| Restaurant
Guide
FFFriendly food
Food for Friends
really is the place for sharing
says Nic Compton
1981 was the year that… 750 million people watched
Prince Charles and Lady Diana get married at Westminster
Abbey, MTV and Dynasty were launched onto our TV screens,
and the first IBM personal computers went on sale. 1981
was also the year that Food for Friends opened, one of the
first vegetarian restaurants in Brighton. The area was very
different then, as founder Simon Hope recalls. “Prince
Albert Street was really rough in those days,” he
says. “My bank manager almost turned me down for a
loan because he thought the location was so dreadful!”
Hope went ahead anyway, and with its innovative mix of global
cuisine served from a counter, the restaurant went on to
become one of Brighton’s culinary landmarks. Three
cookbooks followed, the premises expanded, and eventually
an annex was opened on Sydney Street. Trouble was, its success
encouraged others to open up nearby and, twenty years on,
FFF found itself in competition.
It was a case of move on or move out, and so two years ago
the old counter was ditched and a new waiter service introduced.
Although the style of service may have changed, fans of
the old FFF will be relieved to know that the food being
served still follows the same ethos: tasty, varied and hearty.
In keeping with the restaurant’s name, there’s
a selection of shared starters, as well as the ‘share
plate’ which can be ordered as a side dish or as a
meal in itself. My friend and I entered into the spirit
of things with a FFF
Antipasto for two (£9.95),
a selection including lemon braised artichokes, Goan coriander
chutney, beetroot and ginger and crisped pitta. Sharing
a platter of yummy food is a great, sociable way to start
any meal and a perfect ice-breaker on a first date.
For the main course, there’s a choice of interesting-sounding
dishes from the menu, such as Choco
Mole Poblano with Vanilla Tamales
(yes, that’s right, a chocolate main course –
albeit savoury), or you can have the pasta, curry or FFFlash
in the pan (ie stir-fry) of the day from the specials board.
My friend went for a zesty Coconut
and Coriander mixed vegetable FFFlash
(£9.95), while I chose a very traditional-tasting
Chestnut & Stout
Clanger (£8.25),
or traditional West Country pie. The 2003
Kumala Pinotage-Cinsault
(£13.35) was an excellent accompaniment.
By the time it came to dessert we decided to be sociable
again and share a portion of Summer
Pudding with cream (£2.50).
After all, isn’t that what FFFriends are for?
Essential info
Drinks:
(mostly organic) wine list and cocktails
Food:
Not a nut roast in sight
Service:
Very FFFriendly
Atmosphere:
Stripped pine, New England green and candle-in-a-bottle.
FOOD FOR FRIENDS
18 Prince Albert Street
Brighton
Tel: 01273 202310
copyright The Insight 2004
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