insideSUSSEX Magazine Issue 12 - February 2016 | Page 51

FOOD+DRINK

Kick back and relax at
Paris Wine Bar, Hove
Hove’s Church Road has always been a funny one in terms of food and drink. At one end, you
have a plethora of Italian restaurants and Pizza Express; a particularly family-focused haunt. At
the other end, there’s Misty’s – a beacon of late-night drinking that serves a purpose, sure, but
in the main a purpose that’s directed at fine young things wearing little more than a smile who
can still party until 3am. It’s all a bit off-kilter. B Y P O L L Y H U M P H R I S

Which is where the Paris Wine Bar comes in:
like the fulcrum on which not much fun versus
too much fun balances beautifully, it’s a great
bar first and foremost with a vibrant atmosphere
and a sophisticated clientele. Which isn’t to say
it’s inaccessible, far from it; it’s very welcoming
and actually very Parisian, which may sound
tediously obvious, but bear with me. Anywhere
can have a suggestive name, but rarely have
I been into an ‘Argentinian steakhouse’ that
smacks of Argentina.
The Paris Wine Bar, however, upholds its French
bistro identity with aplomb. Our wonderfully
attentive waitor-cum-sommelier set the tone
with his flawless knowledge of wines and,
crucially, aperitif. We opted for a Bellini, which
comprised crisp, cold champagne served with
fresh peach puree (take note Bellini fans – that,
sadly, is a rarity these days and you can end up
with some sort of sticky squash blobbing about
your glass like wax in a lava lamp).
The interior is all about attention to detail.
Plush Chesterfield seating in dark ruby red
curves around simple wooden tables and
upturned wine barrels; the walls are a warming
mix of exposed brick and warped, ingrained
beams; and the bar, the pièce de résistance,
is adorned right up to the ceiling by a grid

of recycled timber crates that display rows
of dusty wine and champagne bottles – it’s
eye-catching and rustic, like a work of art, and
again, delightfully Parisian.
Joyous in itself was the fact that my guest and
I were left to savour another drink over some
olives before we had even glanced at the menu
and no one blinked an eye. I asked for the
driest of whites and was presented with an icecold Don Jacobo rioja; it was perfect. Having
been a Sauvignon Blanc girl for some time, I
will now be that friend who ‘only drinks white
rioja’ and will feel no shame in being so.
Suddenly ravenous from actually being allowed
to settle in and get just the right side of tipsy, I
ordered the house Caesar salad to start. You
can tell a lot about a restaurant from its salad
and this told me that the ingredients were
fresh, the gorgeous, peppery dressing wasn’t
too rich, and the portions were generous. We
also had some salt and pepper squid, which
sang out from its light, crispy coating, gently
cutting through the wine’s acidity.
I don’t often suffer from food envy, but when
my guest’s main of whole fresh sea bass served
with little else than capers, vine tomatoes and a
drizzle of rich olive oil came out, it got me. Bad.

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I had the prawn and scallop linguine, which
was a triumph – the pasta was al dente, and
the meaty, sweet seafood stood up proudly
against a welcome kick of chilli – but next time,
I’m all about the bass; I struggle to remember
the last time I tasted a fish so meltingly moist
and impeccably flavoured.
The food at Paris Wine Bar is good. My only
complaint would be the lack of a cheeseboard
on the menu, which would go so well with all
of those wonderfu l wines. Cheese aside, it’s a
brilliant bar and somewhere that knows what it
does and does it well – everyone (and the bar
was packed, on a Wednesday no less) was
drinking wine and taking their time to revel in a
great wine’s power to soothe the weary, midweek mind, and that alone speaks volumes.
Paris Wine Bar
119 Church Rd
Hove
BN3 2AF
www.pariswine.bar
@pariswinebarH
/pariswinebarhove