| Restaurant
Guide
Tie style
Browns
An oldie but a goodie says foodie Nic Compton
 Thirty-one
years ago, when the first Browns restaurant was opened on
Duke Street in Brighton, its blend of continental food at
affordable prices in stylish surroundings was pretty unique.
The story goes that you could buy a plate of spaghetti bolognaise
for £1, which was cheap even by 1973 prices. And then
there were the ties.
Right from the start Browns was known for its smartly dressed
waiters in shirts and ties. According to Mandy, the very
efficient waitress who served us, the shirts were standard
issue but the staff used to bring their own ties. And nothing
was too outrageous. "The bigger and more colourful
the better – some people wore bright lilac or fuchsia,"
she said. "They encouraged it – it was seen as
an expression of your personality."
Browns founder Jeremy Mogford sold out to Bass six years
ago, and the outrageous ties were replaced by a uniform
green and gold, which is more corporate but still retains
something of the original silliness. Now part of the Mitchell
& Butler group, there are 15 branches of Browns around
the country, including seven in the London area alone. The
food is just as eclectic and still represents astonishing
value for money – even if the £1 ‘spag
bol’ has long gone and been replaced by Spicy Beef
Casereccia at £7.95.
My meal kicked off to a good start with a very appetising
Red Pepper & Vine Plum Tomatoes (£4.75) cooked
to perfection in a delicate basil sauce, while my companion
opted for the Chicken Livers (£5.95). Far from being
overpowering, as she had feared, the livers did truly "melt
in yer mouth" and the madeira and cream sauce was flavoursome
without being too rich.
"People should eat more lamb," said my companion
as she sank her teeth into the Lamb Shank (£10.95)
– something to do with lamb being less processed than
chicken and the like. She wasn’t disappointed and
described it as "like home-cooking", which has
to be the ultimate compliment to any busy restaurant. I
went with the Wild Mushrooms (£7.95); linguine tossed
with an assortment of wild mushrooms in a cream and truffle
oil sauce, which certainly got the taste buds pleasantly
stimulated. Dessert was a crispy-topped Lemon Brulée
Tart (£3.95) for Him and a Baked Vanilla Cheesecake
(£3.95) for Her. Leonardo da Vinci created the well-rounded
Chianti (£16.95) with a little help from Tuscan earth
and sun.
Essential info
Drinks: Well supplied bar with good wine list (inc 1995
Dom Perignon at £75 a pop) and a range of cocktails.
Food: Something for everyone - make sure you check the specials
board.
Service: Efficient and friendly.
Atmosphere: "Post-colonial" she said; "continental"
he said.
Opening hours
Restaurant: Mon-Sun 12am-11.30pm
Bar: Mon-Fri 9am-11.30pm
Sat 10am-11.30pm
Sun 12am-11.30pm
Browns Restaurant & Bar, 3-4 Duke Street,
Brighton. Tel: 01273 323501
copyright The Insight 2004
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