A bird ’ s eye view of food and drink in the city
As Brighton throws opens its café doors and puts its tables on the streets , we scavengers couldn ’ t be happier for spring to hit the city streets . Swooping and pecking at the pickings on the pavement , there ’ s more than enough to go around after a hard winter following an impossible Lockdown .
And there ’ s a hint of the Middle East in the air as the Gull takes to the skies this month , with the smell of lamb kebab and Yemeni chicken wafting up from Western Road . It ’ s enough to send shoppers right back into Taj to buy some pomegranates ; as Great Uncle Samir told us when we were just tiny chicks , ‘ Once you ’ ve tasted the fragrant flavour of sumac , you ’ ll never go back to ketchup again ’.
But as the sound of a hundred different languages almost drowns us gulls out on these balmy nights , in the shout out for Brighton ’ s favourite ethnic restaurants for this month ’ s Feedback page , Facebook delivered exactly ... Nada . How could this be ? Do people not know about the mouth-watering delights brought to this land by our friends from much tastier food cultures ? Allow the Gull to fly you through some of her favourites .
Beaks up , come with me to sniff out the Egyptian lamb at Al Moosh , breathing in the
to order . The brainchild of former OXO Tower Restaurant and Rick Stein chef , Dave Miney and inspired by his three years in Tokyo , it ’ s where you ’ ll find most of the best Brighton chefs hanging out after service .
The Whistler ’ s not a big fan of Wild Flor , currently number 3 on the BB charts , but number 4 ( and worth the second mortgage ) is etch . by MasterChef winner , Steven Edwards - a journey through the senses , with stunning plates of the best local ingredients paired elegantly with real wine finds .
We ’ ll whisk past the next in the charts ; you ’ re more likely to find us at 10 , 11 and 12 . The Chilli Pickle must be touched by Midas himself , after being rescued from collapse in 2019 only to be plunged into Pandemic Hospitality Hell . Endlessly inventive in the best and worst of times , they mastered the art of
aroma of saffron at the eponymous Persian on the way through West Street . Dip briefly in for the perfect Lebanese moutabal at Kambis , before pecking at the shish tawouk , perfectly grilled chicken skewers marinated in garlic , lemon and olive oil at Al Rouche just around the corner in Preston Street . The younger gulls report that there ’ s quite a flock enjoying the vegetarian meze around the bins at neighbouring Rotana , aka Little Marrakech , at the end of a sultry night .
Hopping on a coastal thermal , we ’ re off to Hove and into the tiny grocery story of UniThai where if you venture deep beyond the shrimp paste , you ’ ll find an even tinier restaurant out back . Family run , word has it from birds of a different feather that this is straight out of Khaosan Road .
A cooler vibe is at our own West Hill
restaurant-standard home delivery when most places were still watching the chips go down .
Finally , the Ginger family , the original feeder in this Gastrotown : Flint House at number 11 and Gingerman at number 12 are the best in the proper treat category , in our humble opinion . Consistently delightful , with plenty of awe and wonder perched on the plates , this is Sensory Heaven .
As we write , Brighton Best ’ s panel of local experts including food writers , chefs , restaurateurs , business leaders , critics and gourmands has pressed ‘ submit ’, and the new chart will be revealed on April 25th . Keep an eye on The Whistler website for updates .
Meanwhile , the BRAVOs are out and thrilling those working so hard to keep us delighted about dinner . The more the merrier , we reckon . An award is a mark
wonder , Red Snapper where Pam and Philippe have taken their family run Thai and made it a place Bangkok can only dream of .
And let ’ s end the night with a few shots at le Baobab in Trafalgar Street with Abdoulaye and Julie , the husband and wife team who brought their delicious mafe , yassa poisson and roti yam to Brighton from Senegal via the kitchens of Europe over four years ago . They believe in Taranga , the Senegalese term for hospitality which most of the world shares through its food culture . Well , maybe not quite the more selfish white feathered types of the Northern hemisphere . And , to the delight of the North Laine gulls , they ’ ve just opened up a beautiful little outside seating area , presumably with an extra place at the table for your favourite gull . As we say in Birdworld , Bottoms Up .
of excellence , and we can ’ t get enough of that in a town of tourism where cheap food means factory farmed meat and polluted plants . Save up for the places that save our bacon as the planet begs for more thought about what we eat and how it ’ s farmed - then spread the word .
What ’ s your favourite restaurant , cafe or bar ? Every review published gets a free copy of The Whistler and brand new 1956 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz convertible
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