First on the list is Mange Tout, a very cool French cafe with a lovely interior. The friendly French owners have been very keen on details and it has been designed beautifully.
The menu is difficult to choose from only because everything calls to you; steak frites, moules, tartines, chacuterie platters, a whole section on eggs; omelettes, poached... and a plats du jour board with hearty beef bourguignon or lighter salads. They also have a nice drinks menu with organic fruit juices and pretty coffees.
However service, unfortunately, was sloooooooow. We waited an agonising 40 minutes for our food, so with the average hour-long lunch break in mind, it doesn't give you long to er, mange tout. Which was a particular shame as my practically raw steak tartine (£9.95) was the chewiest piece of meat I have had in a long time. I would have needed a generous hour to chop through this and about three months to digest.
As the steak was more suited to feeding time at the zoo, I picked it off and left it sadly uneaten. The caramelised onions and the horseradish sauce were very tasty and had the meat been any good, then it would have made for a winning sandwich.
The sourdough open tartines were a popular choice on our table and to be fair, the other ones looked much better than mine. The Forestiére tartine was a chicken in a cream open sandwich with a wine and shallot sauce and sauteed mushrooms. The omelette got a thumbs up and the salad was devoured. The table opposite us ordered eggs Benedict, with lots of glossy hollandaise which I feel the need to return for, possibly at the weekend when I have more time.
Mange Tout
81 Trafalgar St
Brighton BN1 4EB
01273 607 270
What a shame! I've been for brunch and the eggs benedict/florentine/royale, etc, were great and got enthusiastic thumbs up from all diners. So, perhaps it's more of a breakfast/brunch place than lunch.
ReplyDeleteI took photos to write a review, then got preggers, felt like death and lost all will to blog. Perhaps I'll post it now that I'm feeling alive.
I would say def give them a go for brunch if you're ever in the laines on a weekend morning.
That meat is very under done.
ReplyDeleteHaving watched Masterchef the Professionals recently, I know that it wouldn't have passed the test.
I like my meat to be pink, but not raw! I would have sent it back, even if I did feel very embarrassed about doing so.
It's such a shame, as one dish can let down a restaurant and your dining experience.
At least other thing things on the menu give you the confidence to go back.
@becci Yes worth a return
ReplyDelete@Cheeky Spouse I just couldn't do it - I waited for so long and didn't want to hold things up further. I only had 10 minutes to eat and pay as it was! Normally I am never embarrassed to send things back to the kitchen. Grr.
I ate here recently for the first time having wanted to try it out for a while. I thought the interior was nice and the contents of the menu seemed interesting however I think they need to go a little further to achieve what they aspire to. I too experienced slow service, my merguez and bean stew dish was a little flat, the beans were undercooked and could have easily been complimented by a hunk of fresh bread. Also my coffee was only just warm which is a bit of a rookie error. While this place succeeds in a number of ways I think some fundamental details are being overlooked. Despite this I remain keen to give them another shot. Never lose sight of the basics!
ReplyDeleteShame it wasn't upto scratch Fran. But on the plus side - lovely photos, got a new camera?
ReplyDeleteDan - No this place is glass fronted so the light was great. Normally my pics are taken in practical darkness! Am looking to get something better though.
ReplyDeleteTheir eggs Benedict (the Mange Tout variant) made with bacon instead of ham with tomato compote and wilted spinach was one of the best breakfasts ive had in Btn. the large free range yummy (loose) eggs were cooked to perfection.
ReplyDeleteWe paid a visit on a Saturday evening about the time The Great Escape festival was on, and had a really nice meal.
ReplyDeleteWe booked a table and sat at the back of the restaurant. The place wasn't too busy, artwork/photography filled the walls. Service was attentive; we ordered a bottle of their cheapest white wine (a lot of the wine; chablis/sancerre etc was out of our price range), and were given a amuse-bouche to tide us over until the shared platters of cheese and meats arrived. Very tasty, a feast in itself.
I can't remember what everyone else had, but my 3 lamb cutlets were spot on. It probably says something that we were the last to leave.
I visited a couple of months back with some friends. I went for the eggs Benedict and it was probably one of the best I've ever had. Am looking forward to going back again!
ReplyDelete