new insight - eating out , restaurants & pubs in brighton

EATING OUT

Allons a la partie

by Sarah Hendrickx

Victors restaurant
It wasn't the best night to visit Victors: the chef had returned to France due to a family crisis and Rosario was having one of his own. Rather than be the ebullient host, he was forced into the kitchen to cook and was therefore not in evidence for the first half of the evening.
I personally am a bit of a tart for a French accent, so I was slightly disappointed by the lack of Gallic-ness in our utterly English waiter, Daniel, who was clearly not at home with his front-of-house role. The restaurant was far more up-market than we are used to and rather subdued early in the evening. The place itself is as wierd as hell. It is exactly like a typical restaurant in France, all gilded Napoleonic paintings and tinted mirror tiles. It looks like it could have been like that for decades but in fact it is only four years since Rosario took over and decorated the place.
We were thinking that this was all okay but a bit grown-up for us when the man himself returned from the stove. The diners were instantly uplifted and I began to realise that these people had come as much to see him as to eat his food. And it was good - totally French and wholly carnivorous: foie gras, langoustines, venison - though vegetarians are catered for on request. At Ł31.95 for three courses this is quality dining, everything was perfectly cooked and beautifully presented on huge plates. I had salmon so tender it melted, Ant had beef; both came with assorted vegetable sculptures. What fun it must be to cook like that. Chocolate Moelleux for pud was baked from scratch while we waited - it was fabulous.
Victors has an extensive French wine list and the guy knows his stuff. We had two bottles of the cheapest, one red and one white, and both were perfectly decent at around Ł12 a bottle.
Once freed from his cooking responsibilities we were witness to the Victors experience care of Rosario. He looks a little like Serge Gainsbourg on a good day and has the most wonderful French accent (sigh). He is not, he says, a restauranteur, but a philosopher and he has plenty to say. Don't go to Victors for a quiet chat. He brings everyone in the restaurant together so it's like one big party. Some people on the next table went up to the kitchen with him to make their own desserts. There is only one sitting and no hurry; you are encouraged to stay and join in the fun. Rosario doesn't want customers, only friends. The man is a star. We left after 4 hours - pissed, full, and laughing our heads off. What more can you ask of a night out?
And before you think that you need to re-mortgage your house to eat there, Victors serve a 2-course Financial Times set menu, mid-week lunch and early evenings for a mere Ł10.
Just go. You'll have a ball.

Victors
11 Little East Street
The Lanes, Brighton BN1 1HT
01273 774545
www.victors.co.uk
Lunch 12-2, Evenings 6-10

Pizzas plus

Al Forno
That nice man Tony at Al Forno said that Jago (who's 3) could have anything he wanted from the menu: pizza, pasta, whatever, in a little portion. So what does he ask for? Garlic bread, chips and ice cream!
It's not as if there wasn't plenty to choose from: a dozen pizzas, same with pasta, then starters and salads to go with them and luckily chips as well.
That's kids for you! At least, we were easy. The Sardine Fritte to start were huge and fresh and just cooked in lemon juice; simple and succulent. Makes you want to live somewhere hot and eat them every day. The pizzas are wood fire baked and are far removed from the chain restaurant variety so abundant elsewhere and you can smell them cooking while you wait. Anthony had the Capricciosa (Ł5.60) with prawns, olives, sausage, anchovies and artichokes and struggled to finish it. I had Tagliatelle Al Salmone (Ł5.75) with a lovely, rich cream and salmon sauce and a Tomarella (Tomato and Mozzarella Salad - love that dressing).
Al Forno is bright and clean and perfect on a sunny day when you can sit out on the square, but good enough for lunch anytime especially with the Ł3.50 1-course lunch or Ł5.95 2-course weekday lunch or evening meal. This is seriously good value. For the price of a baguette you could be feasting on Pizza Napoletana or Penne Amatriciana.
As for negative points: Anthony (with his one cell of claimed Italian blood) said that the olives could have been better quality and my whinge was that the orange juice is too obviously reconstituted - weak at the top and strong as hell down the bottom. Oh, and they had Southern FM on the radio, room for improvement there!
I have no complaints whatsoever about the ice cream. It was the real McCoy. I had a Coppa Montebianco, which is vanilla ice cream, meringue and chestnuts in honey (Ł2.75). Definite sugar rush there!
This is traditional Italian fayre: pizza, pasta, calamari and decent ice cream. It ain't flash and it ain't cool, but it's good, honest cooking and we liked it.

Al Forno
36 East Street
Brighton Tel: 324905

Mon-Thurs 12-3. 6-11.
Fri, Sat, Sun 12-11.30.
2-Course menu - Ł5.95: Choice of 5 pizzas, 4 pastas plus dessert M-F Lunch, M-Thurs evenings.
1-Course menu - Ł3.50: Choice of 5 pizzas, 4 pastas, M-F Lunch.

Pond life

The Pond
Don't drive to The Pond. You may get lost in a maze of One-Way and No Entry signs and never get to eat your dinner and that would be a shame.
The Pond is at the top end of Gloucester Road facing sideways. It's most definitely a pub, not a restaurant. We had Ian Dury on the sound system (good) and a noisy buzz coming from downstairs up to where the food is at. The staff are superb; incredibly friendly, hip, young things willing to explain the menu to uncultured farts.
Basically it goes like this:
You've got your starters ranging from To Hoo Tod (deep fried bean curd and sweet plum sauce) to Goong Hom Par (king prawns fried in pastry with chilli sauce. For your Mains you choose from noodles, stir fry or curry, to which you add your choice of meat, prawns, tofu or vegetables (Ł5.50-Ł7.75).
We had three main courses between the two of us, but this was pure gluttony. They were quite different and really tasty. No.1 favourite was Chicken Pad Nam Mun Hoi mushrooms and spring onions in a garlic pepper sauce. It was the business.
Mr. Pig-out managed a Banana Fritter with Coconut Caramel Cream which melted to nothing.
The pub atmosphere here is just right and really suits the food. Drinks are brought up from the bar and are at pub prices. The Pond do take-aways and an early weekday special of 2 courses at Ł6.95 before 8pm.
All in all this is a fine establishment in which to eat and get drunk at the same time.

Thai at the Pond.
the pond, gloucester road
brighton tel: 621400
evenings 6.30 - 9.30ish.