Great First Impressions at The Better Half
You don’t get a second chance at first impressions, so you can imagine my stress as I tried to think of where to take my friend Sarah for her inaugural pub dinner. A brand new Hove resident, she’s just moved down from London (haven’t we all), and I was determined to give her the perfect welcome to her new neighbourhood.
Living in Brighton’s Preston Park, I was woefully ill-equipped for the task in hand, but thankfully the kind people at Restaurants Brighton suggested I try The Better Half pub in Hove. And I’m so glad they did!
Where else can you have dinner while a portrait of a dog in a bonnet gazes down at you from the ceiling?
As you walk through the doors it’s clear that this is no ordinary boozer. The Better Half has a unique blend of classic British pub decor mixed with eclectic touches like the tongue-in-cheek faux-Victorian style portraits hung on the ceiling, each overlaid with fun cockney phrases in gold text. The team obviously takes this whole pub business seriously. With intimate little enclaves and booth seating, they’ve masterfully created the kind of laid-back, friendly vibe I adore. As we settled into our booth I caught myself wondering why I’d never thought of putting pictures on my ceiling at home. Hanging art on the wall suddenly feels boringly hum-drum…
I Wanted to Eat Everything on The Menu
After spending some time picking out our favourite portrait (mine: the dog in the bonnet, obviously) we set to the serious task of deciding what to order. As I looked at the menu, I had the terrible realisation that I wanted to eat everything listed in front of me. We needed tactics, but we needed a drink first. This was not to be rushed.
As I sipped on my crisp, perfectly-chilled glass of Picpoul, we debated the options for starters. Salt and Pepper Broccoli florets sound intriguing – we have to have them. And some potted mackerel? Always! I tried to convince Sarah that we should probably also order the Korean BBQ Chicken Wings, Grilled Goat’s Cheese Wheel (cheese is always a good idea), and maybe the white bait since we’re right by the beach. She reminded me that we still had our mains to come and that there’s no way we could manage five starters between the two of us. After much deliberation, we settled on the Salt and Pepper Broccoli and Potted Mackerel to start.
Mind-Blowing Broccoli
When our starters arrived, I knew we were in for a treat. Both dishes were stylishly presented and topped with delicate micro-herbs. I went for the Salt and Pepper Broccoli florets first. As I took a bite into the perfectly crispy batter I was greeted with an explosion of flavour. Describing this batter as Salt and Pepper was underselling it. There was an aromatic quality to it, hinting at the flavours of India, partly thanks to it being studded with toasted onion seeds. And the broccoli was cooked to perfection – plenty of bite and worlds away from the soggy over-cooked abomination we all suffered at school. Dunked liberally into the sriracha-mayo it was – quite simply – delicious, or as Sarah put it, ‘enough to make you go veggie’.
We moved on to the Potted Mackerel which was served in a mini Kilner jar, on a rustic wooden board, and surrounded by toasted sourdough. I piled some onto a hunk of toast and tucked in. Smokey and creamy, it had a slight citrus kick and a hint of an elusive herb I couldn’t quite identify. I suppose I could have asked our friendly waitress, but I enjoyed not knowing. Now you’ll just have to try it yourself to find out.
On the edge of the plate was a little pile of pickled red cabbage. It was sweet, sharp, cumin-y and cut through the rich creaminess of the mackerel perfectly. The Better Half kitchen absolutely knocked it out the park.
On To The Mains
Unlike the agony of deciding on our starters, choosing our mains was easy. The couple next to us were tucking into a gloriously gigantic portion of fish and chips. That settled it, Sarah was getting the same. And for me, it had to be the chicken burger. I’m a firm believer that you can always judge a pub by its burger. At Sarah’s insistence, I ordered a side of frickles. Never heard of them? Neither had I. They’re a deep fried gherkin and apparently not to be missed.
Our mains arrived and I eyed them nervously. The bar was set high. Could they compete with the starters? Only one way to find out. I took a bite of my burger and was relieved to discover it was just as good as their earlier offerings.
The burger sauce was dijon-heavy and delicious, the chicken crispy yet moist, the lettuce perfectly shredded, and there was more of that pickled red cabbage, adding a thrilling tangy hit to each mouthful. And the chips! Skin-on fries, seasoned to perfection and served in a silver bucket – a playful nod to the beach just a couple of streets away. Did The Better Half pass the burger test? Absolutely.
As for the frickles – Sarah was right – they’re not to be missed. The crispy, salty batter perfectly compliments the acidity of the gherkin. Calling all gherkin-heads, get yourselves down to The Better Half for a frickle, STAT.
But what about Sarah’s fish and chips? I stole a bite, and it was divine. The fish was light and flaky, in a perfect batter, and crispy, not greasy. It was served with a little bowl of lovely fresh peas. Purists will argue that they should have been mushy, but I think the fresh bite from the peas worked well, and the lightly grilled lemon on the side was a nice touch.
But what about dessert?
We were too slow and missed out! I’m haunted by what could have been – strawberry cheesecake, a raspberry posset, sorbet, and (whisper it) chocolate brownies or a delicious sounding cheeseboard. I suppose I’ll just have to come back and try them all. My stomach’s rumbling already at the thought. Table for two tonight, please?