WITH WHITE
MORHAM
BY MORHAM
ROUND-UP FOR 2013
) I’m back on these chilly shores after my
annual tour of inspection in the USA.
Restaurants there are experiencing a similar
challenge to those closer to home. Regular
haunts seem to manage to weather any storm
and new ones are hanging onto their new
found opportunities. On this trip I found four
new locations, two of which will be revisited;
one for the deal and the second for the style
and welcome I received when I returned to
properly sample the wine list!
Closer to home the year started with a visit,
to Betty La La’s (22 St James’s Street). Our
experience was promising at the time but too
early to assess whether things would bed in. A
year on and I’ve made a further visit and had
a delightful culinary experience (see review
opposite). We sampled the new menu which
will be rolled out fully in February after the
temporary closure for refurbishments over
January. On this visit I found the dishes more
sophisticated, beautifully presented and for
me a more interesting choice. I really hope
that support can be generated for this fast
improving venue.
- but I passed by in early December it was
locked up and a mess inside, so must be
closed as there’s no info in the window; and
Harrisons Of Hove (11-13 Montefiore Road,
Hove). The former for its style; the latter for
the deal. On the seafront, The New Club
(133-134 Kings Road, west of Regency Square)
provides a stylish alfresco option and more
recently the elves have visited the newly
opened IBIS Hotel (88 92 Queens Road), £8
for all you can eat and drink and no tip
necessary as it’s self–service, really quite
stylish and comfy!
August reported lunch prior to the Golden
Handbags where we ‘camped out’ at the
Regency Tavern (32-34 Russell Square, northeast of Regency Square), for yet another
Sunday lunch, with portions of size and a
really relaxing stay as we staggered out
around 6pm!
The battle of the Sunday Roasts is hotting up
in the Village so an invitation to Legends
(31-34 Marine Parade) for the September issue
was a new venture that started a round of
local visits. All in, a good performance with
some stunning puddings, unparalleled locally.
KOBA
Charles Street (8 Marine Parade, opposite the
Sea Life Centre), has a new menu, so there
was an evening out mid-week to sample an
array of dishes; something completely
different for your intrepid punter. No bill here,
so prices on the menu have to be fully
appreciated as being extremely keen for what
might be described a less formal array of
dishes.
In December I lost it with a complete rant –
‘Things I’d like for Christmas’; well there’s no
harm in hoping, is there? Décor, comfort and
attracting clientele is nearly as important as
the delivery of the food. So I offered some
thoughts on how venues could improve,
enhance their settings, find new offerings,
and new client groups, as many seem caught
up in the past and new ideas are essential for
development. It will be fascinating to see if
any of the ideas are taken up!
LEGENDS SUNDAY ROAST
COME DINE
CHARLES STREET
20 GSCENE
When I eat alone, or indeed with a crowd, the
setting can be ‘all important’, whether it be
alfresco, a place with a view, or a dark
interior with no view, when one may then
focus on the staff, or as last year, their garb,
oops, cat out of bag (or was it a Cow)!
Some ideas from last year (and beyond);
In February I was on a search for Sunday
lunch and, with the demise of my favourite
Steak House, I found a corner in Koba (135
Western Road, adjacent to Waitrose). For many
years I had wrongly assumed it was a mere
wine bar. How wrong I was and how
impressive was the offering. A ‘tardis’ of a
place, the meal was most enjoyable.
) BREAKFAST
£££: The New Club (worth it when alfresco);
£: The Ibis Hotel; £: Harrisons.
) LUNCH
££: Browns (3-4 Duke St, in the Lanes); £:
The Café in the Park, St Ann’s Well Gardens
(for summer alfresco).
March saw me develop a habit of visiting The
Cow (95/97 Dyke Road, at the southern end
of Seven Dials). I have to admit I was so
impressed I made three trips in 10 days and it
has since become one of my regular haunts for
supper and Sunday lunch.
In May I had a round-up of breakfast haunts,
with my enduring favourites: the Hub in Hove
NEW STEINE
THE COW
) SUNDAY LUNCH
All ££: The A Bar, with ‘mein host’ Alex on
Marine Parade; Wickwoods Country Club
A BAR
) COFFEE
Small Batch Coffee Company on Seven Dials
roundabout or north-west corner of Norfolk
Square (the two I’ve tried to date).
(north off the road to Henfield, seven
minutes drive from A27); and The Cow.
) SUPPER
££: The Cow and £: Charles Street.
) DINNER
£££: Coalshed (8 Boyces Street); ££: L’Eglise
(196 Church Road, Hove, just west of Hove
Library); ££: Betty La La’s; and £: New
Steine hotel & Bistro (10-11 New Steine, off
St James’s Street just down on the right hand
side as you face the sea).
So that was last year; wishing my reader Joy
(it’s a boy’z name and an ‘in’ joke) for the
coming New Year.
Morham xx.