Eating Out

[Richard]

Where is your favorite place?

Fish and chip shops seem to change all the time in terms of quality.
Good Cafés are far and few between.

[cbe]

Have always liked Porters in the High Street

[Richard]

Porters is okay to visit with a friend - a bottle of red wine helps it go down!
Fagin's nearby has improved or so I am told.
The Castle view Café in Robertson street (Turkish run) is good for a 'house' omelette and chips.

Perhaps Wetherspoons may be okay for fish and chips at £7.50 with a pint thrown in.
Beyond that there is not much else to speak of.

[cbe]

What about that steak place down at the bottom end of the High Street round
the corner from George Street - not been in yet but next time we come down we will give it a go - unless one of you now says it's rubbish.

[seahermit]

Porters is one of my favourite places to eat, nice atmosphere, often good music (but sometimes just noisy pop!), food always seems to be excellent.

Fagin's used to be not bad as a fairly conventional English cafe/restaurant, good for a quick stopover before moving on to a music event somewhere else. It certainly looks smarter and a better decor. Will investigate later.

In the town centre it is more difficult. That's why Weatherspoons is popular - cheap and reasonable quality pub food. The NUR in Robertson Street actually does rather nice and somewhat exotic food, but it is overpriced in my opinion, especially as the customer service is variable and offhand. The staff often ignore you for ages at the bar.

I have heard that the new fish and chip cafe at White Rock is good. Certainly it looks comfortable and people often sit in the window with a proper meal. Will report back sometime.

Interesting and relevant thread. Will add any further thoughts!

[UncleB]

Porters is OK although they do sometimes have great dishes. I've found it to vary between good and average a lot over the last year with only the occasional outstanding dish (Sticky toffee pudding being one).

The Crown (out to the East side) is excellent. A bit hipster at times but the food has flavour and the staff seem interested in helping you enjoy the experience. I've yet to have a bad or even average dish there. A little expensive mind you.

Rock-a-Nore Kitchen has been consistently good with quite a few excellent dishes and very friendly service. It can be hard to get a table if you don't book well in advance. The one downside if the smell of cooking will stick to your clothes so dress accordingly.

Old Town Fryer for good old seaside fish and chips is my current favourite - so much flavour.

Whites Seafood and Steak Bar is a good place for most seafood - many a good portion of mussels and wine was had there.

Dragon (on George St) has some good bar food and makes for great people watching in the evening.

Further out West in St Leonards (my neck of the woods) I can recommend Kassa on the sea front for their Persian dishes (not hot but full of flavour) - but closes at 6pm I think. Half Man Half Burger is a really good burger joint, even if it is hipster central. Pizzarelli make a very nice pizza at a good price - I get these delivered far too often...
As for fish and chips - I can't really recommend any as they have all been bland, but the best of the bunch is the Blue Fish on London Road.
Goat Ledge Cafe right on the sea front is OK but the location makes it worth it on a hot day.
None of the local curry houses or Chinese takeaways have been notable so I can't recommend any.

Looking at this list I now realise how much I spend on food so I'm off to do some work so I can afford to keep it up LOL

Iain

[cbe]

The reason I didn't mention The Crown was because I thought it a bit too trendy - bit trying too hard to be different.

[number9]

Went to the Pigs Palace at White Rock on the sea front last night about 5pm with 2 others. Lots of space, we were the only ones there. There was agreement that the food we ate was better than what we had had the previous week at Wetherspoons.
It used to be called Pig in Paradise before it became Pigs Palace. Now it will be a pub no more as the lady behind the bar says it will close next week as the owner wants to sell the building.

[seahermit]

Not a great loss, that one. Yet sad and strange - they are in a prime location, a lot of passing trade to be had, lovely position looking out over the sea, plenty of interior space to create a comfortable atmosphere - yet for years nobody has managed to make the Pig work, attract more than a few desperate customers.

I think one reason is that that whole stretch of White Rock is seen as shabby and rundown, several long-boarded-up units. Needs some injection of money and imagination!

[Richard]

I agree seahermit, for a prime location along the whole seafront there is surprisingly little on offer.