Review of The Reading Room: "One of the most unique, visually exciting eating and drinking destinations in the city"

The Reading Room in Brighton

There’s been a lot of regeneration happening across Brighton and Hove’s seafront in recent years, writes Nick Mosley.

Sure, the Madeira Terraces structure remain an eyesore – and embarrassment that needs to be shared equally across multiple council administrations for their inaction and lack of investment over decades– but restoration is slowly but surely is happening.

The good news is that other sections of the seafront have very literally been reborn. Hove Beach Park is a stunning example of how public investment can not only improve the lives of residents but also give our visitors more places to explore, spreading the pressure from the central seafront.

That area, between the piers, will shortly see extensive structural renovations creating commercial spaces in the arches that are fit for the future whilst also reinforcing the busy A-road that sits above them.

And over in east, long forlorn Black Rock has finally found a purpose as a viable outdoor events space. Alongside Yellowave, Sea Lanes, Soho House and – I have to say as an avid amateur crazy putter(er) – some of the best mini-golf to be found in the UK.

The service counter at The Reading Room in Brighton

But it was to The Reading Room I headed on my most recent dining expedition – a self-professed dining ‘refectory’ – that sits on the seafront at the foot of Sussex Square.

Over the years this hasn’t exactly been the most salubrious areas of the city, especially of an evening. In fact I’d say it had become something of a no-go area. Yet in the past year – thanks to the council’s vision and more than a dollop of hospitality entrepreneurship – it has been completely revitalised with better planting schemes and the restoration of late Georgian and Victorian era heritage structures.

I was joined by my ever-dependable dining companion Little Miss Greedy Guts for a late lunch on a Wednesday at the start of July. I have to admit that I didn’t quite expect how busy The Reading Room would be at 3pm; it was absolutely packed inside and out with a really broad spread of diners and drinkers enjoying coffee and cakes, stacked open sandwiches and juices, cocktails and snacks and rather spectacular looking hot dishes that had been plated to within an inch of their lives.

The clientele is undoubtably varied with couples, friends and families all enjoying the ambiance and food. There was even a smattering of digital nomads with their heads in their laptops but I didn’t find that in anyway intrusive.

Burrata with roasted tomatoes and peppers at The Reading Room in Brighton

I’ll start inside – primarily as that is exactly where my perusing began. It's a very interesting space with soaring ceilings, double height windows and clearly a very well-considered interior design scheme that cleverly combines a sense of faded grandeur with sheer theatrical whimsy. A cornucopia of vintage furniture, decadent crystal chandeliers and aged patina mirrors, its contemporary retro chic rather – as it so could easily have been – Kemp Town camp frippery.

With eclectic stacks of artfully placed old library books, I’d summarise as a pastiche of Satis House if Dickens’ Miss Haversham had the wherewithal to get the cleaners in.

As the sun was high in the sky and a gentle breeze blowing off the channel, Little Miss and I decided that as deliciously decadent as the main dining room was, a table on the expansive outdoor terrace was the order of the day.

The terrace is covered with a very stylish, unobtrusive pavilion-style open sided canopy, providing shade from the sun – and more inclement British weather – and is a much more contemporary feeling space. There are sofas to lounge on but as dining was the order of the day, we pulled up a chair at one of the simple yet striking red metal tables.

The daytime menu – available daily from 8.30am – is very brunchy so a combination of breakfast items, toasted sandwiches, sharing plates and a cracking selection of decadent cakes and pastries. There is a different supper menu that runs from Thursday to Sunday from 5.30pm until last orders at 9pm, and a Sunday lunch service. Vegetarians and vegans are well catered for however due to the kitchen set-up they explicitly can’t guarantee allergen free options, although I had gluten free bread with my main dish and had no issues.

Scrambled eggs on toast with bacon on the side at The Reading Room in Brighton

Little Miss had her beady eye on the bruschetta of the day; in this case a very visually exciting stack of very flavourful roasted tomatoes and peppers with creamy burrata cheese on toasted bread. Although said bread was probably a little too toasted, it was undoubtedly a plate that delivered bang for your buck for £12.

For me, as this was first meal of the day, scrambled eggs on toast with tomatoes, spinach and an elevated sprinkling of toasted hazelnuts and feta, priced at very decent £14 for the portion size. I also added bacon as an extra, and for £3 I’m very pleased that I did as it was possibly the best I’ve had this year. Thick, moist, salty, porky… bring it on baby.

We also shared a salad of watermelon, cucumber and crumbled feta with pomegranate dressing (£12.50). Its a refreshing dish that has becoming increasingly popular in recent years, but to be honest I don’t think we need it as my single plate was more than enough for me. That said I did fish out all of the juicy watermelon and left the cucumber for Little Miss to munch on.

There’s a short but really well considered list of softs, hot drinks, wines and cocktails. House wines start at £4.25 a glass with coffees around the £4 mark.

The Reading Room is very, very ‘Brighton’ and certainly one of the most unique, visually exciting eating and drinking destinations in the city. Atmospheric, buzzing, unpretentious with great service, its an awful lot of fun. An absolute must-do for locals and visitors alike.

The Reading Room, Black Rock, Madeira Drive, Brighton BN2 1FY

01273 524 448 • www.readingroombrighton.co.uk