Terre a Terre, Brighton

As part of my conference programme I had a choice of ten or so Brighton restaurants I could put my name down to eat in on the Wednesday evening. After much deliberation I decided to opt for something out of my comfort zone however a restaurant I was absolutely dying to try after hearing such glowing reviews.

'Terre a Terre' is an iconic Brighton restaurant which has been feeding locals are tourists alike (as well as a number of acclaimed reviewers) for 20 years. It is a restaurant which embraces vegetarianism to the highest degree, by not including any meat on the menu at all, however speaking as a fully fledged carnivore I can completely agree with their mantra to for treat vegetable dishes with an air of 'indulgence rather than abstinence'.

Exterior of the Restaurant

Located just a few minutes walk from the Brighton Pier within the beautiful Lanes area of the town centre it means the restaurant is extremely easy to find. Upon our arrival we were welcomed with a warm and friendly smile, which was lovely considering the rain didn't seem to have the same sentiments when we walked over from Horatio's Bar on the Pier!

Being a non-vegetarian I have to say I was completely overwhelmed by the huge descriptions following each of the dishes. I have to admit I kind of just went for the first couple which took my fancy immediately, and asked the waiter - who was extremely helpful, if they were a good choice!

N.B. I have to admit, the lighting within the restaurant was perfect to create a romantic ambiance, but absolutely terrible for taking photos so I do apologise for the quality of the images, they really do not do the meal justice at all...

Brighton Blue Beats

After some delicious bread and dipping oils, I opted for the starter called 'Brighton Blue Beats'. The menu described this as; 'Blue cheese and Grana Padano gnocchi with pickled crimson and golden beets and carrots, raw candy beetroot, fresh Brighton blue cheese and candied walnuts finished with sage oil, apple balsamic beet dressings, butternut squash cream, blue cheese emulsion, coriander and red amaranth micro leaves and sage salt'....(told you the descriptions were a bit of a mouthful!)

The starter itself was incredible. Visually, flavour-wise and texturally it was just perfect. I can't even imagine how they balanced so many flavours together and made everything taste divine. The earthy blue cheese - sourced from the local High Weald Dairy, matched the sweetness of the apples, butternut squash and beetroot effortlessly. Another thing worth mentioning is how generous the portion size was - I shared this plate of food, and much to my joy I actually felt full at the end of the meal, so it's definitely worth considering, either way I definitely wouldn't miss out if I were you!

Elvis Jaffle

After an excellent starter my expectations were sky high, and I have to admit (due to the lengthy descriptions to each dish) I couldn't even remember what I'd ordered! The only thing which stuck with me was the name: 'Elvis Jaffle', and that was intriguing enough for me to be extremely excited! I have since learnt that a 'jaffle', is in fact a toasted sandwich which explains why the main component of the dish was a fried sandwich crammed with mozzarella, pine nut butter, caper basil hash and tomato and capsicum jam. This was served with ratatouille, fresh burrata (an Italian cheese made from mozzarella and cream), Cabernet confit, salt baked heritage tomatoes (with basil oil), bloody Mary gel, pine nut basil, puffed rice granola, olive sizzles - stuffed with lemon ricotta, lemon fennel, wood sorrel baby basil salad, and a teeny tomato consume with olive salt...Pheeeew!

At a risk of repeating myself there is no need to tell you how fantastic this dish was...however there were a few stand out components which were incredible. One of which was the tomato consume (not pictured), it was perfectly clear, and the flavour of fresh vine tomatoes danced off your tongue like nothing I have every tasted before! The other component I absolutely loved was the stuffed olives...the lemon and creamy cheese worked so well with the distinctively unique olive flavour and really stood out next to the perfectly nutty creamy pine nut butter.

Sweet Sixes (better than petit fours)



I was actually very full, much to my surprise, but I couldn't leave without sampling one of their desserts so I opted for their version of Petit fours called 'Sweet Sixes'. As part of the dish I had a salted caramel, and regular truffle, as well as filled meringue, almond nougat and some kind of gooey chocolate bloc!

This was a lovely idea to be served with coffee at the end of the meal, and each of the bite size treats were lovely (especially the salted caramel truffle), however I think I really should have gone with one of their beautifully presented desserts to finish the meal off with a bang...there will always be next time I suppose!

I have to say I was completely blown away with the quality of the food provided at Terre a Terre. From the presentation and portion size to the flavour combinations, and the excellent service, I only wish I lived closer to Brighton so I could take all of my friends and family! I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who wants to taste how unbelievably unique each vegetable can taste is given love and attention - I have to say, despite being an avid meat fan, if I had the kitchen staff cooking for me day in day out, I would most definitely consider becoming a convert!