Stuck on the List
As the editor of Restaurants Brighton, I’ve had the chance to live out quite a few of my foodie fantasies. But as my gluttonous commitment to local gastronomy never dims, there are always plenty of new experiences on my bucket list.
Some fly off the list almost as soon as they land. Others settle in like old friends, patiently waiting for the right moment. There’s rarely any sensible reason why some get stuck – it’s usually just happenstance or my own poor time management.
Sunday lunch at Embers had become one of those old friends. As the two-time BRAVOS Best Sunday Roast winner, it should really be on everyone’s list. And it was definitely on mine.
Obviously, now that I’ve been, I can’t believe I waited so long.
What You’ll Love
- A two-time BRAVOS Best Sunday Roast
- Incredible fire-cooked meats and seasonal sides
- Brilliant cocktails and a thoughtful wine list
- Family-friendly dining in the heart of The Lanes
- One of Brighton’s most memorable Sunday lunches
Bring Your Appetite
We’re a food-loving lot, and we take our Sundays seriously, and since I spend much of the year writing about the BRAVOS winners, I had a good idea of what to expect. I’d briefed the family, who responded by turning up suitably hungry.
We were delighted to find the large window table reserved for us. The summer heat was being carefully managed with some very swanky fans and everyone looked remarkably comfortable, surprisingly even the chefs cooking over fire.
Magic Mixology
I started with a glass of Italian rosé – the perfect opener to a summer lunch, with fresh berry notes and enough structure to hold its own.
That said, Embers is known for its award-winning cocktails too, so I encouraged my husband down that route. He’s American-ish and likes things spicy, so the Cadillac Jo’ Margarita 2.0 beat the Apple Pie Sour. Bright and properly punchy, it hit all the right notes.
My eldest daughter has reached that awkward in-between stage where mocktails land perfectly. Hers arrived crowned with an Embers signature smoke bubble. We were all utterly mesmerised, and bar manager Val patiently remade the bubble several times so we could all have a go at the pop. Magical.
The Warm-Up Act
We went light on starters but couldn’t resist the house sourdough with dripping butter, which is every bit as nostalgic and delicious as it sounds.
Alongside it came a BBQ brassica salad of smoked kale, whipped tofu and croutons. It’s a masterclass in flavour and texture and well worth ordering, even if you’ve come for the meat.
And let’s face it, while Embers serves mouthwatering vegetarian dishes (the coal-baked onion stuffed with sage and leek stuffing looks magnificent), it’s the meaty cooking over fire that draws most people through the door.
The Sunday Showtopper
The absolute star of the Sunday show is the Four Beast Feast, so that’s exactly what we ordered.
On advice, we shared three between the five of us, although if sharing isn’t your thing, Embers also offers children’s portions, making it a genuinely family-friendly place to eat.
The platters arrived piled high with roasted pork belly, beef sirloin, smoked lamb sausage and chicken leg. Every element had been cooked over fire with extraordinary precision. Crackling shattered, beef blushed pink, the chicken juicy and every bite enhanced by that unmistakable and totally irresistible smoke.
Alongside came piles of seasonal fire-roasted vegetables, skillet potatoes and a super silky cauliflower cheese purée that made every mouthful sing.
Everyone receives a towering Yorkshire pudding filled with burnt end jam – made from those glorious caramelised nubbly bits. In my view this stuff is worth a booking all on its own.
The team also persuaded us to add unnecessary but unmissable pigs in blankets and stuffing balls. A generous jug of hot, rich, savoury gravy tied everything together in lashings (couldn’t resist it) of glorious umami joy.
Dinner and a Show
One of the unexpected pleasures of Embers is watching the chefs work in the ‘fire cage’. Yes, it’s theatrical, but what really struck me was the calm concentration. Anyone who’s ever cooked a Sunday roast knows it’s all about timing. This is that times a hundred and it’s genuinely impressive.
Everyone’s Happy
For dessert we shared the Rolo – a luxurious chocolate and caramel confection inspired by the childhood favourite – alongside Embers’ smoked Basque cheesecake, which was more grown up and every bit as lovely.
We couldn’t quite finish everything, the summer heat having dented our appetites. But we couldn’t bear to leave it, so manager Ilke and the team helped us box up the leftovers.
Our biggest takeaway wasn’t the roast, though. It was that we’d left it too long to visit.
Sunday lunch at Embers has won the BRAVOS Best Sunday Roast award twice. Did it deserve to? Absolutely.
