Blanch House

We stayed at Blanch House recently - The food is unbeatable, really fresh and staff are were friendly. We were warmly welcomed, invited for cocktails in the evening and felt really comfortable - If you are wondering where to stay in Brighton you should definitely try Blanch House it comes top of our list and we have been coming to stay in Brighton for many years so are in a good position to comment. Thankyou Chris and Amanda.
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Anna
Thursday, July 03, 2008

After living in Brighton for a good few years I can honestly say that whether eating or drinking this is one of my all time favourites and although its not cheap, the quality of food and service makes it great value (i think its about £30 for 3 courses).

Good on the restaurant manager for the response he gave to one (ridiculous) review, the food is sublime and the wine list larger than many around these parts - and thats coming from an sommelier!

Keep up the good work- everyone should try this place its excellent.
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louise
Wednesday, June 11, 2008

I went to Blanch House with my wife yesterday evening and had a fantastic time. It was my first time, my wife had been a couple of times before and suggested we go there for our first wedding anniversary.

Our table was booked for 8.30 and arriving promptly we asked if we could have a drink in the bar first. Everything was very relaxed.

What followed was in my opinion the best meal I have had in Brighton and also the best value and absolutely the best service. The staff were all very friendly, courteous and couldn't have been better.

The food was fantastic and I recommend anyone to go there and experience it and for £32 a head I think it offers great value.

My only initial gripe was that my first choice main and wine selection were both unavailable but what I got as second choices more than made up for everything. I shall be going again, regularly and need not a special occasion.
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Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Surely the reviewer below could not have eaten at the same restaurant.

The food at Blanch house is fantastic - and i am a real food lover!!!

A selection or 3 to 4 of each course is plenty to choose from in a restaurant like this you would not expect more maybe from an Italian or Chinese place you get a wider choice but this is a well balanced menu with dishes for veggies and meat eaters as well as us fishies.

for started I had a chilled cucumber soup served with a cured salmon on the side a delicious fresh dish which was perfect on a warm evening. My husband had the duck terrine which he assures me was perfect (i don't eat meat) we each had a couple of glasses of chablis which which was a great wine, we often find wine served by the glass is substandard but this was not the case in Blanch House

Our mains were exceptional I had a roasted black cod in a sort of light soup/sauce of puy lentils, artichoke, sorrel, and green and black olives. It was incredible and resembled nothing i had sampled before. The chefs are innovative and obviously experimenting at great triumph.

My husband had the beautifully presented Rabbit which he enjoyed immensely.

We shared a delicate and flavorsome cherry and rose parfait which was served with tapioca something neither of us had eaten for years and it brought back fond memories.

Service was great - its a small restaurant without huge amounts of formal staff and you do have to wait longer than pizza express but then experience is so much more.

As for the shabby, it really is not that bad its not a new build chain restaurant which has no personality and an immaculate paint job so why compare it.
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Jade Hurd
Sunday, May 04, 2008

My wife and I ate at Blanche House last night and it was very dissapointing. We booked dinner for 9:30, later than we would have liked but that was the only time available. We were still waiting for our starter at 10:15 and it would have been later if I had not moved things along by asking why we were so late. I didnt get an answer by the way but we were shown to the table soon after, only to sit eating bread for 30 minutes. The cocktails were average but not over priced. The bar was overcrowded and uncomfortable. One of the most surprising aspects was the decor. If you looked at all closely it was shabby not shabby chic just shabby. One of the first things I noticed on entering was that the carpet was dirty as were the skirting boards. Now believe me I do not normally notice such things so they must have been bad. Worst of all and unforgivable was that the single male toilet wasn't clean and the tissue bin was overflowing onto the floor. Yuk! My starter was good, not warm enough, but good. However, I struggled to choose a main course I fancied from the very limited menu so my expectations were not high. It still managed to dissapoint. The house recommended wine I chose wasnt chilled enough and very ordinary. My wife was also very dissapointed by the way, particularly with the chewy(!) Dover Sole starter for which thier was a supplementary charge. Quite frankly it was rubbish. The service was neutral at best. We were still hungry at the end. Bland House we have renamed it this morning. Why so popular? Hype that is all it can be. Surely it is not only us that could see the king had no clothes.
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Steve Kinder
Sunday, March 30, 2008

My partner and I went to Blanche House under recommendation from a good friend of ours who is also a head chef.

The previous reviews of Blanche House are very dated, the most recent being back in 2006.

I can firmly say that we had a wonderful evening.

Blanche House is comparable to Doctor Who's Tardis. A little doorway tucked down a tiny street in Kemptown, but as you walk into the bar you have an incredible little cocktail bar laid out before you. The cocktail menu has all the classic and a wide selection of new and interesting mixes, but fear not there is no sign of a slippery nipple or sex on the beach.

After a very well made cocktail we were taken right through to the back of the building (which seems to go on forever!), into a very stylish little dining room, very intimate and mainly candle lit.

The menu is not large but what it lacks in choice it makes up for in quality.

There is a choice of around three to four dishes per course, and the Chef has taken some risks which I am please to say work very well.

From reading the past reviews I think there must have been some considerable changes made both to the decor and the staff, who were polite and attentive and dressed in black shirts and trousers.

We made some inquiries about the food and produce, all the breads are made on the premises including the sun dried tomato bread rolls and even the muffins for breakfast! Which for me is a refreshing change when so many restaurants (certainly including some of the best in Brighton I know for a fact), bring produce in to save money.

For a romantic evening for two, or a little group of good friends that want something a little special I would highly recommend Blanche House, ignore the previous review they are very much in the past.

You will not be disappointed.
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Joe Stewart
Monday, March 10, 2008

I have been to Blanch House a number of times over the past few months and have always enjoyed it. The cocktail bar is great and the food is excellent and takes a reasonable time though is not fast - but this is not a fast food place!

There often seems to be space though which surprises me.
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Stefan
Thursday, January 03, 2008

We had a really romantic time at blanch house, sumptuous food, delicious cocktails, attentive staff & comfortable, innovative surrondings. i guess it's not to everyone's taste but it worked brillantly for us!

special thanks to the lovely restaurant staff!

Lucy
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lucy
Sunday, November 11, 2007

I live in Brighton and am a big foodie who loves nothing more than going to a restaurant and being completely looked after and Blanch house is a place I go to regularly and I am never dissapointed. I recently took advantage of the 'Brighton food festival offer' - Sunday Roast for £10 throughout the whole of September, and yet again it exceeded my expectations.

Well done Blanch house and all the staff that make it work!
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Tuesday, September 11, 2007

I couldn't disagree more with the negative comments regarding Blanch House (and no, I'm not being paid by the owners to say that). I took my French fiancee and his parents to Blanch House last Thursday. The French are well-known to be a discerning lot (read that as pain in the backside some of the time) when it comes to food.

Granted, we waited a long time for our table, but that was my only complaint. Vincent, the restaurant manager, was in his element speaking his native French which made them feel right at home. He was extremely helpful, knew his stuff when it came to the wine and spent just the right amount of time making sure we knew what dishes we wanted and even putting up with me changing my mind about 103 times.

The food arrived quickly, and it was beautiful. The presentation was great and I have to say that my risotto starter was so perfectly cooked I almost wept into my napkin. Three courses of impeccably cooked food and two bottles of very nice wine later, we left. Full without being about to burst, content of tummy and mind. No, Blanch House isn't cheap. But I'd rather save up and eat here once a month than eat at Donatello once a week. The French prounounced it 'tres bon' and I said 'That was proper lovely'. All in all, a fantastic dinner, and first-class service from Vincent.
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Juliette
Thursday, September 06, 2007