The Strand

Tel : 747096
6 Little East St
last visit : Dec 2002

I've been going to The Strand since it opened and have gone past my 12th visit now.
The Strand has maintins a high standard in the kitchen and it does what it does very well. Yes the menu is short and rarely changes much but it's varied enough so there's something for everyone including a whole page just for vegy's.
The high point of this retaurant is the atmosphere and surroundings. Large well spaced tables, professional Brighton waiting staff, perfectly adequate wine list make this place one of my favourites but unfortunatley the menu has wandered from the path recently and this is reflected by the new 2nd class rating.

 

King & I

Tel : 773390 1 Ship Street
web link last visit : Dec 2002

Was the best Thai in Brighton. Not hard you might say as the general standard is not as high as it could be. But, the King & I stands high above the crowd (apart from mei ped) in every respect. The menu breaks away slightly from the one you've seen in every Thai restaurant ever and the presentation of each dish is handled with great care and uses some interesting pots and dishes. Vegetarians are fairly well catered for and the fish and seafood dishes are varied and all worth sampling
It's the authenticity that sets this retaurant apart from the crowd and this goes alot deeper than just the super friendly staff's oufits.

Oki Nami

 

Tel : 773777 208 Church Rd
web link last visit : April 2001

Minimalist venue, quality menu. Real Japanese food in a totally spartan yet heavily designed room in the darkest reaches of Church Rd Hove. Quality is fine and everything functions very smoothly. More of a canteen feel though than the destination for a night out.

 

Latin in the Lane

Tel : 328672 10-11 Kings Road
web link last visit : May 2000

Forget the rest, if you want to go to an Italian restaurant in Brighton, go here. If you're a seafood fan then ignore all the other fishy eateries as well. Formed by the mergeing of neighbouring Greek and Italian restaurants and families, Latin is a gem of a discovery. The sort of place where the most experienced visitors and locals are to be found deliberating over the epic menu. This is what I think of as a proper Italian restaurant, relaxed yet classy and serious about food and service. Really should go there more often !

 

Seven Dials

Tel : 885555 Seven Dials
web link last visit : Dec 2001

Seven dials actively seeks to appeal to Londoners by the sea. But despite this it sucessfully provides quality grub to the locals. Once inside, the terrible location is forgotten and the cunning design of the dining room disguises the wedge shape of the building and it's former lives as Lloyds Bank followed by Burger King.
The menu is more modern than some of the local competition in this price bracket and that's good news. The staff are fairly professional and the kitchen gives the customers what they thought they wanted. I'm still not totally convinced that the pomp is worth the price but I'm going to revisit just to make sure.

 

the Epicurean

Tel : 776618 33 Western St
web link last visit : May 2003

Fortunately for The Gingerman, it's new neighbour isn't serious competition, despite trying very hard to grab a share of the same market. The website offers a "quality Gourmet Dining experience" (their CaPs) and I suppose it is in a way. The menu and the selections we sampled were all decently accomplished but somehow everything seemed a bit of an effort. Perhaps there was simply too much cutlery, glassware and table furniture crowding the dining arena. Maybe they just need a bit more practice so the front of house hides the frantic activity backstage.

Worth a try when you can't get in the Gingerman.