The Tin Drum - Hove

I have recently moved to Hove and had heard that a good place for atmosphere and fresh food was the tin drum on second avenue.

On entry we were greeted warmly and offered a table for dining. We opted to go to the bar first to soak up the atmosphere. well what a good range of drinks as I am partial to a neat single malt, the lady behind the bar was very knowledgable and steered me in the right direction.

Once we were ready to eat, we were seated at a well laid out table. Offered apparantly the nemw summer menu comprising of land, sea and field options, very trendy.

The food that we ordered was not short of perfect. All in all an amazing experience, would recommend to anyone.
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justin brooke
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Wednesday, May 18, 2011

We went to the Tin Drum in Hove after friends told us how good the food was. The vibe was great, food was as our friends described, delicious and well priced even the service was good. Was set to have a few glasses of wine during the afternoon until the incence sticks were lit. The smell was awful and husband could not stand the overpowering odour. That and the monotonous drum and base music sent us scurrying away to look for drinks elsewhere. What a pity because other than that this is a really cool place.
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Miss Leeds
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Sunday, April 17, 2011

This is a very happy cheerful restaurant near Seven Dials - with excellent food. I lliked the old crubbed wooden tables without cloths and we all agreed that not only did we have an excellent lunch - but it was great place to bring - as we did - friends with children. The restaurant was pretty full and there were other families with children.

I suppose I should say if you want a quiet lunch this may not be the place for you - but if you like good food, smiling staff, wooden tables and good atmosphere I would say you'll enjoy the Tin Drum.
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sally cedar
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Friday, April 08, 2011

The recent refurbishment at the Tin Drum in Hove drew us in for another look after years of championing these family owned restaurants in The Juicy Guide. On a recent winter's evening, the cool clean interiors were warmed by the glow of low lighting and it felt homely, comfortable and interesting. The wine glasses, beautifully clean on the tables and next to the bar, picked up the light and cast a lovely sparkle across the room. They are unusually shaped and add to the sense of original and cool interior design. The battered books on the shelves and the bric-a-brac gave the feel of a place that is cared for and suggests that the people who run it are interesting and care about their clientele. The glittery lights outside on the terrace even lent Hove a rather Parisian feel.

The menus gave the immediate impression that this was a classy place and that food is important here. The manager explained that much of the food is grown by the owners at their small-holding near Hailsham or sourced from a local farmers' network. I opted for the vegetable dish of the day, a plate of flat mushrooms with pistachio filling with tomato salsa and roots. Jed chose a yummy stilton risotto, both of which were sublime. The substantially filled ramekin of balsamic vinegar and olive oil to accompany our warm bread and olives suggested that the place is run by people who love to dunk their bread in good oil! Puddings were enormous but beautiful both to eat and admire

, and the coffee was perfect . With the bill not excessive at around £60., this is a lovely find where the sourcing of the food is as original and eclectic as the interior design.
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Gilly Smith
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Saturday, January 08, 2011

Just had my second meal in the Tin Drum, Hove in the last month.

Service was totally indifferent and we waited half an hour for our breakfast. Admittedly it was c12.15pm on a Saturday but there were only two other customers. The breakfasts one cooked meat and one vegetarian meal were served with processed white bread and were not very appetising.

Staff were not very friendly and no one thought to ask how our meals were, or to see if we wanted any more drinks.

My previous visit was for a business lunch and the service was much better and we had two great main courses and then two incinerated crumbles for dessert. The crumbles were inedible and we left them pretty much untouched. When I mentioned this to the man presenting the bill the response was that the waiter thought that the crumbles were OK to serve as though they came out the same dark brown colour, he thought that they were meant to come out like that". No refund or offer of replacement unburnt crumbles was made.

Regret to say after a second chance we will not be returning.
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Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 4
Saturday, December 18, 2010

I go to the tin drum regularly, and find it has exceptional service even at their busy lunch hours, and the food is immaculatly presented and is a pure delight to consume.
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barbara j
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, March 24, 2010

First impressions - Good atmosphere although staff seemed slow to introduce themselves. Both sets of windows were wide open making the dining room cold and reasonably uncomfortable

Staff - The Australian waiter was excellent and really tried hard to make our meal the best it could be. He was attentive and engaged with the children. He wad excellent in every way

The food - These were all excellent (although courgettes slightly overcooked) and very tasty

The mains and the kids meals followed and these again were superb. The steak was excellent and superbly tender the belly pork was very well cooked and well over the £6.95 price tag. The meat balls were good if a little cool and the sides of chips were perfect. Great food with an excellent price for all dishes. A fabulous steak under £10.00 is a real find

During our meal the staff left us alone and I thought we should have been sold more drinks or just a chat about the food. The Australian waiter (who was not our waiter) seemed interested on us after our meal and did engage with us and the kids.

Our party consisted of 4 adults and 4 children. All the adults were new to the Tin Drum as they had thought it was either too trendy or full of students. They were all impressed and have vowed to visit the other restaurants ad they have recently moved to the area.
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bill.murray - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Pretty awful. A shame - it used to be a great local. Slow service without a smile, average food. All a bit embarrassing as I hadn't been for a good six months and suggested it to friends. Give it a miss.
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Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 2
Monday, May 04, 2009

Sadly having had a good experience here before the whole thing has gone downhill. We went on Saturday afternoon. The menu has been dumbed down and the service was patchy at best. The medium rare steaks were well done and tough, the salads had no dressing, the burger was done to a point of being burnt as were the fries. Desserts were far too large and the brownies dry. Service was not attentive enough, we had to ask for dessert menus and one main dish from our party was served 5 mins after the others although to be fair an explanation was given. Like other reviewers, this place has so much potential, it is just poorly executed and needs some strong management and a good menu that can be delivered well.
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Ian
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 4
Sunday, April 12, 2009

There have been many bad things written about the Tin Drum in Hove some of which i agree with at the time they were written.

Staff were usually to interested in each other to recognise that customers were waiting.

But it would seem that the management have been working hard to rectify this the service still isn't fantastic but it is a vast improvement on previous years.

They also have a new chef, who i have to say cooks some amazing food - I really hope that this new team together with the new chef can turn this place around - it really does have so much potential - they just need to address a few service issues - and perhaps have a good look at some of the clientele.
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Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 6
Saturday, March 07, 2009