Natalie Brook

Meet Restaurants Brighton Reviewer, Natalie Brook

I'm Sussex born and bred and since moving to Brighton 18 months ago have been eating my way around the city's culinary top (and not so top!) spots. I love to cook as much as I love to eat, and as a vegetarian am always on the look out for my next new recipe or enticing menu.

Which is your favourite restaurant in Brighton, Hove or Sussex and why?

It has to be the vegetarian institution, Terre a Terre.

I first visited as a pre-veggie teenager and was bowled over by the innovative use of ingredients and beautiful presentation.

That experience stuck with me for years, and I still get excited little flutters every time I visit.

A close and more recent second is Silo - I love their ethos and my claim to fame is to have eaten the first Silo breakfast served shortly after they opened in 2014!

Which is your favourite food dish or genre of cuisine and why?

I've been vegetarian for 6 years - sustainable eating is really important to me because of the impact it has on people and planet. I love the flavours of Asian inspired food and have been lucky enough to to travel a lot around the region, tasting amazing food and picking up inspiration for my own cooking.

What areas are of great importance to you when you visit a restaurant?

My eyes zoom straight to anything veggie on a menu and I think you can tell a lot about a restaurant by the vegetarian options it provides.

I've eaten so many delicious plates that my heart sinks every time I see the words 'mushroom risotto'.

Which is your favourite well-known chef and why?

Ottolenghi is a long term favourite - his vegetarian dishes are delicious and make fantastic use of a range of ingredients. I also get inspired for my own cooking by food blogs - a current favourite is Deb Perelman's Smitten Kitchen.

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