01273-623485.
- SA-SA:
- They do Fish and Chips, Burgers, Saveloy etc., Chickeny things and some Chinese food. I get the Chinese food
because it's freshly made in the little kitchen out the back, and because it's simple and not over-decorative or over-
flavoured. So far, my favourite is the Roast Pork Chow Mein - possibly the best I have ever tasted - but I also go for the
Roast Pork with Rice. It's cheap and so are the surroundings - no frills, down-to-earth, honest fodder. Take Away only.
20, Coombe Terrace (Lewes Road), Brighton. 01273-570658.
- CHINA HIN'S:
- Well-situated in the heart of Hove - nice French Patisserie/Café next door - but fairly standard, run-of-the-mill Chinese
restaurant for English people. They do a weird dish called 'Bird's Nest', which is fun-looking but difficult to eat, and
plenty of other regular favourites. They do vegetarian dishes like 'Monk's Vegetable', and these are all served on metal
hot-plates. Unfortunately, the service seemed a bit brutal and a bit swift. Not badly priced.
121, Church Road, Hove. 01273-329888.
- TEHRAN: March 2006 - Changed name to 'SAHARA' - Lebanese and Persian - Good!
- Tehran, as the name suggests, is a Persian (and Turkish) restaurant. When we went there to eat (at 6.30pm on a
Saturday), they allowed us to have the 3 courses for £7.50 special offer, which usually only applies between the hours
of 12 and 5pm, Monday to Saturday; so maybe they're a bit flexible on that one. Anyway, there's quite a bit of choice
and the space itself is nice and airy and not too formal; the restaurateurs are also pretty friendly. I had the Tomato
Soup starter and the other two had Humus and Oliveh Salad (like Russian salad) respectively; this all came with warm
flatbread. Next, I chose a Chelow (minced lamb) Kebab (which came with a large portion of rice, salad and grilled
tomato) and the others had an 'aubergine in tomato sauce with split-peas' vegetarian option, which they enjoyed. We
were pretty stuffed by this point, but we managed to force down some Baklava and Zaffiri ice cream, which was
delicious. We drunk mint tea (£3.00 a pot), as is the tradition. The menu includes a variety of meaty-kebaby choices,
as well as a different vegetarian main course each day of the week. Whilst alcohol is not available, there is quite a
choice of fruit juices, soft drinks, tea and coffee - plus alcohol-free beer. You can also eat à la carte - meaty main
courses start at £6.00 (for Chicken Wings, rice etc. included). Our conclusion - satisfaction all round. Recommended!
97, Western Road, Brighton.
- ME OLD CHINA:
- This restaurant, slap bang in the middle of town (opposite the Clocktower); serves Chinese, Malaysian and Singaporean
cuisine. We've eaten here on a number of occasions and been very satisfied. The staff are friendly, helpful and seem to
be enjoying themselves. A large range of dishes are served, and many are part of the 'Express Menu', which clocks-in at
around £4.50 a head - before drinks. Last time we were there I chose 'Lak Sa', which is like Singapore Noodles in soup
with Coconut Milk and Roast Pork. It's hot, but it's very lush, and you get a big bowl. LBG had a tofu dish I think, and
gave the seal of approval. Soya Chicken with Rice is nice too. It's Jasmine Tea a go-go here, but there are other more
European soft drinks and also other Asian drinks too. We recommend.
46, West Street, Brighton. 01273-711518.
- SUNNY RESTAURANT:
- Been here once, good atmosphere; can't remember what we ate, but waitresses were very chatty and friendly. Good value. Near the station.
60, Queens Road, Brighton. 01273-208866.
- SHANGHAI NOODLE BAR/RESTAURANT:
- This is the most fundamental Chinese restaurant that we have found in Brighton. Both prices and food are really good;
for example: Pork with Fried Noodles - £3.00. Many other dishes - such as Beef/Pork/Chicken/Prawns with Noodles
Soup, Rice or Rice Porridge - are in the same price-range. Vegetarian dishes are also available, as are soft drinks,
dumplings, starters etc. This is definitely a no-frills place, with basic tables and chairs, plastic plates and no music.
However, we do recommend coming here for authentic Chinese cuisine and atmosphere. They do take-away too!
50, George Street, Brighton. 01273-690314.
- ORIENTAL KITCHEN:
- If you're out of town heading towards Devil's Dyke, then check out Oriental Kitchen, cos it's good. Eat-in and Take-
Away, great food and not just catering for the Western market. Cheap prices and pleasant atmosphere. Opposite the
Esso garage, unfortunately!
210, Dyke Road, Brighton. 01273-558866.
- SUSHI GARDEN:
- Yep! Tasty food and friendly service. Not just sushi, but all kinds of Japanese and Korean dishes. Fair prices too.
32A, Preston Street, Brighton. 01273-727246.
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