EATING OUT

AllWhyte

Whytes restaurant by Sarah Hendrickx

Tucked away in an unglamorous side street off the seafront, in a building indistinguishable from any of the other houses in the road, sits a complete gem of a restaurant called Whytes.

The tables are split over two floors; smokers are relegated to the basement downstairs, which is pleasant enough but less so than the ground floor room. On both floors, however, the crisp white table linen and gentle music are the same, as is the quite sedate atmosphere.

The menu is limited to five or six choices for each course and changes monthly with only one starter and main course available to vegetarians. The wine list is extensive and chosen by the management - each selection accompanied by a personal opinion of that wine. Prices range from £10 to £110, and the Rolleston Vale at £9.95 was exceptional.

After ordering our food, we were presented with a pre-starter of Fried Quail's Egg with Parmesan and Basil Vinaigrette, which was delicate and delicious. Two of us had Sautéed Chicken Livers with Red Wine and a Shallot Tart to start. It was fabulous. Since my conversion to liver (see Ha! Ha!, a couple of months ago), I have vowed to eat it more often, even going so far as to cook it at home. My own efforts pale in comparison to this offering. Sweet whole shallots on a crisp pastry tart, served with perfectly cooked chicken livers. My other companion had Salad of Seared Sea Scallops with a vierge dressing and declared them equally good although felt that the heavy oil dressing obscured the flavour of the scallops a little.

In between courses we were served with Strawberry Sorbet, again a nice touch. The service at Whytes is fairly formal and attentive but not intimidatingly so; the staff were friendly and highly efficient: emptying ashtrays with alarming regularity and knowing who had ordered what when bringing the food. Between the three of us, we had Fillet of Sea Bass with Parmesan and Basil, Fillet Steak with Café de Paris butter and Poached Corn-fed Chicken with Tagliatelle. Portions were substantial, beautifully served and universally delicious. The sea bass was rich, and the Tomato and Sweet Pepper Fondant accompanying it, gorgeous. The steak was just superb, perfectly cooked and such good quality that it just melted in the mouth. My chicken was stunning: succulent and tender with fresh tagliatelle and a selection of vegetables: asparagus, carrot, mange touts, courgette.

After a rest, we dived into the dessert menu. Sated by the huge main course, my companions could only share a Pear Tart Tatin with Chocolate Sorbet although they regretted that decision when it arrived. My Iced White Chocolate and Rhubarb Parfait with spiced Rhubarb Compote was amazingly good: beyond description.

The evening was touched by an impressive attention to detail, the beautiful food, the extra courses and the fine service. This is not a cheap place to eat, but neither is it over-priced for this quality and service. Whytes may be influenced by trends in food but is not a slave to them. The décor is traditional and not particularly fashionable, but if you serve food like this, then who the hell cares. Sublime.

Bill for three including two bottles of House Wine: £94.90

Whytes Restaurant
33 Western Street
Brighton
01273 776618
Tues-Sat 7pm-midnight

Polar Opposite

Polar East by Sarah Hendrickx

Down in deepest Kemp Town lurks a thoroughly decent bar with some superb staff and pretty tasty grub.

It's a little way from the centre of town, but a bonus for the locals who don't have to go too far to find a hip and happening joint. Located on the site of a rough old boozer, Polar has had the treatment. The décor is modern, unfussy and spacious. Big leather sofas and stools like bongos fill the bar area and cool, laid-back Latin sounds fill the air. Both front and back open right up on sunny days, so you can sit out front on the street or out back on the decked patio.

Lunchtime was quiet but I'm told it heaves at the weekend. DJs do their thing on a Thursday, Friday and Saturday night and the crowd is pre-club 20+. Children are not admitted at any time.

I had a mineral water, as contrary to popular belief I am not an old boozer, and one of the daily specials: Spectacular Chicken Nachos. It was fine, mighty spicy in the salsa, with a succulent, seasoned chicken breast and fresh coriander on the top. The menu is fairly straightforward: toasted sandwiches, pasta, salads, breakfasts and roasts on a Sunday. Nothing costs more than a fiver and is good value. Vegetarian fare is a tad limited - I had a taste of the Spicy Bean Parcels and they were good; encased in a light crispy pastry.

There is the normal range of bar drinks with Stella at £2.50 a pint and spirits at £1.80. Schnapps is permanently on offer at £1 a shot and you can have a bottle of wine for £5.95 before 6pm, but who ever would be drinking at that time of day?

The boss, Mark, and bar staff are friendly, jolly, and genuinely enthusiastic about the place. It has a nice, relaxed atmosphere and is definitely worth the hike up the hill.

Polar East
St George's Road, Kemp Town
Food Served 11.30am-3pm daily.
Open 11.30-11pm Mon-Sat
12-10.30 Sun

Pearls from Ipanema

Ipanema by Sarah Hendrickx

Today was a perfect day. The children are staying at their grandparents for the weekend so we were able to spend the entire day on the beach unhindered by requests to re-create the Paris-Dakar rally in stones. The sun was miraculously present for the duration and to round the whole package of gloriousness off we came out and had dinner at Ipanema. It is not until you have children that you appreciate the joy of eating in restaurants without them.

The evening was still warm and we were healthily flushed from our day in the sun. Ipanema makes you feel that you are on holiday in Crete, although the staff speak Spanish and you can eat pasta. It's a bit of a mix here; tapas, Italian and Greek meze all feature on the menu. The music is Greek, the staff Spanish and the food reminiscent of many foreign holidays. A friend of mine used to live across the road from Ipanema and can vouch for the enthusiastic karaoke and live music that takes place a couple of times a week. Sadly for us, not on a Sunday though.
The menu is wide and varied: paella, moussaka, plenty of fish and seafood - lobster, sea bass, red mullet. We went for a selection of tapas: seven is too many. We had chorizo, whitebait, pitta with hummus, taramasolata and tsatziki, sardines and more. Each was around the £4 mark and, without exception, excellent. Home-made hummus and taramosolata was delicious, patatas bravas (potatoes in tomato sauce) served with excessive amounts of mayonnaise. Ordered too much to manage a pud.

This is a lovely little restaurant; nothing pretentious or modern about it, just decent home cooking in relaxed and pleasant surroundings. The perfect end to an almost perfect day; now if it really was in Crete, that would be perfect.

Meal for 2 including 4 soft drinks and far too much food: £32.

Ipanema
121 Western Road
Hove BN3 1DB. Tel. 779474
Open 7days, lunch and evenings.

| Home | Films, Books, Music | Listings | Astrology |
| Health | About Us | Subscription | Contact Us |