The Restaurant at Drakes

Drakes’ Progress

With a new chef at the helm of The Restaurant at Drakes Hotel it seemed like a good opportunity to return to one of my favourite dining rooms. And with new faces comes change, all of which is for the better. The dining room has been given a new look and friendly new faces add to a very warm and relaxed reception. The food too has been given a new lease of life and after an excellent cocktail in the upstairs bar, my guest, the lovely Ms L, and I headed down for what was to be a memorable feast of delights.
First out an amuse bouche of seared mackerel that was, to be frank, as big as a starter in some places, and twice as good. The bread too was exemplary, brilliant flavours and textures coupled with good butter.
Ms L started with an amazing terrine of pork neck with leeks and truffle, a confit egg yolk and pickled chanterelles. She was silent with joy, an unusual status for her and on tasting her dish I could see why. I chose the sea trout ceviche with crab beignets and was equally delighted and impressed.
The fish was perfectly cured and the addition of a cucumber and dill granita kept the dish light and refreshing. This was a good thing as my next choice was the squab pigeon which was big in flavours, perfectly cooked breast matched with a hazelnut crusted leg, a blood cream (black pudding puree) cavalo nero all lighted by roast quince and a juniper scented jus. This was accomplished classicism delivered in a contemporary style.
Ms L chose the roast brill with a lemon ash crust. There had been a leek ash on her first dish that we both liked and this lemon ash was truly delicious, as were the plump cockles and mussels and the lemon and caper butter coated sea vegetables. To say that she was happy would be an understatement although I think it was the shellfish that stole the limelight in her dish.
We should have been too full for pudding but a job is a job, even when the chef sends you a pre-dessert dessert of a pretty lemon posset topped with sweet crumbs and edible flowers, which of course we polished off before pudding proper. Ms L was beating the table Meg Ryan style as she devoured her papouasie chocolate and passion fruit delice with orange sorbet. It was better than good. I was equally delighted with a delicately fragrant violet souffle with lemon curd ice-cream. Maître d’ Anthony looked after us well and selected great wines by the glass to match our very different choices.
This was cooking of the very highest order, ingredients of the highest quality and exemplary service in one of the nicest rooms in town and I cannot wait to return.
The Restaurant at Drakes,
43-44 Marine Parade, Brighton, BN2 1PE,
01273 696934
drakesofbrighton.com