The Signalman, Brighton

It made complete sense that after a wine-fuelled Saturday night a roast dinner would probably be the most sensible idea I could fathom. After a well recommended pub had no spaces, we decided to venture into the unknown and try somewhere completely new, The Signalman on Ditchling Rise.

This meal had the premise to be magical, after all there is nothing better than pub-grub on a hangover, yet I was left significantly ambivalent. The venue is great, a really traditional pub, housed in an old hotel opposite from London Road Station. The decor was unique, and the big windows induced a bright pub, contrary to that dingy stereotypical hovel often associated with pubs nowadays.

The main issue with the meal was in fact the service from both the front of house staff and the kitchen staff. Albeit it was an averagely busy Sunday, yet waiting 45 minutes for a roast beef at a pub solely serving roasts is somewhat extreme. When the meals arrived, they looked very visually pleasing, and I enjoyed my meal a lot. But my friends, who ordered the roast lamb, were bitterly disappointed with the poor cuts of meat they were provided with. Furthermore, about 5 minutes into eating our meals, my friend found a black curly hair nestled within her cabbage. Without being crudely sceptical, either the chef was sporting a raging afro, or this hair was not from their head at all. When we took the meal back to the bar to complain, we were told we had either a 30 minute wait, or could be refunded the cost. After already waiting 45 minutes, my friend decided a further half an hour was completely unnecessary so the latter option was taken. The staff were not at all apologetic, and made light that the hair looked like it was from their head chef, rather than the sous. Yes, hair in meals is a very easy mistake, but it was the resulting attitude which put a dampener on our experience.

All ranting aside, my roast beef was really enjoyable. And the main thing I took from it was that parsnip puree is a genius foodie invention, and I will definitely be trying it myself. The roast potatoes were crisp, the cabbage was seasoned well and the carrots had an enjoyable, sweet crunch. Incredibly, the yorkshire pudding was home-made, which is becoming a dying art-form in UK pubs.

The portion size was really satisfactory, and I came away wanting to fall into a food coma. For £10.95 it was a fair prize, even if I was stung £3 for a glass of coke. 

The Signalman definitely has the potential to be a great pub, a bit of an attitude tweak and an increase in attention to detail and it will be there. 

Find The Signalman at 76-78 Ditchling Rise.

Iydea Vegetarian Cafe, Brighton

Located in the bustling North Laine area of Central Brighton, Iydea is a heavily talked about cafe that I just knew I had to visit. 

I first encountered Iydea, when sat at the White Rabbit pub directly opposite one evening. At closing time, they leave cartons of the days food on their doorstep, and being the cheap student I am, of course I couldn't resist a nibble. At the time, I really thought little of the food, stating that it simply tasted of dirt. But I think this may have been due to the fact a vegetarian quiche doesn't exactly compliment cheap pints of lager.

So when my friend suggested we meet at Iydea, I let out a silent groan, as I am far too much of a carnivore to enjoy a meal entirely composed of veg and good stuff. I was in fact so very pleasantly surprised. Once I finally managed to get seats (as I said, very popular) I soon tucked into my grub and found that the whispers I so often hear from these veggie folk, that with the right spices and flavourings, vegetarian food is in fact downright delicious, are in fact true. 

It's set out almost like a school dinner canteen, you start at one end of the counter, select your main, then two vegetables/salads and a topping, gradually moving down towards the till area. I chose to eat a Thai sweetcorn fritter with peanut and chilli sauce, accompanied by a warm chick pea salad and broccoli, roasted pepper and olive cold salad. I topped it off with a healthy slop of tzatziki.

I don't know if the picture does it justice, but it was genuinely one of the tastiest meals I have ever eaten. Iydea has won multiple awards recently, including The Brighton and Hove Foodie Award for best Cafe and the national Vegetarian Society best eating-out Award. I can entirely understand why it has such accolades.

Prices are fair, it was £6.30 for the meal above, but the portion size was good and they continually offered free tap water. Their drink selection looked great, boasting a full licence also. 

If you're after a home-cooked, well flavoured meal that is beyond Pub Grub at a fair price, then find Iydea at 17 Kensington Gardens, Brighton.