THE GOTHIC CRAB THE NEW QUEEN OF BRIGHTON’ S SEAFOOD SCENE
FOOD + DRINK
THE GOTHIC CRAB THE NEW QUEEN OF BRIGHTON’ S SEAFOOD SCENE
A s curious about provenance as they are concerned with value for money, today’ s diners are a discerning bunch. Not least in Brighton – a south-coast seaside stalwart with around 250 restaurants, 26 of which specialise in seafood. Although home to some good shellfish spots, people now want an evening out to be as experiential as it is delicious, and this vibrant city has been crying out for a more modern take on the traditional, crisp white tablecloth seafood experience. Enter The Gothic Crab: a new kid on Brighton’ s dining block with bags of charisma and a fish menu that delivers unforgettable freshness and flavour.
Inside, the Kemp Town restaurant is playfully moody; a dark-walled haven with gilded patterns echoing colourful stained glass, gold accents and tasselled chandeliers all nodding to its‘ Gothic glam’ aesthetic. A perfect match for Brighton’ s playful, artsy spirit, the eclectic interior furnishings are theatrical, but in a cool not conceited way – look closely and you’ ll find shells, squid and marine botany dotting the walls, while stylised foliage and, naturally, a lobster in place of a handset on the decorative rotary phone bring pops of colour and personality to proceedings.
The vibes here are instantly one of excitable chatter and comradery – longer tables for larger groups intertwined effortlessly with more intimate two-seater spots – which is reflected in a wonderfully diverse customer base encompassing couples, friends and families all keen to get stuck into the imaginative menu. We chose six creamy Lindisfarne oysters for starters that instantly smacked of salty freshness, alongside calamari and a portion of popcorn cockles – both considered straightforward and therefore very easy to get wrong, dishes like this are often the mark of fish cookery, whether good or bad. Utterly delicious, these surpassed the‘ good’ category by a country mile with light-as-air, properly seasoned batter encasing the slightly sweet, tender calamari and briny cockles in a satisfyingly crunchy coating.
Appetite fully whetted, glass of chilled, citrussy Casal Caeiro Albariño Sobre Lias in hand, it was time for the main event: the Gothic Crab Deluxe Seafood Boil. A classic seafood platter of sorts, but served hot and evolved to even greater flavour heights by the generous addition of fragrant, punchy sauces, the seafood boil has swiftly become the next big thing in fish. Racking up over 16 billion hashtag hits on TikTok alone, it’ s more than a meal – it’ s an experience – and cleverly, The Gothic Crab is the first of Brighton’ s restaurants to offer it.
A heaving tray of whole lobster, whole brown crab, Argentinian king prawns, langoustines, tiger prawns and mussels with new potatoes, corn on the cob and Cajun-style sausage all languishing in a heavenly symphony of buttery, garlicky, Cajun-spiced sauce, it hit every hallowed umami note with a lingering savouriness that only elevated the natural sweetness of the boat-fresh shellfish. There is a reason why historically people have always relished buffets and feasting. Food like this sensational seafood boil lends itself to the sociable aspect of sharing- of rolling up one’ s sleeves and getting stuck in- and there is no greater gastronomic pleasure than allowing the bliss of indulgence to consume you while ripping off shells and soaking up sauce with fresh buttery bread.
Add to this a warm, knowledgeable, superefficient restaurant team, a soundtrack that veers joyfully between French jazz, soul and deep house, and a refreshingly nonjudgemental atmosphere that encourages eating with your( gloved) fingers while sucking the deep flavour from every shell in gustatory glee, and you have a truly winning combination. I was relieved upon hearing plans to extend the restaurant’ s existing space to accommodate more diners – one thing’ s for sure; these guys are gonna need a bigger boat.
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