The Coal Shed Brighton – Review

Feel The Brighton Burn:

To celebrate the impending opening of Brighton restaurant The Coal Shed’s London outpost I’ve been invited to review the Brighton original.The other restaurant in the group, The Salt Room has been described as Brighton’s best restaurant!’  by The Independent’s restaurant critic so I’m excited to be trying out The Coal Shed’s steak and seafood offer.The room is masculine in feel with dark wood and marble as befits a place dedicated to the serious art of searing flesh. But the real star of the show for me is the charcoal Josper grill.Being a pushy type I asked to see it and was excited to watch it beingly lovingly tended with a quasi-religious fervour by a crew of bearded chaps who probably have some tattoos…Away from the heat of the flame my son’s Pink Lemonade -a Hibiscus and Berry shrub with citrus and soda was refreshing, floral and zingy. Because lunchtime drinking is very good for your health I went for a glass of Exis, a Greek melony, lemony Macedonian white – a Malagousia/Assyrtiko blend – and immediately felt better.We started with BBQ glazed Jacob’s ladder (beef short rib)which came with kimchi and sesame. The rich umami flavour of the beef was matched by its melt-in-mouth tenderness. My son was particularly impressed by the authenticity of the kimchi….he’s 15…he makes his own…Charred Octopus came with ancho potatoes, Padron peppers and squid ink aioli. I loved dredging the unexpectedly tender charred cephalopod through the dark sensuous aioli. The ancho (dried poblano chile) spud croquettes were deliciously lemony.The boy’s 300g Rib eye was ordered medium-rare but came medium. He informed me that the chefs had made the right call. It’s the first time he has publicly admitted to being incorrect about anything and I regard it as a breakthrough of sorts. The meat was tender and full of flavour and enlivened by a fluffy Bearnaise mousse.My dish of turbot, coco beans, clams and dashi was beautifully plated with the fish having a wonderful char from the heat of the Josper whilst the interior was perfectly cooked. To accompany I drank a Pinot Noir, Eggo Filoso, Zorzai, Tupungato from Argentina with mild tannins and blackberry on the nose. I’m drinking more reds with fish at the moment and it seems to make the sommeliers happy!Sides of beef dripping chips with smoked salt and creamed spinach with crispy garlic were excellent. The chips were simultaneously crisp and fluffy (a state I aspire to) and the spinach was creamy and garlicky. Both were very moreish.And onto desserts. Poached peach with pistachio mousse and raspberries was a plateful of diverse textures with the creaminess of pistachio offset by the tartness of the raspberry.Ironically referencing the 70s in dessert form is definitely a thing at the moment. Peanut butter arctic roll with strawberry jam, brown butter crumb and peanut butter ice-cream was hilariously indulgent and a pleasure to eat.

The Coal Shed is an asset for the Brighton food scene which needed somewhere with chaps throwing hunks of protein onto a Josper Grill. The food is simple but creative and well executed with strong flavours shining through. The new London restaurant will be a mash-up of The Coal Shed and The Salt Room’s offer and is located opposite the Tower of London in new riverside destination ONE TOWER BRIDGE. There will also be a 900 seater theatre within the development as well as the luxury boutique Lalit Hotel. I can’t wait to try it!

The Coal Shed,
8 Boyce’s’ St,
Brighton, BN1 1AN

Phone: 01273 322 998

www.thecoalshed-restaurant.co.uk