A day spend it Brighton for a work meeting ended with lunch paid by the company which was a lovely gesture. The chosen venue was the Riddle & Finns Champagne & Oyster Bar.
On entering the Riddle & Finns you see big chandeliers, high tables and stools, an intimate setting with lighted candles on your table, even during the day. It’s a small venue, but lovely.
Once seated to our table of 4 we were handed our menus, being a huge fan of seafood I was looking forward to seeing what the menu had to offer. The choices were great, from light bites, starters, crustachea, mains and of course oysters and caviar, all so very posh! We were also given a basket of freshly baked bread which included mackerel pate, garlic mayonnaise, butter and other condiments. The breads were so fresh and tasty and spreads given were all different, we liked it that much that we asked for another basket.
I’ve never tried oysters, but when the other guys decided on ordering a few I couldn’t refuse. We started with the Rossmore Rock (£2 each) oysters which can be served either hot or cold with a sauce of your preference. We opted for the cold oysters with the tomato, red onion, chilli and coriander salsa. So after squeezing some lemon and adding the salsa to my oyster I failed at my first attempt in swallowing the oyster, I ended up eating it ha! The taste is very peculiar, slimy, and chewy and of course a fishy after taste, but that doesn’t mean I won’t have it again, it was strange but I actually found it tasty.
From the main menu my colleague and I chose the Keralan Fish Curry served with basmati rice & shrimp bhajis (£17.50), the other two opted for the Squid & Shellfish Risotto (£11.95) and the Riddle & Finns fish pie (£14.50)
All dishes were presented so well, as you can see in the pictures above, I took my first bite into my curry and I was in heaven. It was absolutely delicious, there was a variety of fish in my curry; with no bones and so soft that it melted in my mouth. The Keralan curry sauce complicated the dish so well, that it wasn’t overpowering, all the flavours came through very well. The poppadom on top was a nice touch and the shrimp bhaji’s were very tasty. The others diners also loved their dishes and had nothing negative to say, we all had empty plates, so no wonder I fell asleep on my train journey back to London from Brighton. It was so worth it.
So would I recommend Riddle & Finns Champagne & Oyster Bar? Hell yes! From the service to the food it was immaculate, if you’re a seafood fan and in Brighton I would make a visit, its not cheap but worth it for a special occasion. Lastly, there is a cover charge of £1 per head, which includes the freshly baked bread, and service is discretionary but a recommended 10% will be added to your bill.
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