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It's surreal treat
Sarah Hendrickx samples The
Fringe Bar where there's never a bad menu day
 It's a small world. I only moved to
Brighton 18 months ago. Since I've been here I've met someone who
I last saw living in Cornwall, a bloke that I spent the night with
15 years ago and only this week I saw my best friend from Infant
School in Sainsbury's yes, Amanda, it was me. Even Norman Cook
hails from our shared home-town of Reigate. Perhaps it's not a
small world, only a very desirable city.
This brings me to my latest jaunt
into culinary Brighton with a visit to a very desirable
bar/restaurant perfect for this very desirable city. The Fringe is
downstairs from the Bamboo Bar, North Laine, but there the
similarities end. The Fringe is a mad Dali-meets-Gaudi affair full
of mosaics, leopard prints and curly, metal light fittings, very
busy on the eye, but it works.
We stopped by on a Sunday
afternoon. There were a few people in: some eating, some quaffing
a cocktail, some lounging in the separate comfy seating area just
sipping coffee and perusing the magazines. A little tip: don't
read Bizarre in close proximity to your lunch. The décor gives
you plenty to look at and the sounds are very hip and easy on the
ear: bit of jazz, St Germain and 60s funk.
The menu is fairly short and sweet
with a selection of light bites and bigger dishes with about four
vegetarian options. Ant had Thai Green Chicken Curry on a bed of
Jasmine Scented Rice. I went for The Fringe Sausages on a bed of
Roast Parsnip and Scallion Champ surrounded by a Red Onion Jus,
and Jago who's four chose The Fringe Pizza with Chunky Fries and
bread. We shared a bottle of Chenin Blanc and an orange juice for
Jago. The food took some time to arrive due to its fresh
preparation but was all delicious. The sausages were plump and
peppery, the chicken curry mild and korma-ish and the chips very
nice. Needless to say, everything disappeared; Jago ate his
biggest meal for a month. All of the desserts are also made on the
premises, you certainly can appreciate the difference. We shared
Tiramisu, Banoffie Pie and Lime and Vanilla Crème Brulée. The
Banoffie Pie was superbly sweet with a berry couli and nearly
equalled by the others.
No one will rush you at The Fringe.
You can pop in for coffee, have a bite to eat or linger over a
cocktail. Why not do all three and stay for the day? I, for one,
will certainly be back - mine's an Acapulco Zombie, if you're
buying.
Meal for three including drinks:
£43.45
The Fringe Bar
10 Kensington Gardens
North Laine, Brighton BN1 4AL
01273 623683
Disabled access and toilet facilities.
Best possible taste
Sarah Hendrickx checks out a new
organic cafe
 It's half term, the sun is out and
North Laine is swarming. Jago and I are seated in Kai watching the
world and their kids bustling by. Kai has been open for a month or
two in Gardner Street and, judging by the constant stream of punters, is not doing too badly.
Everything that you quaff or scoff
in Kai is organic. That is absolutely everything: bread, cakes,
lemonade, wine, soup and coffee. The café is bright and light and
has seating downstairs and up, but a lot of their business appears
to be take-away. Sandwiches, salads and cakes are pre-packed so
you can pick 'em up, pay and walk away without having to wait. We
chose not to do that and plonked ourselves down at a table.
Jago had a Mature Cheese, Tomato
and Fresh Basil Sandwich (£2.95 eat-in, £2.50 take-away) and I
had Carrot and Coriander Soup with Herb Bread (£2.80). The
sandwich was lovely and fresh with delicious bread and good,
strong cheese; they are all made each day on the premises. My soup
was piping hot and tasty. We shared a can of organic lemonade and
a slice of Organic Chocolate and Orange Cake, which was moist and
deeply chocolatey.
Kai have a licence to sell alcohol
with food and offer a selection of organic beers. You are welcome
to take these away for consumption on the nearest park bench, if
you wish. The menu is mostly vegetarian but they do have organic
bacon and ham from time to time. They also serve hot spicy bean
pasties and have a range of superb looking cakes at around £2.20
a slice including Carrot Cake and Lemon and Almond Cake.
Fresh, tasty food that is also good
for you
including a selection of tasty
pasties - you can't do better than that.
Kai Organic Café
52 Gardner Street
North Laine, Brighton
01273 684921
Open: Mon-Wed 8.45am-5.30pm, Thur-Fri 8.45am-7pm, Sat
9.30am-5.30pm, Sun 12 noon-4.30pm.
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