GETAWAYS
ROOMS WITH A VIEW AT
The Ginger Pig, Hove
IF YOU’ RE AN OUT-OF-TOWNER, WHEN YOU THINK OF BRIGHTON & HOVE’ S HOTEL SCENE, IMAGES OF THE ICONIC GRAND ARE LIKELY TO LOOM. OR PERHAPS ONE OF THE MANY BOUTIQUE HOTELS LIKE PELIROCCO OR ARTIST RESIDENCE WILL SPRING TO MIND. EITHER WAY, THE GETAWAYS YOU RECALL ARE LIKELY TO BE WITHIN SPITTING DISTANCE OF BRIGHTON PIER, WITH ITS STICKY DOUGHNUTS AND RICKETY RIDES. HOVE – BRIGHTON’ S MORE CHILLED- OUT SISTER – IS LESS LIKELY TO GET A LOOK IN. WELL, THANKS TO THE GINGER PIG’ S NEW HOTEL ROOMS,‘ HOVE, ACTUALLY’ – AS IT’ S LAUGHABLY / LOVINGLY CALLED – IS NOW COMPETING WITH THE BIG DOGS... OR SHOULD I SAY PIGS. BY ELLE J SMALL
Having devoured a couple of delicious meals in the restaurant some years back, I hadn’ t actually stepped foot inside The Ginger Pig for quite some time – mainly due to perceiving the place to be on the pricey side, but also because of the influx of new and notable competing eateries in Brighton & Hove in recent years. When I opened the door to a warm welcome from bartender, Wollem, I was reminded of the establishment’ s relaxed-yet- refined vibe – tricky compliments to pair. The interior of the pub itself had hardly changed( though, as I type, both pub and restaurant are closed for refurbishment), which was surprising, but also reassuring; like catching up with an old friend who hasn’ t changed a bit.
After meeting and greeting, my friend / roomie and I devoured a delicious Blackdown gin and Fentimans tonic( expertly concocted by Wollem) and headed up to our room. A lot of boxes had been firmly ticked – from the turquoise sea view that perfectly complimented the navy blue hues of the interior( hats off to the designer) to the punchy, bright artwork, and the really, really good mattress, fluffy pillows and tempting mini bar.
Giving in to said bar’ s temptation and pouring ourselves another G & T – this time Brighton Gin( distilled in Hove, actually), we collapsed briefly on our ridiculously comfortable bed. After commenting on how nostalgic the sound of seagulls made us feel, we further admired our surroundings and both agreed an indulgent soak in the luxurious freestanding bath would be firmly on the cards the next morning followed by a perky pick-me-up from the Magimix Nespresso machine. Agreeing that if we lolloped much longer we would run the risk of missing the meal awaiting us, we took it in turns to leisurely conduct our ablutions in room number four’ s beautiful bathroom. Lashings of complimentary Cowshed toiletries later, we were both refreshed from the spacious rainfall shower and ready for action.
How nice, we both agreed, that we could simply trot downstairs to the pub for a G & T( are you getting the theme here?) before literally stepping into The Ginger Pig’ s restaurant. Everything we needed was under one carefully considered roof. Dinner did not disappoint and I was shocked to find the menu wasn’ t as pricey as previously perceived. OK, so you may not necessarily pop in for a quick hake fillet on a Monday night at £ 17.50 a pop – even if it were accompanied by ham hock and a split pea croquette – however, for an occasional treat crafted from stellar ingredients, the price list is absolutely justified.
Tucking in to a delicious, perfectly cooked-to-order steak and locally caught brill with a creamy caper sauce( we shared), I commented, yet again, how impressed I was by the execution of fine dining without all the stuffy frou-frou so often accompanied with top-notch food. The wine list was extensive and the waiting staff extremely knowledgeable, helping us to choose which red or white went best with what dish. Informed without any pretentiousness, our waiter politely explained the definitions of lesser-known ingredients and laughed off our questionable pronunciations with comradery, not condensation.
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