Sevendials Restaurant

kittieskitchen

Pigs ears? I should've known better... 15th October 2008

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In these times of penny pinching and purse tightening, it was quite a treat to go to one of Brighton's most reputable restaurants for a very well priced dinner. At £15 for 3 courses, the early dinner set menu seemed like an effective combination of trying a restaurant I'd heard about since moving to Brighton, and avoiding the boxes still covering my house after the move.

Through out the meal, the service was lovely and friendly. We didn't wait too long for our food at any time, but were never hurried. The staff dealt with my fellow diner's dietary requests patiently and effectively. I liked the decor - not fussy or pretentious; interesting photos and prints complement high ceilings and contemporary lighting.

And on to the food...

The amuse bouche was a beautifully coloured creamy beetroot soup, served with freshly baked bread. Despite the richness of the cream it was delicate and sweet, though maybe a tad under-seasoned for my tastes.

For starters I chose crispy pig ear goujons, served with tartare sauce. I know, I know. Pig ears? Well, to explain myself, I had originally been drawn to the pig cheek galette, which (unfortunately for me) had been taken off the menu since my on-line perusal earlier that day. and in my disappointment I felt that I really ought to try to pig ears. After all, they wouldn't serve anything too gruesome would they??

Alas, they were distinctly not to my tastes. And my fellow diner wouldn't even taste them... after I tried to cut him a piece, pulling out a long strip of white tendon. I rose above the my previous ick levels, and managed to clear about two thirds of the plate. The ears themselves weren't too bad to eat - masked as they were by a nicely crunchy breadcrumb coating. My main issue was that they didn't really taste of anything. All I could taste or feel was the breadcrumb exterior... and the bland, somewhat gungy, interior.

Anyway, I've tried them now, so that's something! (Incidentally, B had the mackerel starter, with dill and mustard dressing which he declared delicious!)

Moving on to the main...

Much more successful! I chose the wood pigeon, served with pork and lentil stew. The pigeon was perfectly cooked; rare, tender and flavourful. The pork and lentils were packed with flavour, the pork mostly meltingly soft fat. The whole was served with creamed potatoes, which balanced the saltiness of the stew perfectly.

I opted for the cheese board finish. A choice of only two cheeses, both of which were tasty if unimaginative - a soft strong brie, and a mature cheddar. Served with apple chutney, Scottish oatcakes and grapes, it was a lovely end to the meal.

All in all, it was a nice meal and a lovely evening. I do wish the pig ears had been more palatable, but at least I had a talking point at work the next day.

And, to be honest, I should've known better...

FoodStories at 15/10/08

Oh my! 'gungy' - that is what got me!!! If I wasn't in a terrible rush right now I would make all sorts of pig-related punnery, but I guess we've already covered most of them anyway ;)

Niamheen at 15/10/08

Lol! Great review. I have been waiting to hear about the pigs ears. Overall, seems like a nice experience though and at a great price. Plus, you got a great story out of it :-)

Niamheen at 15/10/08

FoodStories - In such a rush, you'd only make a pigs ear of it anyway ;-)

bellaphon at 17/10/08

'...gungy, interior.'- All waxed up! Great write up.

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jennilloyd

OK, but don't expect a top-notch Sunday lunch if 4th February 2008

1 found this helpful

Went as a treat today. Have been before and loved it but this time we didn't order til after 2.30 - which meant that the Roast Beef main was very disappointing. It was obvious that the roast potatoes and yorkshire pud had been cooked some time ago - they were tough and stale tasting. When I mentioned this they didn't apologise or offer anything off the bill (even though the roast was an extra £3 on top of the set lunch price). It's a shame as the starter, beef and side veg were all lovely. When I mentioned this to a friend she said that she had similarly unresponsive service. I probably won't go again as I think that they shouldn't serve food that's past its best - just take it off the menu or don't take a late booking. Also, it doesn't take much to turn a disgruntled customer into a happy one - you just have to care about your reputation.

Set lunch costs £20 per head, also had a half bottle of Rioja for £16 and water at £3. Not a cheap treat!