insideSUSSEX Magazine Issue 18 - August 2016 | Page 46

FOOD+DRINK

A sunny, seafood lunch
at The Jetty
B Y P O L LY H U M P H R I S

The most recent addition to the city’s thriving food scene, Brighton’s latest seafood eatery, The
Jetty, threw open its doors a mere two weeks ago – actually, when I turned up, it didn’t even
have a door and the last layers of exterior paint were still being applied – but has already garnered
lots of attention for all of the right reasons. Part of the much-anticipated Brighton Harbour
Hotel and Spa, a brand new 79-bedroom hotel located right on Brighton’s iconic seafront, the
restaurant promises exceptional food in relaxed surroundings and delivers on all counts.

The scene couldn’t have been better set for
my visit to The Jetty: it was the hottest day of
the year so far; Brighton was abuzz with the
multitude of people that always seem to mill
its busy streets be it a Tuesday, or a Saturday;
and I was really hungry. Given the fact that the
restaurant’s soft launch had only taken place
four days previously, I had considered getting a
snack on the way, assuming inevitable teething
problems would mean an understandable bit of
background confusion.
How wrong I was. Walking into The Jetty (minus
the lack of door, of course, which presented zero
problems on such a sweltering day), was like
walking into a well-oiled machine – the tables,
bar two, were full; the staff were impeccably
turned out and ready to recite menu options;
and I had a cold glass of champagne and a
beautiful plate of dainty ‘Jetty Bites’ in front of
me before you could say "service please".
The ‘Catch of the Day’ menu, with a ‘£15 for
three courses’ option available at lunchtime from
Monday to Saturday and between 6pm and
7pm, Monday to Friday, is a selection of seafood
according to what’s fresh and available locally.
Inventive dishes include things like octopus,
dandelion and seaweed tartare; and hake with
quinoa, taramasalata, coriander and almond
pesto. We opted for the main menu though,

diving into ‘duck and squid’ – an Asian-inspired
combination of flash-fried chilli squid served with
a refreshing, crunchy salad of carrot, cashew and
oyster dressing; and the ‘Jetty crab croquettes’ –
really light crab and potato croquettes with a rich
centre of crab butter and warm tartare sauce; an
unusual choice for a hot day you might think, but
not when served as light as these were, like little
crispy pillows that pop with flavour in your mou th.
For the main event, what I really wanted was an
entire lobster, simply split, cracked and served
cold with mayonnaise, or the house ‘fruits de
mer’, a generous plate of fresh prawns, mussels,
squid, crab, scallop and oysters, which I normally
can’t resist. Instead, I chose paella, and that’s
because I love it, but I’ve yet to come across a
good one in Brighton. Until now. The Jetty paella
is a rich, meaty blend of flavours that switches
between gamey rabbit, spicy chorizo and sweet,
succulent prawns; I found clams, mussels and
squid in there too – finally, a paella that’s heavier
on fish and meat than it is rice; delicious. If you’re
not a fish fan, you needn’t be disappointed, the
menu also includes meaty offerings such as veal
Milanese; lamb with summer risotto; and prime
steak served with frites.
Besides the food, which is, unsurprisingly,
cooked by acclaimed head chef, Lee Redman,
and really reasonably priced for a hotel

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restaurant, the interior is eye-catching too.
A cool blend of tangerine orange and royal
blue banquette seating, slick marble surfaces,
flashes of gold and quirky, bespoke lighting, it’s
calming and made suitably nautical by abstract
prints and paintings relating to all things marine.
I recognised restaurant manager, Anthony,
immediately; he’s calm and collected much like
the rest of the staff, a few of whom I know I’ve
spotted in some other reputable local eateries.
In terms of both food and staffing, The Jetty has
clearly sourced the best in town and it already
shows. I can’t wait for the already very cool,
HarBAR’s rooftop bar to open and complete
what’s set to soar as a sophisticated and fun
addition to Brighton’s food and drink scene.
The Jetty @ Brighton Harbour Hotel
64 King’s Rd
Brighton
East Sussex
BN1 1NA
01273 323221
www.brighton-harbour-hotel.co.uk
@JettyBrighton
/thejettybrighton