Oh, we do like to be beside the seaside, but on the other side of the Downs reside some proper nuggets that are worthy of the hop. The pretty village of Hurstpierpoint is easily accessible from Brighton by bus, train, car or even bicycle (for the sturdy of legs) and it’s less than ten miles away on a good day. Morley’s, a bistro in Sussex, manages to mix cutesy, cute beauty with city-standard sustenance, all wrapped up in a bright bow of chill-time atmosphere and good vibe flair. The team is on target with well-informed recommendations and are happy to impart their considerable menu, wine and cocktail knowledge, which guides us to the dishes and drinks designed to impress. Seasonal menus and souped-up specials are the name of the game here, and our man-in-the-know Ollie was spot on.
While you wait…
…has its own menu section and it’s worthy of attention. There are sautéed Padron peppers with lashings of sea salt and sun-kissed Sicilian olives, Morley’s homemade bread and Irish rock oysters. We opted for the latter two, and we can report that we’ve rarely seen such plumpness in oyster-land – there must be muscle-strengthening Guinness in the water along those shores – and they slip down deliciously with just a touch of tabasco and fresh lemon.
The in-house baked bread reminds you what real loaves should taste like – warm, soft, with a subtle sweetness that pairs perfectly with the infused oil and vinegar accompaniment.
We washed these dishes down with a shaker-sublime Cosmopolitan, and a summer-infused creation of fresh mint and strawberry gin, with a grin.
Crème de la crème at bistro in Sussex
We succumbed to some starters, too, eyeing the Moules a la crème, served in a medium-spiced cream and fresh tomato sauce which was perfectly sized to whet the appetite, and the Sautéed tiger prawns in a spiced N’duja and tomato sauce, topped with crumbled feta cheese, which was moreish with a capital M.
Tongue charmer mains at Morley’s
On the specials board was chalked two of my favourite foodie words: ‘Thai’ and ‘Monkfish’, and intriguingly served with a potato fondant, green beans and an almond and hazelnut topping. It was indeed special – delicately presented, moist and tender fish balancing on the potato with Asian spices that crept up through the sauce.
‘Pork’ and ‘belly’ are less favourite words because summer is almost here, but in food terms, they proved a winner. Slow roasted, with cracking crackling and accompanied by a potato and goat’s cheese croquette, cauliflower purée, roasted carrots and red wine jus, these are flavours that charm the tongue and satisfy the tum.
Showcase desserts at Morley’s, bistro in Sussex
Utterly satiated, desserts could have been denied, but as we discovered, they deserve a dive in. On special for our visit were an orange suet pudding with vanilla ice cream; summer plum mousse; poached pears with chocolate ice cream; and more. They were all, simply, a perfect way to end a truly delicious Morley’s meal. This place is a hit with the locals and shouldn’t be a Hurstpierpoint secret; we couldn’t recommend it more.
