Terre á Terre

A hunch about brunch, Terre á Terre delivers in style

I have a real aversion to places that say they open for breakfast but only open their doors at 9am. By that time I have been up and broken fast for some time. Brunch however is another thing all together and a meal that I can really enjoy – when it’s done properly.
Terre á Terre now serve lunch and as you might guess the dishes come labelled with Amanda Powley’s poetic titles. I love them, they make dining there not only a gourmet delight but a fun one too.
After a morning in the studio at Latest TV I lured my co-producer Mr S along for a late brunch. He’s very new to the city so had never been to T á T before but an hour later he was a total convert, even booking a table for the following Saturday to treat his mum – what a nice son.
We started with a drink, a bloody mary for me and a virgin mary for him, both deliciously spiced but mine intoxicatingly spiked too.
The menu was full of temptations so with advice from the lovely Mrs R we chose three dishes. I chose Run Rarebit Run Rarebit Pickle Chips. I love Welsh rarebit in any form but the idea of mustard and booze infused cheese on chips with a poached egg was too much to resist, and it was delicious. A really comforting, memory stirring joy.
Mr S chose Smokey Scrunch Chips, crunchy chips with chilly chelly, smokey zattar and soft spice tofu, with a side of avocado lime hash. He too ate away with a smile on his face. We also sampled a new condiment from the T á T kitchen, a take on a brown sauce that puts HP in the shade.
Our third dish was Satay and Smoke, a toasted muffin filled with griddled smoked tofu, satay, tamari mushroom and melon rind pickle jam. My word that was good, far too good in fact and something I will be back to eat again very soon.
Coffee was equally good and piping hot and before we left we were persuaded to share a Portuguese style custard tart. Having been to the home of the pastel de nata in Belem I have to say that it was not quite traditional, the custard, delicious as it was had not set and taken on that mahogany brown caramelised skin. It did not matter, it was still a fine thing and the addition of rhubarb was inspired.
Terre á Terre never fails to impress and the constant flow of accolades and awards that it has garnered over the years are so well deserved. The city offers so many amazing dining opportunities these days and T á T should be recognised as being at the forefront of that rise from culinary obscurity to the internationally applauded foodie destination that it has become.
I am often asked to name my favourite restaurants and I usually ask for clarification “What kind of meal are you looking for? How much do you want to spend? Are you looking for fun or a refined fine dining experience? Do you seek comfort or innovation?”. The questions might all have a different answer, except for one place that would answer each demand, and that is Terre á Terre.
The Brunchy Lunchy menu is available from 10am to 1pm
Terre à Terre, The Vegetarian Restaurant, 71 East Street, Brighton, BN1 1HQ, 01273 729051 www.terreaterre.co.uk