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Restaurant
Guide
Cool Cantina
Eve Vamvas on why Joogleberry
takes tapas to a new level
 The
neglected Akademia building hunkering apologetically in
a Kemp Town side street has undergone a striking transformation
positively glowing with allure. With a huge vaulted skylight,
the dining/drinking/mooching area has a modern, clean cantina
feel in keeping with the tapas style menu. Cool and calm
in the day (we’ve been back for brunch already), the
sparse surroundings still work for more formal dining, which
proved to be a well above-average affair.
The predictability of the vegetarian starters – the
tapas trinity of houmous, guacamole and salsa – was
not representative of the rest of the menu. The fish and
meat tapas got us really excited, so much so that my dining
companion enthusiastically agreed to suspend his (albeit
shaky) veganism in favour of the ultimate Joogleberry set
menu (£38 for two.)
 First
round consisted of aforementioned tapas regulars, with sumptuous
breads, chutneys and roasted garlic cloves lifting it out
of the ordinary alongside a cheeky Dim Sum selection. The
next round of deep fried whitebait, calamari and courgette
combined light and sinful well, ushering us into the third
round of Joogle Wings and Chorizo Y Garbanzos. Small, succulent
chicken wings dripped with a honey glaze that stopped just
short of sweet and sour, while roundels of spicy sausage
dressed the rich, meaty chickpea stew. The chef visited
us for feedback on round four – Ostrich sausages –
as the (by now, former) vegan steadily consumed the gamey
meat. With a lush, palate – cleansing fruit selection
to finish, I had no interest in dessert (unusual experience
for me) and was keen to venture into the subterranean venue,
which merits a whole review of its own…
Essential Info
Food: Brunch menu (from 10 till noon) has an unusual pancake
selection; rest of the day sees global tapas at very reasonable
prices – our ultimate set menu could have fed three
or four people well.
Drinks: Serviceable house wine at £10.50 a bottle;
plenty of spirits, bottled and draught beers and fruit liqueurs
as well as house champagne at an unrivalled £16 a
pop.
Atmosphere: Fun and lively, with plenty of space and a decent
soundtrack. The playhouse downstairs is a cracking spot
for the live music, cabaret and dance acts scheduled seven
nights of the week and disabled facilities afford access
to both levels.
Service: Great – competent but friendly; the chef took
customer service to new heights.
Joogleberry Playhouse
14-17 Manchester Street
Tel: 01273 687171
www.joogleberry.com
Open 10 am until 11 pm seven nights a week.
copyright The Insight 2004
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