Dines Out: The Italian job

There was a time when Saturday lunch out was the focus of my social calendar. Meeting friends for a relaxed meal is still high up on my list of things to do and especially when the sun deigns to come out. Mr L and I are seasoned lunchers and as the sun promised to make an appearance we decided to try out Edendum, an Italian boasting a new style of eating. Wary of new styles of eating, I still like a knife and fork or chopsticks, we met in the hope of an al fresco repast. Sadly this was not to be as it turned rather chilly so we stayed indoors.

The menu is short and rather easy to navigate and is supplemented by a few specials on a blackboard. I kicked off with olives and a Campari soda as did Mr L. We then decided to try the gnocco fritto misto – deep-fried strips of pizza dough served with parma ham, coppa, cooked ham, mortadella, spicy spianata salami, gorgonzola, burrata, goat cheese, brie and fontina. Well I could become hooked on the deep fried pizza dough, a kind of savoury doughnut. We also had a basket of very tasty bread to help us along with the mountain of meat and cheeses with great onion and tomato chutneys and yet more fat green olives. I would say that it would alone make a handsome lunch for two.

Stylish, sensibly priced & delivers when it comes to flavour & satisfaction

But we were in the mood to go further and Mr L chose the freshly made tagliatelle with seafood – and I looked on with envy as he devoured it with a huge grin on his face. “Home made pasta is so often a let down, but not this!” he declared and I could see that he meant it, and as good as the pasta was so too was the generosity of the seafood in the rich tomato sauce.

I looked to the blackboard and decided to try the duck with a bitter orange glaze. It came on a long wooden board, which I sort of dislike, but I soon forgave this as the dish itself was sublime. Perfectly cooked duck with as promised a bitter orange glaze seasoned with coriander seed, my favourite spice, good vegetables and a blissfully lovely potato pie like affair that I am certainly going to attempt at home, fine slices, crisp, arranged around a creamy centre – mmmmmm! To finish for me canolo, a lovely reminder of my time in Sicily and for Mr L affagato.

Edendum is very stylish, sensibly priced and certainly delivers when it comes to flavour and satisfaction. In a world dominated by tasting menus this is a very good alternative and I will certainly be back. Oh yes, we did drink a bottle of pretty good wine too, well it was Saturday!

Edendum, 69 East Street, Brighton, BN1 1HQ, 01273 733800, edendum.co.uk