Due South

A third visit and another fantastic meal here — I think it’s time for an update!
I organised our work’s Christmas party here this year. A particularly good choice when you are not picking up the bill yourself! There were seven of us eating and we were offered the private dining room, situated just behind the kitchen. Unfortunately, although we were in a separate room, the noise from the upstairs diners was quite overwhelming and we had to shout when we first sat down. The noise did drop off though as the eating commenced!
We had all pre-​ordered from the Christmas menu and the waiter came to me at the start to find out where everyone was sitting to facilitate the service. Luckily, I had memorised everyone’s orders so this worked really well.
The wine list was extensive and all the wines are sourced from Europe to reduce the carbon footprint. The waiter was quick to recommend the English white from a local vineyard in Robertsbridge, this turned out to be an excellent choice. We also had a couple of bottles of Cote de Rhone which also seemed to go down quite well!
Homemade bread rolls and homemade butter greeted us and this was delicious! We were brought a basil mojito sorbet as an amuse bouche — beautiful flavours but surprisingly cold as a first dish — maybe better as a palate cleanser?
My starter was home cured duck ham served with sour dough and apple purée. Really strong flavours that weren’t appreciated by all, but I thoroughly enjoyed it! For main course i chose the partridge — this came as two breasts and two legs, cooked perfectly with great flavour and retaining the moistness. This was served with a novel bread sauce foam, chestnuts and bacon. Sauteed and triple cooked chips were served on the side. A fantastic dish, my only complaint would be the lack of veg. Some of my colleagues went for the rib eye steak which I also got to sample — delicious and melt in the mouth, one of the best steaks I have had in a long time.
For pudding the majority went for the brownie. I wanted to be different so went for the hay smoked rice pudding which was incredibly rich but totally yummy. I was completely stuffed but still managed to help out with the cheese and make good progress with the Christmas pudding truffles that were brought with coffee. A nice glass of port finished me off nicely!
The service was exceptional. Not to mention that the waiter was incredibly cute with his curly hair and dimples… anyway, I digress!
A fabulous night, will come back time and time again.

How do you deconstruct Fish & Chips? Due South have the answer and it’s delicious as well as being entertaining.
In fact, Due South is so good that after eating there for a first time we made a second booking to come back the following night to try more of their food.
The food is locally sourced and is mainly seafood but there are meat and veggie options available too. All the food is cooked and presented beautifully. The aforementioned Fish & Chips is a small starter which is worth trying, the catch of the day’s were cooked very well and my steak was delicious.
The staff here are also top notch, they serve with a smile and are very clued up on what they’re talking about. The setting is also very romantic especially if you get one of the tables at the front looking out over Brighton Beach.
If you’re having difficulty finding it, just head down to the beach over the road from the Odeon cinema at the end of West Street.

We had a lovely time here.
It was a struggle to find the place, because both google maps and Unilocal show the wrong location on the map! But once there, and once we actually we able to get a table (it’s a very very busy little restaurant; best to reserve!), we really enjoyed ourselves.
I would advise to go for the fish or sea food courses. It’s on the seaside and so you would hope everything would be pipping fresh. And because the kitchen is in a glass house, visible to all, I always find this to be a good sign.
I started with the mackerel. We also had the lobster salad and the squid in a tomato chili soup. All were nice, with a small + for the mackerel and the soup. Then I had again the fried mackerel with chips. Superb! Really fresh and tasty. We also had a Viognier white wine, and it was fresh and delicious. The bread was good too. Clearly from the day. We didn’t try the puds. We were just full after this feast!
Last but not least. The view is splendid. Right on the beach. Blue and sunny horizon. Really nice for a relaxed Sunday afternoon. I would happily go there again. All in all, it was £40 per person. A reasonable price for the quality and nice service we received.

As many people see it as Brighton’s best seafood restaurant, Due South has become somewhat of a local gem. Having been awarded the coveted AA Rosette and being named as the best seaside restaurant in Britain by The Observer Food Monthly, its reputation precedes it.
The reason for all this fuss: locally sourced ingredients, cooked and seasoned to perfection and served with all the care and attention of a truly first-​class restaurant. As it played host to my celebratory, post-​graduation meal I can personally vouch for the quality. I had perfectly cooked Scallops with celeriac and apple to start and a particularly mouth watering Roast shellfish platter to finish. I had absolutely no issues with my meal, however, my mother found her lemon sole a little too bony to be wholly enjoyable. Then again that’s what you get with seafood.
If you don’t mind the rigmarole of a fish dinner you’ll probably find it the most satisfying seafood meal you’ve had in a long time. My only problem with the restaurant is the underwhelming interior. While the second floor, overlooking the sea, is quite a feature the general décor is a little bland. I understand why they’ve avoided standard seafood clichés like hanging lobsterpots and bits of driftwood but at least then it’s exciting. Apart from this though, there is nothing to complain about. Simply great service and great food. Worth the money, not that it’s particularly expensive either.

For the past six years, Due South has developed an enviable reputation as being one of the finest restaurants in Brighton.
Positioned directly on the sea-​front, it has the advantage of truly spectacular views of the sea and beach. The style and lay-​out are simple and welcoming and the staff are friendly and courteous. The wine list is great but pricey and the head chef is passionately committed to using only tasty and sustainable fish and local, organic veggies, fruit and dairy.
Unfortunately, the food I had the last time I went just wasn’t that amazing. Maybe it’s my fault for ordering one of the three vegetarian mains on the menu but it was only 12am and I couldn’t face a whole fish with it’s head and tail still on, looking up at me all glassy-​eyed! The salad was okay but the goats cheese and red onion tart was runny and bland. My pudding wasn’t anything special either. Luckily, the ambience and wine were both great and everyone else’s food looked and was declared wonderful.
Would I venture to Due South again? Probably but I’d definitely go for one of their fish dishes next time and have pudding at home.