Dines Out: Petit Pois

How does one define fashionable small plate dining? You know the thing, a range of dishes ideally meant for sharing. In some cases it can be genius, but I have to admit than in others it simply strikes me as a way of the restaurant getting away with tiny portions, and I mean tiny. These days the fashion is most definitely one of less is more, when good very good, but when not so good… well let’s just say one can go hungry.

Petit Pois is fairly new, a tiny venue but one with a huge future if our lunch was anything to go by. And yes the small plate thing is in place, although not too small as we were to discover. There is an element of tapas style dining here, although the plating leans far more to fine dining and the core of the food is French and classic.

We were hungry and tempted by an amazing selection of charcuterie and cheeses, but in the end we went for the lunch menu, three courses for £13.50. And there were six dishes to choose from so we ordered one of each, well Ms L and I are old friends and happy to co-habit a bowl of soup. And what a bowl of soup, velvety smooth broccoli with Stilton and buttery croutons, full of flavour and generous in size. So too was a pork rillette, deliciously soft, beautifully seasoned and refreshingly un-greasy, served with sourdough toasts and cornichons – we were more than happy.

A tiny venue with a huge future if our lunch was anything to go by

Next a fillet of sea bream on herbed mash, both parts quite brilliantly cooked and again decent in size. To be honest I have been served a similar portion of fish in the centre of a huge plate and billed as a main course with a hefty price tag. It matched well a bowl of plump mussels with lardons in a creamy broth that I polished off with a spoon. I love mussels, as does Ms L, and we ate them with gusto, but neither of us thinking that the portion, shared, was too small.

To follow a steak, onglet, cooked just right, properly rested and snuggled against a mound of perfect crisp fries, a small well dressed salad and a béarnaise sauce of an impeccable pedigree. We talk a lot when together but these kept us very quiet and took us back in time to our French memories of great, but simple cuisine. The final dish was a barley risotto, a big comforting bowl of tender grains and finely diced vegetables that was equally packed with flavour, very satisfying indeed. And for all six dishes, a glass of good Picpoul and service we sailed home at just over £20 each, full of good food, good cheer and reminded that sometimes the classics are king. There’s some classy cooking coming out of this petit kitchen and no sense that they are taking the pois.

70 Ship Street, Brighton BN1 4AE
01273 911211, petitpoisbrighton.co.uk