Andrew Kay braves darkest Hove and finds great food at The Connaught
Ale and hearty
I remember well my first visit to The Connaught. The place wasn’t even open but there was an air of confidence about the venue, the refit was good and the space most definitely attractive. All they needed was good food, and on my second visit I found they had a chef capable of delivering just that.
Several years have past since and I confess I have only been back once. That was, until this week. It was not that I disliked it in any way, simply that it was not on my way to anything or anyone that I would regularly visit. Location, when it comes to restaurants as well as homes, is a key factor.
When I did return I am delighted to say that what I found was a great pub filled with happy locals, many of whom were eating. Who can blame them, the food offered is good – good to eat and good value.
The space is pretty much L-shaped with the front leg of the letter to the right being set up as a pub dining room. I hesitate to say restaurant because with their commitment to fine ales they are most definitely worthy of the title. The second leg is laid out as a pub and, I have to say, used as one too. Here there is music, not intrusive but loud enough to mark a distinction between the two ares. There’s also a nice garden to the rear but not of much use in the rainy weather we were experiencing.
We took a table in the dining room and very soon we had menus, a bottle of iced water, good bread, olive oil with balsamic and great olives, and a couple of excellent pints, bright and clean. I was happy and so too was my guest Ms McD.
The printed menu is full of great starters followed by a selection of grilled meats, all very tempting. But it was on the blackboard of daily specials that we found the real delights and it was there that we made our choices of main courses.To start though we went back to the menu. Ms McD is not a vegetarian but she does tend to order meat-free food when dining out. We don’t know why, she just does. Sometimes it’s a disappointment but on this occasion her baked goat’s cheese and portobello mushroom spanakopita parcel with onion jam proved to be a huge hit and she absolutely raved about the onion jam.
I chose smoked salmon and tempura scallop with wasabi mayo, pickled ginger and nam jim sauce. I had a hankering for fish and this certainly did the job. The scallops were plump beasts, the salmon good and the fine slices of pickled ginger certainly added an element of excitement. I loved the nim jam sauce too. Jam seemed to be playing a major role in both our dishes although my jam was certainly neither a conserve or conservative.
For the main Ms M went to the blackboard where a ravioli sweet chestnut and sage with mushroom and pumpkin purée caught her eye. It was a fine looking dish and generous too, not only in size but in quality with a liberal scattering of wild mushrooms on top.
I stayed with fish and had the crisp skinned seabass fillets with a shrimp bisque, Tenderstem broccoli and garlic sauté potatoes. I was wary that a bisque might defeat the crisp skin but in fact it had been reduced to rather a thick sauce, packed with subtle flavours, that sat well with the fish and in no way made it soggy. The soft perfume of saffron made it very special indeed, a spice that when handled badly can make everything taste like you are chewing an old bible. Two fat prawns added another level of luxury and the occasional discovery of a lemon segment and pumpkin seeds added crunch and zing. It was the right size too, not a dainty dish to set before a queen, but a proper dinner – and hoorah for that!
I was too full for pudding but did that stop me? No it did not. That said, I opted for two scoops of home-made ice-cream, one pecan and maple syrup, one Jack Daniels and they hit exactly the right note. Ms McD spotted a flourless baked chocolate pot with rum and raisin ice cream and simply loved it on every level. So top marks to the Connaught and its charming and helpful staff.
On our way out we picked up a leaflet displaying their special lunch menu. With two courses for £12 and three for £15 it looks like great value and tea or coffee comes free with the three-course deal. I might well pop back and try their chicken, bacon and mushroom pie very soon.
The Connaught Pub & Kitchen, 48 Hove Street, Hove, BN3 2DH, 01273 206578 www.connaughtpub.co.uk
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