Hello friends,
Food, drink and film have long been intertwined – we’re thinking James Bond making a martini macho, the sweet silliness of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and The Menu taking dinner somewhere considerably darker. This week, we headed to Harbour Hotel to preview their immersive new Taste Film nights, which are launching from October. Let’s just say that Ratatouille proved very plate-friendly, and the delicious main course named ‘Rodent Rendition’ was, thankfully, lamb. Pulp Fiction is showing soon, and festive favourites are incoming. Keep an eye on our socials for dates!
Talking of Willy Wonka, it’s International Chocolate Day on 13 September, which lured us into a world of pure imagination taking in MEO’s Chocolate Cheesecake, Dilsk’s chocolate ganache, the chocolate and Baileys truffle at Petit Pois, and Wild Flor’s Pump Street chocolate mousse with olive oil and sea salt. A moment on the lips, a lifetime of being hip.
One-word wonders: Welcome Plates, and Irori
We’re digging the ‘does what it says on the tin’, one-word names of some of our city’s restaurants – see Tutto (all, or everything), Shaanxi (after the Chinese province), and Majahma (state of joy). So welcome to the scene: Plates, which (you guessed it) offers small plate dining with what they call “no rules, no fuss, just good food;” and Irori – an authentic Japanese food truck (named after the traditional cooking hearth) coming soon to a pitch near you!
Oh, and we sent Steffan to another mononymous wonder, Embers – expertly named for their wood-fired cooking – to discover their “high-octane small plates.”
Keep an eye on our New Openings page to discover fresh hotspots!
Go West: Worthing Food Festival is this weekend
Fancy a foodie day trip? Worthing Food & Drink Festival returns to Steyne Gardens on 12–13 September for a free weekend of street food, local producers, craft drinks, cooking demos and entertainment. Expect loads of stands, including The Old Bike Store’s craft drinks; fresh, fluffy Dutch mini pancakes by The Proffertjes Kitchen; and, erm, desserts with a twist from Thai Stir Fry Ice Cream.
Discover our Worthing food guide
Eat Easy: Accessible Restaurants
Dining out should be for everyone so if you, or someone you know, uses a wheelchair or has limited mobility, our guide to accessible venues can help take the guesswork out of choosing where to eat. Five to bookmark: The North Star has a stairlift and accessible loo; Rockwater’s spaces are accessible via lifts or direct ramp; Stem is step-free throughout; Shelter Hall has a lift and accessible toilets; and Al Duomo has ground-floor access and an easy-to-reach loo.
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The Vibe: On our Radar
Purezza’s monthly Big Vegan Quiz launches on 15 September. Get a team together to show off your music, food, film and vegan knowledge! Book here.
We’re one week into the new autumn menu at etch. It runs until the end of October, so reserve your table sharpish.
Negroni Week sips into action from 21 September – we’ll be covering the best places to celebrate in next week’s newsletter – but a heads up that booking is open for Cin Cin’s Negroni Masterclass on 17 September.
Due to popular demand, Artelium is continuing its fabulous Fire & Wine nights throughout September.
Editor’s Picks
Today! Wild Flour Pizza is offering free garlic and mozzarella bread for all collections over £30. (Check out our video-visit here!)
Also from today: Wild Flor’s autumn small plates menu returns, and there are extra treats involved!
MEO is now open late every Thursday to Sunday, 4pm – 9pm, for Mexican Kitchen evenings serving up tasty, generous plates full of fresh ingredients, and a new menu of cocktails.
Hove Place’s Head Chef has let the kitchen team make the call on their new menu, and it’s proving to be a scrumptious decision!
RB Diary
Torsten is trotting off to try Fatto a Mano’s new ‘La Ribelle’ – their first ever pepperoni pizza. Months in the making, it’s special with a capital P. And every member of Fatto Pizza Club who books a table during the first week of the Pizza & Cocktail event (running until Sunday 13 September) will be entered into a prize draw to win a Fatto-hosted trip to Milan!
Emma is celebrating Lewes’s visual arts scene by visiting the Artwave festival, which runs until 20 September. (Check out our guide to Lewes pubs here!)
And Jude is loving Poco in Alfriston, which relaunches roasts this Sunday after the summer break.
Yours, immersed in chocolate,
Torsten and Team RB x