Is there any better way to kick off your weekend than a long Friday lunch while people watching in The Lanes?
If you’re lucky enough to get the window seat at Kindling, then the answer’s definitely no.
Hot on the heels of being named this year’s best lunch spot in the Brighton Restaurant Awards, the restaurant has introduced a new £21 lunch platter – and Brighton and Hove News was invited to try it.
We couldn’t have been given a warmer welcome as we stepped through the door on a stunningly sunny May afternoon.
Looking through the menus, the cocktails looked tempting – but we decided to share a bottle of house rose, which arrived perfectly chilled.
We’d been steered to try the platters, so we ordered a pulled beef brioche roll and a flat iron steak – but decided to push the boat out with a couple of starters first.
The brisket and jalapeño croquettes with tomato basil dip were rich and smoky, with crispy breadcrumbs on the outside and a succulent filling.
Courgette and feta is a classic pairing, and worked perfectly in the fritters, which came with some tart tzatziki and sumac.
Then the platters arrived – generously portioned and beautifully presented.
The steak was juicy and beautifully browned, while the pulled beef was soft and tender, but with oodles of flavour, not least because of the gravy it came with for dipping.
Meanwhile, the skinny fries which came with both were flawless – fluffy and crisp and perfectly seasoned. You’re also given the choice of house salad or macaroni cheese, both of which were great.
It would have been rude not to sample the dessert menu – I was grateful for the choice of a sorbet after the riches of the platter, and even more so once the ball of passionfruit sorbet arrived, topped with intensely flavoured lemon verbena microherbs.
My husband had more room left, and very much appreciated his Basque cheesecake, which came with a brittle brandy snap.
As the meal drew to a close, we felt very spoilt, relaxed and looked after. Time to spill out into the Lanes and join the outside world we’d spent more than an hour idly watching from the window.
