Dines Out: OctoberBest

OctoberBest is back for its second exciting year. From 1st-15th October, the city’s top 20 restaurants (as compiled by Brighton’s Best Restaurants) will offer special £20 menus* including dishes and dining experiences created especially for the festival. In addition, this year’s OctoberBest will encompass a roster of one-off culinary events with special guests including renowned cocktail guru Mr Lyan and leading food writer Tim Hayward.

Highlights will include Isaac At’s Brighton Gin dessert bar that will serve two cocktails and three Sussex-inspired desserts, an OctoberBest special pizza (designed by the public) from Fatto a Mano and a selection of small plates showcasing local suppliers at The Gingerman, such as shellfish bouillabaisse.

The battle to win the Best OctoberBest Dish award – which will be announced at the third annual Brighton’s Best Restaurants ceremony in February 2018 – is fierce. Current titleholders The Chilli Pickle are attempting to top their mighty pork knuckle vindaloo with ‘Al and D’s Toddy Shop’, a take on the food served in working men’s social shacks in Alleppey in Kerala and will include a platter of fresh fish, curries, fiery snacks and tender coconut home brew. Michael Bremner is serving his Great British Menu-winning dish ‘The Grass is Greener’ (braised ox tongue served with grass-cooked potatoes) at his flagship 64 Degrees restaurant, while leading vegetarian restaurant Terre a Terre have created ‘The Asian Persuasion’, an array of dishes that includes steamed rice buns stuffed with Szechuan-marinated halloumi and ginger bok choy.

“The inaugural OctoberBest festival was hugely successful in bringing Brighton’s rapidly evolving restaurant scene to greater local and national attention and this year the participating restaurants and we, as organisers, have gone the extra mile to make the event even better,” says Andy Lynes, cofounder of Brighton’s Best Restaurants alongside fellow Brightonians Patrick McGuigan and Euan Macdonald (co-founder, 60 Second Reviews). “There appears to be some friendly rivalry with each restaurant trying to out-do the next and so the menus are even more inventive, delicious sounding and better value than last year, which is great news for the dining public.”

Each restaurant will offer its own spin on OctoberBest and all the details of the offers and how to book are available to view at www.brightonsbestrestaurants.com.
*Except Little Fish Market who will be offering a 20 per cent discount on the cost of the menu with paired wines.