This spacious gastro-pub, located in the backstreets of the Seven Dials area, is not somewhere…read moreyou'd find by accident, though it's actually very close to one of the main roads into Brighton.
Formerly the Marquess of Exeter, it was transformed about two and half years ago to one of Brighton's first non-smoking gastro pubs, aiming firmly for the fine dining and family market. The smoking ban has since caught up, of course, but the food and philosophy are still there.
Occupying a corner site, the interior has stripped-wood floors, non-matching wooden furniture, but it's not scruffy: the walls and high ceilings are immaculately painted in maroon and cream, and the overall feel is one of light (huge windows on two sides) and spaciousness. The triangular bar has seating on two sides, with the right-hand side offering views into the kitchen.
They serve real-ale (Harveys Sussex Bitter) and have an extensive wine list, but the food takes centre stage, as the open kitchen testifies. It's a gastro-pub menu that would shame many in London, with a commitment to organic and local produce where possible.
Despite some impressive reviews, we've not eaten here yet: partly because we already have some favourite eateries, and partly because the gastro food comes with gastro prices: only the veggies get away with mains much below £10, and a three course meal with wine is going to cost upwards of £30 a head.
We still can't bring ourselves to pay this much in a pub (especially when you can eat for substantially less in some fabulous Thai and Indian restaurants nearby), although others clearly do, and seem to enjoy it.
But that said, even if you are not eating, it's still an agreeable place for a beer of an evening, with calm and relaxing music, a relatively unpretentious crowd, nice surroundings and pleasant staff.