If you’ve stepped outside your house in the last few years, you might have noticed that Brighton is spoiled for choice when it comes to Indian restaurants. But despite all the new names on the scene, Curry Leaf Cafe remains a steadfast favourite with locals and visitors alike.
As they enter their 10th year of slinging out incredible South-Indian street food, curries and, of course, some outstanding craft beer, we popped in for lunch to discover the three golden rules this Brighton-born restaurant follows to stay on top.
Rule 1. First Impressions Count
Whether intentional or not, the Curry Leaf Cafe has got a clever trick up their sleeve when it comes to pulling in hungry punters. If you happen to be walking along Prince Albert Street in the Lanes (as we were), you will smell the incredible Indian food long before you actually set eyes on the brightly-coloured restaurant on Ship Street.
After following your nose, you will find a vibrantly decorated, deceptively-long restaurant, filled with friendly staff, a well stocked bar and, of course, that incredible food that you could smell five minutes earlier.
Rule 2. Nail the Drinks Menu
Curry and beer? It’s a time-honoured combo which the Curry Leaf Cafe absolutely understands and delivers with finesse. There’s a reason these guys were voted the UK’s best craft beer restaurant in back-to-back years. The bar is stocked with some of the finest local beers and ciders around, all of which have been carefully selected to compliment the food.
To truly show off their love for the pints they’re pulling, they even offer a beer flight, allowing customers to try any three ⅓ pints to find your favourite. I, of course, could not resist this offering and enjoyed trying three exceptional draughts with my meal. While the house lager brewed by Crumbs Brewery using unsold naan breads had all the hallmarks of a classic curry-companion, it was the Curry Leaf’s very own IPA packed with flavours of tropical fruits pineapple and citrus which took the win in my humble opinion.
But of course, a truly good drinks menu needs balance and it’s hard to imagine that anyone could be disappointed with the options. We’re talking sweet and sour nimbu paani, creamy mango lassis, a range of spiced chais and teas and some exciting sounding cocktails, including a pink peppercorn spritz which will be tried on my next visit.
Rule 3. Serve Incredible Food – Every. Single. Day.
You’ve been welcomed by the warm and friendly staff, enticed by the vibrant interior design and you’ve whet your whistle with some gorgeous drinks. But there’s one reason above all that people have kept coming back to the Curry Leaf Cafe, day after day, year after year – outstanding Indian food. This is a restaurant that truly understands and celebrates the best of Indian cuisine, offering customers street food delights, rich curries, bountiful thalis, fluffy pavs, aromatic biryanis and their ever-popular loaded naan breads.
We kicked things off with some beautifully light and crispy aubergine bhajis with a sticky, rich roast tomato and chilli chutney and an overwhelmingly delicious mushroom manchurian coated in a sweet and sour IndoChinese sauce. It is not an understatement when I say I could have eaten a bucket-load of this.
Fortunately, they were fresh out of buckets which meant I had room for what came next; Beautifully tender Chicken Hariyali, spiced yoghurt, chutney and baby spinach piled onto a pillowy tandoor-baked naan bread and a monstrously large (and well-priced) thali platter with Paneer Makhani curry, flavourful biryani rice, veg pakora, aubergine bhajia, naan bread, daal, chutney and poppadoms. Totally delicious and absolutely outstanding value for money.
By this point in the meal, my eyes were starting to roll into the back of my head as I sank into a blissful curry-and-beer-filled-trance. Of course, if there’s one thing which will motivate me to unroll those eyes and focus, it’s a dessert menu. Courageously, I ignored my full stomach and ordered a ginger and lemon treacle tart with vanilla ice cream and was not disappointed. Buttery, crumbly crust and rich, toffee-like treacle topping was the perfect sweet ending to a truly delicious meal.
Here’s to the Next Ten Years
In a time when the cost-of-living is getting out of hand, the Curry Leaf Cafe is a beacon of hope which continues to serve generous servings of vibrant, delicious food at prices that won’t break the bank.
As the Brighton food scene ebbs and flows with new Indian eateries making their entrance and exit, Curry Leaf Cafe has firmly established its roots. They’ve honed their skills, carved out a niche and built an enviable reputation for outstanding dining which will comfortably see them through the next ten years of service. Cheers to that.
