These days – with busy schedules and demanding workloads – lunch can slip into the mundane and the artless, with most of us saving our efforts (and hopes) for the glamour of an evening dinner.
And when pretty avocado brunches just won’t cut it, I turn to Brighton for a hearty but refined Mum-and-daughter girl’s lunch.
Cue No. 32– by day, an elegant bistro where casual dining is the name of the game and by night, a lively and sophisticated bar, club and lounge.
With dark exteriors and name board in muted tones, No. 32 could easily be missed amongst its vibrant and quirky neighbours – but that’s all part of its urban charm.
Inside, it’s shabby-chic meets decadence. A chandelier-lit mezzanine takes centre stage in the sleek space and nods to archaic opulence adorn the walls, from Romanesque sculptures to dark-panelled pillars.
Despite its understated glamour, we found ourselves not intimidated, but greeted warmly at the door and seated window-side to watch the busy passers-by of 2pm Brighton.
First, what to drink. From the extensive menu, we chose the berry medley virgin cocktail (a little too early for the real stuff) – a refreshing blend of blackberry, cranberry and simple sugars topped with soda, so good you’d forget how innocent it is.
No. 32 offers a simply crafted but satisfying menu, ranging from brunches to chuck-steak burgers and Josper charcoal grills.
A welcome surprise to this classic steakhouse menu are several dishes spiked with Asian flavours, like the miso salmon and smoked mackerel with wasabi and pickled cucumber.
Along these lines, I ordered the teriyaki chicken with Asian slaw and hand-cut fries, while Mum chose the minute steak with roasted tomato, garlic butter and mixed salad.
The chicken was chargrilled in intensely sticky-sweet teriyaki, perfectly cooled by a chunky slaw of shredded red peppers, cabbage and carrot dressed in a light mayo. Fries were an adequate and neutral accompaniment, if a tad greasy.
The only caveat – the sauce. Thin and runny, it travelled the plate more than I cared for, soaking into the slaw and sacrificing its’ initial fresh crunch. A thicker jus or glaze would have therefore served its purpose in robust flavour but allowed the elements of the dish to remain distinct.
On the other side of the table, there was nothing but delight with the minute steak – and a fine cut seasoned and cooked to blushing pink needs little else to complete it.
Ideal for the busy Brighton-goer, the service was quick and friendly and though the lunchtime ambience lacked buzz, the evening scene promises it in abundance – offering not your bog-standard night out, but a sophisticated bar, lounge and Saturday Studio 32 events.
So while exceeding your run-of-the-mill lunch, No. 32 leaves me assured to book my space for dinner for an experience that really embodies the mantra:
EAT. DRINK. DANCE.
The Culinary Carousel 