Nick Mosley brings you a weekly selection of food offers around the city.
Maré by Rafael Cagali
Maré can be found at 60 Church Road in Hove, BN3 2FP. The telephone number is 01273 055 900 and the website is www.marehove.com.
Securing a Michelin star within just a few months of launching might suggest this Church Road establishment is prohibitively expensive, yet that assumption would be wide of the mark.
Years of experience have taught that Michelin-starred venues frequently offer excellent value during daytime hours. While the midday selection differs somewhat from the evening offerings, the quality of cuisine, beverages, service, and atmosphere remains exceptional. The dishes blend executive chef Rafael Cagali’s culinary heritage, merging Brazilian influences with Mediterranean tastes.
The fixed lunch at Maré costs £55 and begins with an onion and pickled walnut toast, accompanied by bread, butter, and Gonnelli olive oil, alongside slivers of Iberico coppa ham and pork in tuna sauce.
For the main, diners enjoy barbecued brill paired with clams, cassava chips, and a garlic pil pil sauce, finishing with an unusually light olive oil sponge with chocolate. Dietary requirements can be catered for, though the restaurant suggests informing them at the time of reservation.
With sommelier-selected wines starting at £7 per glass, treating yourself at Maré is entirely feasible.
The Seahorse
Located at 26 Kings Road in Brighton, BN1 2LN, The Seahorse’s phone number is 01273 206 523 and the website is www.seahorsebrighton.co.uk.
Positioned as close to Brighton’s seafront as possible, this brasserie-style restaurant occupies a distinctive mid-century building situated between the Brighton i360 and the beach bandstand.
From Wednesday through to Friday, noon until 5pm, guests can enjoy some of the finest seaside panoramas in the area alongside an exceptionally good-value fixed menu: two courses for £19.50 or three courses for £24.50.
Opening options feature crispy calamari with garlic aioli, roasted parsnip soup served with focaccia, or chicken terrine accompanied by pear chutney. Main selections include butternut squash risotto; pan-roasted chicken breast with stuffing, greens, and maple-roasted carrots; or the classic fish and chips with mushy peas. Those with space remaining can choose from rhubarb and apple crumble, ice cream, or sticky toffee pudding.
Plant-based, vegan, and gluten-free choices are on offer.
The Walrus
The Walrus sits at 10 Ship Street, Brighton BN1 1AD, reachable on 01273 025 749 or at www.thewalrusbrighton.com.
While wine-matching dinners are nothing new, cocktails have increasingly taken centre stage in recent times.
With a skilled mixologist at the helm, spirits combined with various techniques and ingredients create thrilling possibilities for drinks that complement dishes perfectly.
The Carpenter’s Cocktail Lounge on the upper level of The Walrus is presenting its inaugural cocktail dinner of 2020 this Easter, on Thursday 2 April. At £65 for four courses alongside three cocktails, tables are available between 6pm and 10pm. Diners select from two canapés, three starters paired with a Cream Egg martini, three main courses matched with a rhubarb sour, and two desserts featuring a boozy interpretation of lemon meringue.
It’s wonderful to encounter such inventive and lively menus at such an accessible price point.
Separately, every Thursday all cocktails are available at two for £15 throughout the evening.
Wild Flor
Wild Flor is situated at 42 Church Road, Hove BN3 2FN, with contact details 01273 329 111 and www.wildflor.com.
I recently visited this well-established independent venue on Church Road during the early afternoon and was heartened to find it remarkably busy.
It demonstrates that with appropriate pricing, thoughtfully curated crowd-pleasing dishes featuring quality ingredients from reputable sources, plus proactive management, even modest establishments can achieve full dining rooms on a weekday lunch in blustery, overcast March weather.
Wild Flor’s seasonal fixed menu presents an appealing selection, with two courses at £23 or three courses at £25. Available Tuesday through Saturday for lunch service and evening meals before 7pm, the choice spans three starter snacks, three main courses, and three desserts.
While fundamentally contemporary British in approach, French and Mediterranean influences are evident throughout. Pork croquette with shellfish mayonnaise and gherkin, taramasalata with winter radish, seafood pie, fennel sausage cassoulet incorporating blood sausage and wild garlic, madeleines with citrus curd – there is genuinely plenty to savour.