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Restaurant
Guide
Not square
Eve Vamvas makes a break for
some stylish Italian dishes at Quod
 Jeremy
Mogford, the man who opened the first Brown’s here,
brings his latest restaurant chain to Brighton. The extensive
refurbishment of this central colonnade has generated some
anticipation and certainly on the visuals, it scores high.
Quod is an interiors seduction of large scale artwork, soft
leather seating and oak tables, sparkling chrome and an
impressive zinc topped bar. You’d be forgiven for expecting
SJP et al to be sat there drinking Cosmopolitans and indeed
a good number of beautiful people had evidently adopted
it as their second home by second week of opening.
We headed for the large, open plan restaurant area and found
a sneaky corner that afforded dining intimacy and full view
of all the other clientele (and passers by who were evidently
planning a visit). The menu took some time to navigate due
to an enormous choice of starters, many of which must make
ideal light lunches. We had the Peimontese Peppers (£5.15),
a large, lusty affair baked with tomatoes and garlic and
groaning under plenty of salsa verde. But the freshly made
Ravioli (£4.95) proved to be the more interesting
dish – the tortelli was perfectly al dente and full
of a light, aubergine crème, served with a red pepper
sauce. I could have eaten plenty more of this. Not wanting
to jeopardise pudding space, we skipped the pizzas and sampled
the seafood. The Salmone Grigliato (£9.95) was a good
fillet of fish on an ample asparagus bed with a subtle mustard
sauce. The Seafood Risotto (£8.65) was not as instantly
aesthetically appealing but gained rapid popularity through
its solid flavours and generous selection of shellfish.
Dessert was a slight struggle but we ploughed on, mindful
of our remit. The creamy Vanilla Panna Cotta (£4.55)
adorned with tart, fresh berries was delicious as was the
Limoncello al Baba (£4.65), although the eating of
it was slightly overshadowed by its interesting shape. Our
neighbours thought it the funniest thing they’d seen
since the last Carry On film and we had a few guffaws as
its punchy alcohol content took hold.
Essential Info
Food: Extensive, Italian inspired affair offering homemade
pasta, pizzas and risotto with an emphasis on seafood; caters
to just about every food interest, appetite and wallet.
Drinks: Solid wine list, with a bottle of house starting
at £9.95 and good by the glass selection. Also serves
beers, cocktails, coffee and tea.
Atmosphere: Sharp without being too serious, Quod is a smart
lunch venue and glossy evening spot.
Service: Informed and professional; what you’d expect
in this venue.
Quod Restaurant & Bar
161 North Street/1-4 New Road
Brighton
Tel: 01273 202070
www.quod.co.uk
Open every day from 12 noon to 11pm
copyright The Insight 2003
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