Drakes: Stay in style and dine with finesse, Andrew Kay visits a Brighton favourite

Brighton, well without doubt it has to be Britain’s sexiest resort and if you are planning to stay in Britain’s sexiest resort then no doubt you will want to stay in what is perhaps the city’s sexiest hotel. Drakes is certainly a sexy hotel and a sophisticated one too. It opened at a time in the city when there were large hotels, guest houses and bed and breakfasts. It soon became clear that Drakes was going to break the mold and offer something both new and completely different.

The words ‘Boutique Hotel’ have been bandied around for years now but how many really deserve that name, and what in fact does it mean? Drakes might well have been given that accolade at the start but over ten years on it now stands apart as a luxury hotel, a venue that offers a wide range of services all delivered with style and panache.

By just walking in you can sense that this is somewhere special, it looks good, the staff are friendly and at the same time discreet, there is nowhere a sense that you have embarked on a bland corporate experience, far from it, from the cocktail bar to the restaurant and of course to the beautifully designed and well appointed rooms Drakes shout quality.

Over the years Drakes has built up an impressive reputation and an equally impressive list of regular clients, local, national and international. It has become a ‘must stay’ hotel for visiting celebrities too. But the story is much bigger than this so I went along to meet the team and find out exactly what it is that keeps Drakes at the top of the game.

I met Carla ter Maat, sales, marketing and events manager to talk about what the hotel now offers. “We are increasingly well known for our ability to host private parties and meetings of various sizes. We can offer accommodation for conference delegates and even day conferences. We offer free hire for breakfast meetings for local companies up to twelve people board room style and 18 theatre style. We have become one of the city’s best loved wedding venues and over the years we are proud to have hosted some of the most stylish weddings the city has seen. We are of course licensed for weddings so your whole day and night can be spent here. We can offer the whole hotel so you feel like you are staying in a grand seafront house rather than a hotel with private and exclusive use for your entire event.

By just walking in you can sense that this is somewhere special

“The restaurant can also be booked for exclusive use for all kinds of parties of up to 40 guests and there is also a private dining room which seats 12 guests where you will have a dedicated waiter throughout your event.” Are all your hotel guests visitors to the city? “No, we find that a lot of local people will treat themselves to a romantic and indulgent stay with us.”

From day one Drakes has been proud of the dining that they offer and rightly so. Today the chef is Andy Vitez who took over as head chef earlier this year. He has been with the restaurant for five years now but when the opportunity came to take over as head chef he was delighted to accept the challenge. It’s a challenge that he has more than met and his exciting cooking and new menus are delighting customers old and new.

Restaurant manager Anthony Flaherty has come to the business with years of experience and has already made significant improvements to the restaurant and the service offered. What is it that makes the Restaurant at Drakes so appealing? “Drakes is perhaps summed up by saying that it is special, the food is special and the experience is special too. We’re classic and refined, we serve delicious seasonal and local food in smart surrounds with an air of refinement. That said we are never stuffy, the mood is always relaxed and the service friendly, and our pricing policy is to offer great food at sensible prices too.”

Chef Andy Vitez is bringing his own style to the already popular restaurant and it is being met with accolades from regulars and newcomers alike. “I love cooking at Drakes and especially the stunning local produce that we get here in Sussex. I am originally from Hungary and there may be a few influences from there but the emphasis will always be on great British produce using both classic and modern kitchen skills and techniques. The food here has always been of the highest quality and I fully intend to retain that respect and where I can build on that reputation. We have the highest score of all Brighton restaurants in the 2017 Good Food Guide for the eighth consecutive year, and I have to live up to that and of course try to beat it.”

Hotel Manager Richard Hayes has been with the hotel since day one and has seen the hotel through its development. “We are really proud of the reputation that we have built, as a team, and we love the fact that we have so many regular guests who come back time after time, that sort of loyalty really is the proof that we do things right at Drakes.”

I have loved Drakes since the day it opened, eaten there, stayed there and attended many parties and private functions, and I have never been disappointed by this jewel in the city’s hotel crown. So now it’s time for a quick cocktail and perhaps a spot of lunch…

Restaurant

Lunch, well to be honest I didn’t do the cocktail, good as they always are I knew it was a bad idea with so much to do. We had the lunch menu: 20 a head sounded like a great deal, and my word it was. An amuse bouche of mackerel and apple pickle certainly hit the spot before our starters, for me roast figs with home made ricotta, beautiful smoked ham and pistachios. Ms TM had the game terrine and I sneaked a taste. I have to say that on the whole a lot of game terrines and pies lack a real game flavour but this was exceptional, punchy, deeply flavoured and well constructed, a stunning dish. My main of herb crusted cod with black beans and chorizo managed to balance the white fish with a fresh tasting herb crust, darkly savoury beans and the pimento zing of the sausage. It was generous too, none of that tiny portioned lunch menu nonsense here!

Both too full for an individual dessert we decided to share the new pastry chef’s take on pumpkin pie and I am delighted to say that she has converted me from a dish that previously I had found difficult to enjoy, this was as light as a feather and complimented by dried apple slices, pumpkin seed brittle and a cardamom ice cream, plus a whole feast of extra delights that added hints of salt as well and sweet. One glass of very good Viognier, I can show restraint, and I left very happy indeed.