Having been extremely busy at university (and looking like I'm going to get even busier), my boyfriend and I found ourselves with the luxury of a whole day together of doing absolutely nothing.
We don't really do 'date nights' as we try to save money, so usually he will cook dinner and we will stay in. But I knew I wanted to make the most of what may be the last full day together for a long while.
I have walked past Riddle and Finns more times than I can possibly remember, and every time I go "That looks nice, we should go there". Obviously, we never have...until today.
There are two in Brighton; one in the Lanes and the other on the seafront. We opted for the Lanes and I'm so glad we did. It's a lot smaller and more private, with seating for about thirty covers. The seafront one is perfect if you're looking for a more bustling atmosphere, but it was nice to sit back and watch the world go by.
The kitchen is open too, and you know I love an open kitchen. Think I scared the waiter a bit though...
Lunch by candlelight...still romantic, I think.
Upon arrival we were greeted with the best bread basket I've ever seen.
Thick, crusty white bread with butter, Tabasco, horseradish, garlic mayonnaise and mackerel pate.
The mayonnaise and pate were definitely the winners for me.
We both decided to have the set lunch menu, which was 2 courses for £12.95 or 3 courses for £15.95.
The boy chose the salmon and beetroot gravlax.
It sadly did not live up to its beauty and my boyfriend immediately regretted not ordering mine. He told me it lacked seasoning and I agreed. It could have been a lot better.
But my whitebait was truly magnificent.
Perfectly crisp and golden with amazing flavours. Served with garlic mayonnaise...what else?
Moving onto mains, I was already feeling my stomach swelling. The portion sizes here are truly huge, especially for the price.
My boyfriend had the seafood mariniere, which he said really made up for the disappointing starter.
Plus we had this fellow to keep us company...
Not only was he incredibly friendly, but he tasted excellent too, along with his beautiful variety of shellfish friends.
I had the cod, with new potatoes, bacon lardons and mange tout.
Although I like cod, it is quite a bland fish to work with. I think the chef did well with it and the flavours were right up my street. Perfectly buttery & seasoned.
For dessert, we had the chocolate fudge cake.
Nice enough, but I wouldn't describe it as a 'fudge cake' so much as a simple 'cake'. However, it tasted nice enough and we wolfed it down. The ice cream and chocolate sauce were absolutely delicious.
Feeling particularly stuffed, we asked for the bill which came to around £35, including service charge. I thought this was pretty good considering the amount of food we had and the beautiful atmosphere. The manageress was also extremely friendly and accommodating.
If you're ever in Brighton and you fancy something fishy, head over to Riddle and Finns. Wonderful value for money, especially their set lunch menu. However, I found myself extremely jealous of some of the other food that was coming out of the kitchen, so maybe next time I'll order a la carte.
We spent the rest of the day ambling around town and buying a few bits we needed. I also pre-ordered the Benefit Advent Calendar; something I was really looking forward to until I received pretty appalling service from the counter girls. I really felt like I was a bit of a nuisance before they knew I was going to spend £60. But there you go.
In the spirit of seafood, I'll leave you with this;
What is the difference between a piano and a fish?
You can tune a piano but you cannot tuna fish.
HAHAAHA. You're welcome.
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