Brighton has been the Londoner’s seaside playground of choice since 1783 when King George built his fancy seaside palace there, now the stunning Brighton Pavilion. Row after row of iconic palatial, beautiful Regency townhouses line the shore all the way to Hove and it is impossible not to feel the holiday spirit.
I have a soft spot for Brighton. My Dad grew up there, my parents courted there, my cousins and friends live there and there is something about it’s creative, hedonistic, inclusive vibe that speaks to my soul.
Now that it has become a mecca for foodies, I couldn’t wait to get down there and explore.
My humble abode for the trip was Lansdowne House! I jest, this stunning, family-owned, recently refurbished B&B is just perfect in so many ways. The clever use of gentle and bold colour palettes let the period features shine and made it feel very special in lots of ways.
Lansdowne House is classy, excellence from the super soft robes, to the decent sized towels in two colours (why don’t all hotels have grey and white towels) such a good idea. The great quality biscuits, the coffee table reading, breakfast delivered to the room with sourdough and croissants from the Flour Pot bakery. I loved it all, they have got the modern touches of luxury down to a tee.
The sheer scale of their master room, The Green Room, is awesome and that free standing bath, big enough for couples, was the icing on the cake. I didn’t want leave my room, but I had to to eat.
I am a sucker for a tasting menu and after some research I think I scored the best two in town!
Etch by Steven Edwards, Masterchef Professional finalist 2013 has been delighting Hove with its insanely good value tasting menu for the past eight years. They have a seasonal five course tasting menu for just £50! The service, ingenuity and experience are that of a high end, fine dining central London restaurant the food was 10/10!
Food at etch. by Steven Edwards
On the other side of town near the Marina is Dilsk. Situated under Drakes Hotel this unassuming, soft retreat of a restaurant is being mentioned in the Michelin Guide 2023 as “the epitome of modern British cuisine” and I completely get it! After 10 courses of pure imagination, nose to tail cooking, I left feeling like I had tasted everything I could have ever wanted. Oysters, truffle, crab, duck, venison, rhubarb, chocolate, our eyes widened at every arrival. I highly recommend.
Food at Dilsk
Brighton and Hove never miss for me, I love the ‘city’ by the sea and with amazing value restaurants it’s a brilliant choice for a foodie trip away.
Review and Images by Emmie Blower @emmiebhungry
Feature image courtesy of Lansdowne House
