Review of The Salt Room

The terrace at The Salt Room in Brighton - credit Beca B Jones

If there’s one Brighton born hospitality business that I can hand-on-heart say I have the utmost respect for its Black Rock Restaurants, writes Nick Mosley.

With around 15 years of trading under their belt, you’ll know them for iconic – and I don’t use that word flippantly – restaurants including The Coal Shed, Burnt Orange, Tutto, the recently opened Crazy Goose pub and – of course – The Salt Room.

It was to the latter that I merrily skipped with my vino pal Henry from Butlers Wine Cellar a couple of weeks ago to see what The Salt Room’s recent refurbishment has brought to the proverbial table. The more astute of you will probably have noticed that for months the venue – located under but completely independent of the Doubletree by Hilton Brighton Metropole – was a boarded up building site.

Having had a hard hat tour in the spring, its easy to see why the refurb took so long. Not only is the site heritage listed, the owners of The Salt Room wanted to considerably reconfigure the space including creating an expansive, theatrical open kitchen much like that found at The Coal Shed on North Street. The investment has certainly paid off as this is a seriously sexy eating and drink space.

Chefs table and pass at The Salt Room in Brighton - credit Beca B Jones

I’m sure many readers will have dined at this seafront eatery in the past. On a sunny summers day with a gentle breeze – despite the bustle of Kings Road – the terrace has long been one of the best outdoor dining spaces in the city. Unfortunately, said terrace was completely unusable during the winter months so some smart cookie architect has come up with the idea of horizontal sliding windows so now the beautifully decorated space can be used year round. It’s pretty cool.

Of course the main dining room is still there and there’s also a very cool chefs table space near the kitchen that I’m sure will prove popular. It’s also good to finally see solid doors on the private dining room for when I have an – ahem – power lunch meeting. Buy, buy! Sell, sell!

However, it was to the bar that Henry and I gravitated because I particularly wanted to experience The Salt Room’s new push to more inclusive, informal snacking and quaffing. With the mise-en-scene of the hand painted blue and white wall tiles, this area has definitely got a distinct vibe of a Portuguese petiscos or Galician pinchos bar.

Naturally – for me at least – a bone dry gin martini with a twist and a look over the menu. Although not wildly pricy, for a number of factors fresh seafood is a bit of a treat when dining out especially when its top quality and sustainably fished, which it most definitely is at The Salt Room. Small plates – perfect for a light bite or to share over a glass of wine or two – are mainly in the £10-15 price bracket. Mains are £20-40 with a few more expensive platters. Its not just fish – there are also some meat and vegetarian options plus plenty of gluten free choices.

Our grazing selection took the form of two small dishes and The Salt Room Seafood Tower, the latter of which I guess is the restaurant’s signature dish.

Henry quickly devoured a couple of rye toasts loaded with Cornish crab and wonderful slightly tart lemony crème fraîche. Although I don’t eat bread I was sorely tempted to throw caution to the wind with this dish. It certainly would’ve made a great light lunch on its own.

The Salt Room Seafood Tower - credit Beca B Jones

But as someone who avoids wheat like the plague, getting my choppers around truly gluten free fried fish is a challenge however I’m pleased to report that not only is The Salt Room’s beer battered fish a gluten free coating but also there’s no cross-contamination in the fryer. This was basically a whopping supremely light and crispy goujon. Plated on a shiso leaf that lended a fresh herbaceous note, slightly acidic but sweet pickled red onion and a tangy ranch-style dressing, this very rounded and intriguing dish was far from what you’d find on Captain Birdseye’s table.

And so to the Seafood Tower, a very Instagrammable, visually impressive two tiers of seafood on ice that undoubtably is designed to be a talking piece. Four oysters, tuna sashimi, crab salad, raw sea bass, clams… all supremely fresh with distinct yet unified flavours and textures. Having visited San Sebastián a couple of months back, one of my favourite pinchos made an appearance – a skewer of anchovy, pickled green chilli and olives. And lo and behold, a couple of shooters of The Salt Room’s twist on a Canadian Caesar made with oyster liquor rather than traditional clam liquor but mighty fine. I was drinking this by the bucket in Toronto last month so great to see the Brighton finally embracing the drink.

Its a wonderfully showy, decadent sharing platter with the wow-factor however for £70 I think it could’ve done with a few more oysters or similar.

As with sister restaurants Tutto and The Coal Shed, there’s also a set lunch menu that’s available Monday to Friday from noon until 3pm with two courses for £20 or three for £25. It includes both the Cornish crab and battered fish that we enjoyed as starter options, and its a great intro to The Salt Room experience.

Ten year’s down the line, The Salt Room absolutely holds its own at the top of the restaurant game in Brighton.

The Salt Room, 106 Kings Road, Brighton BN1 2FU

01273 929488 • www.saltroom-restaurant.co.uk