Brighton

NY Times discovers a place called Brighton exists

But with cosmopolitan London just an hour away

This is London, England, and Brighton, England, right? An hour? Just park my rocket sled on the beach...

Victoria to Brighton is about an hour on the train, I have to get it every Monday for work.

That article is bollox.

Although I do like the coffee at red rooster.

I was there y'day and today with my brother and some family. BILL'S foodstore was possibly best fryup I've ever had. Also really good Indian the name of which escapes me, v diff type of Indian to the usual...I like Brighton.

Bill's does the best, most healthy looking scrambled eggs. And French toast only bettered in the US. And their fish finger sandwiches are like WOAH. I'm hungry now. For Bill's.

Where was the Indian?

I forget what the Indian was called btw, I will ask my brother, I was there a few weeks ago also.

Brighton residents can you recommend a restuarant btw? I am there tomorrow and going out for dinner with my parents.

haven't been for ages now, shame. what's this about a mini-festival up on Devil's Dyke? i miss that view.

I forget what the Indian was called btw, I will ask my brother, I was there a few weeks ago also.

Was it Indian Summer?

yes that was it. have you been? really great food imo, a pleasant change from living beside brick lane!

Have been to Indian Summer once but it was about five years ago or something. Good food though!

what's this about a mini-festival up on Devil's Dyke?

It's the Beachdown Festival, line-up is a bit meh...

Grace Jones
The Zutons
Laurent Garnier
Super Furry Animals
The Rakes
Saint Etienne
Grandmaster Flash
Prince Buster
The Fall
Ida Maria
Hospitality
Mulatu Astatke & the Heliocentrics
Jazzanova
Gilles Peterson
Good Times – Norman Jay
James Hunter
Acid House Brass Band
Secret Affair
Joey Negro & the Sunburst Band
The Blockheads
James Taylor Quartet
Dreadzone
Snowboy & the Latin Section
The Apples
Jazz CoTech Dancers
Lack of Afro
Tru Thoughts – Natural Self, Rob Luis, Kinny
The New Mastersounds
Nostalgia 77 Octet
Laura Izibor
Belleruche
The Impellers
Funkshone
Alice McLaughlin
The Fantastics!

That line-up really peters out after the first name.

I thought it was a new restaurant...tho maybe I'm wrong. That was what my brother said I think.

It's been going for a few years, but it's moved around a bit. Started off in Hove, but they've closed that branch now.

if you can forgo meat the nicest meal i've had in brighton was at the vegetarian restaurant, terre a terre.

riddle and finns also pretty great if you're into your seafood. not as wanky as the website would suggest: http://www.riddleandfinns.co.uk/

I think aldo zilli has also opened a restaurant in the centre of town but i've not yet been so couldn't vouch for it.

Ditto on Terre a Terre.

Still haven't been to Riddle and Finns, but it gets good press. Terre a Terre has it’s ups and downs, last time I went was very good though.

Really enjoyed my last visit to the Gingerman on Norfolk Square. You're looking at £40 per head incluing drinks and tip at least though. Modern European done simply and well.

On the other end of the scale, you can get an absolutely amazing veggie curry from Planet India on Richmond Parade for around a tenner a head – better than any “traditonal” meat-based ones I’ve had in Brighton in the ten years I’ve lived here.

Or: it’s up a steep hill, but the Sussex Yeoman near the station does by far the best gastro-pub food I’ve had in Brighton – the beer isn’t great though.

Oh, you could also try Bill's on North Road - it's a warehouse café type place. Or we had a quite nice selection of tapas in a prety authentic new place on Syndey Street called Solera D Tapa the other week.

Sorry if I'm bombarding you here, but you should get a decent feed in any one of these places.

Wonder where Ronan went in the end. Was at Terre a Terre myself last night, their rosti is just so damn good. Need to perfect the art of cooking that stuff myself I think.

brighton weirded me out, everyone is so nice, its like the polar opposite of derry. sarcasm didnt go down too well. I cant imagine how anyone gets any work done there

keymer korma vs ditchling dosas

The churos are amazing at Terre à Terre, and I’m not really a dessert person.

I actually ended up unscheduled at Planet India after post-work pints with the wife on Wednesday and massively over-ordered, but we tried our best to burst our bellys. Nom nom nom.

Also going out to Riddle & Finns tonight, so will give the verdict. This all makes me sound like I eat out all the time, which I don’t!

fulking falafels

Chewshabadoo, we should do shandy sometime. Also, you are married now - wtf and congratulations also!

I cant imagine how anyone gets any work done there

Yeah, they don't. Love the town to bits and one day I might move back, but it's not really accommodating to the productive of will. Still have a bunch of friends there but they're gradually diminishing in number and the few that remain are only just about able to make it work - One of whom has just taken on the Freebutt in fact (well, a quarter share in the lease, which only has about two years left on it). According to a medical professional friend studies have found Brighton to be one of the most medicated towns in the country. Doesn't surprise me at All.

Nannhaven.

A stiff shandy would be good. It would be good to take in a gig sometime – I can’t even remember the last one I went to in Brighton, I’m so out of touch with live music.

Just had our one-year anniversary actually, been together for seven years so it sounded like as good a time as any!

it's not really accommodating to the productive of will.

Can’t remember who said Brighton was the graveyard of ambition.

Huh, I wish I could contribute, but I haven't really been out to any restaurants round here yet. Very good pub food can be found at the Globe, though - have taken some proper foodies there before and everyone likes it, so it's not just my unrefined palate vouching for it.

Dirty Projectors, Polar Bear & Lucky Dragons are playing on Tuesday, should be pretty awesome. Can't think of many more shows coming up off the top of my head, though Trembling Bells are playing around the 10th or so.

For those Brightonians in need of gig-going might I recommend joining the OIB records facebook group. In the interest of full disclosure it *is* run by the above friend but they have put on most of the best gigs I've been to in the last couple of years. Why? was one of theirs last summer and Parts & Labor at the Albert in February was awesome.

Gay Against You is tonight, Danananananaykroyd on MOnday and Health around the 13th of April.

Sorry if this seems like a shameless plug.

Yes, actually OIB are great. Forgot about the former two gigs because I'm off back to Nottingham this weekend, and still haven't made up my mind whether I like Health or think they're a bit rubbish.

Yeah, a gig would be good. Had forgotten about Lucky Dragons etc, would probably be up for that. Did actually buy a ticket for Trembling Bells too, but then had to take it back cos I'm already going to Foals on the same night (hey, I'm looking forward to it anyway). Anyhow, watch out for Hamilton Yarns at the Trembling Bells show, cos they're really good! Sort of quirky suburban folk songs/domesticated sea shanties/living room performance art, kinda sound like Ivor Cutler or Robert Wyatt or someone. Probably sounds a bit shit to most sensible folks, but they pull it off really well and are pretty endearing to boot.

Also, had no idea that emil.y was in Brighton, or half the people on this thread for that matter-uh. Duh. Hiya emil.y!

(huge x-post cos I'm slow at typing and easily distracted)

Earth/James Blackshaw is also in the offing. Not something that's suited for a social thing though maybe.

And Bonnie Prince Billy w/ Susanna but that's like a gazillion pounds for a ticket.

Ooh, Hamilton Yarns do sound like they could be pretty good. Trembling Bells are pretty ace, too, though I always forget to big them up as I prefer Alex & Lavinia's other band, Directing Hand.

I'm not gonna be out and about that much in April, as I've got two horrible huge term papers to force out of my system, and as Brighton is crazy expensive I'm cutting out the big-ticket shows first of all. So no Blackshaw or Billy for me.

I've only been in Brighton six months so far, so am still getting used to it. Have begun to get a handle on who puts on gigs etc now, though. But anyway, I should be off, as I have to get a train away from this place in a couple of hours. Need to ready myself to leave.

Well hey, let's hook up sometime at something small. Is Vessels any good? Also, if we'd have had the conversation a week ago, then the Bug is tonight if anyone would have been up for that. Gotta stay home and build shelves though. Good luck with the papers.

Matt, did you see that the Field are playinmg at that Loop mini-fest thing?

I really enjoyed Loop last year, I think I prefer Urban festivals in my old age, so I'm planning on it again this time.

A small gig would be good, I've still got the job at The Argus, so you can try contacting me on that email.

emil.y: didn't realise you'd moved to Brighton. I'm Matt who used to go to the early Camber Sands weekenders with people like Dougal and Camilla, but then again I'm not sure how much you remember of them. (^_^)

Of course I remember them! Although I have known approximately a billion Matts so I'm not sure if I'm getting the right one for you. Do you have ginger hair?

Bingo!