Business Edge - James Sharpe
Take my seared tuna steak (from the two courses for £19.50 a la carte menu). Served with a rocket salad and truffle oil, it was as pink and tender as an albino in the height of summer and was utter perfection.
Working Lunch Reviewer: James Sharpe
The last time I dined in this building was late one winter night in 1998. Half cut and feeling worse for wear, I recall consuming a burger of indeterminate origin. Barely warm and greasy to the touch, it came laden down with a piece of lifeless lettuce that looked like it had just returned from a fortnight on a Mediterranean beach and some French fries that had about as much bite as a marshmallow. Mind you, the Diet Coke really excellent.
I should mention that back the, 1 Buckingham Place was actually a Burger King. Five years on, though, it is now home to Sevendials restaurant, a much-needed attempt to inject some real style into the city’s restaurant scene. While much is made of Brighton’s status as London-by-Sea, it’s an inescapable fact that while there is an abundance of low and mid-range restaurants on offer, there are precious few that can justifiably compare themselves to any of the top eateries in the capital. Look at Havana on Duke Street. Great location and tasteful interior, but once watered fully two hours for a starter, and then walked out just as they brought it to the table.
After spells at some of London’s blue-ribbon restaurants, owner/chef Sam Metcalfe has now brought his own take on modern British cuisine to Brighton and created a dining experience unlike any other in the city. The menu is eclectic and innovative, the presentation exceptional and the service friendly and faultless. Moreover, there’s a host of little touches that set it apart from the rest of the crowd, like the free Shallot and Mushroom soup that took us by surprise when it arrived before our starters.
Make no mistake, though, the location of Sevendials isn’t great and the views from the terrace aren’t exactly the Serengeti at sunset, but at least you do get a ringside seat to watch motorists slugging it out on the seven dials roundabout. Once inside, though, it has style in abundance and the food, well, that is nothing short of remarkable. Take my seared tuna steak (from the two courses for £19.50 a la carte menu). Served with a rocket salad and truffle oil, it was as pink and tender as an albino in the height of summer and was utter perfection.
My partner’s cod with pea puree (part of the super value two courses for a tenner set menu), meanwhile, was also above and beyond anything I’ve eaten in this city before.
Throw in a super bottle of Sancerre (£20) – which given that Mrs Sharpe is six months pregnant and I, therefore, am now drinking for two, I felt duty bound to consume in its entirety – a sumptuous caramelised lemon tart with a tangy raspberry coulis and a couple of cappuccinos and you have almost the perfect dining experience. The price for such luxury, incidentally, was a dwarf’s pinkie over £70 (including service) and was worth each and every penny. Now, had we endured a similar meal at one of Brighton’s more pretentious eateries, it doubtless would have topped the £100 mark and, moreover, we would probably still be waiting for our starters.