The Real Eating Company

Surly service! AVOID THIS PLACE!

I used to love this place, but it's taken quite a plummet down hill. It's still good value for money and quite nice decor and layout. The food is often quite good, especially the cakes.

Nevertheless, I'll never go back again. The last few times, the polite, efficient service has been a bit cold and indifferent. That was alright until I went in today (August bank holiday, 2010).

My friend and I went in and ordered 2 lattes. When I got there (around 9:15AM), there were only 2 other customers there. We went to sit at the window seats and noticed that the table was wet and sticky. I very politely asked the fellow at the till for some napkins so I could dry off the table. He looked at me as if I were rubbish, although I thanked him politely for the napkins. When I got back to the table, my friend asked me if there were any reason that the fellow and the women at the till both sneered at me behind my back. That was the last straw, as I could not then possibly enjoy my latte.

I asked for my money back and left, after being further insulted by the fellow who denied what my friend and I had both clearly seen.

It's shocking to be treated like that anywhere, but particularly when you've given loyal, polite custom for nearly a year. I had previously given the place 5 stars on Qype. I need to see how to modify that now defunct review.
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Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 7
Monday, August 30, 2010

I consider myself to be somewhat of a past regular at The Real Eating Company. After moving away and coming back to Brighton a couple of months ago I was shocked at how much the Real Eating Company has gone 'down hill'.

To begin with I was told that I was not able to eat my eggs benedict in the delicatessen, I'd have to sit in the main restaurant, although after talking to the manager I found myself eating in the deli. What I was eating was another story, I ordered my usual eggs Benedict with Spinach. The Muffins resembled something you'd pick up from Tesco, the spinach was hideously overcooked , the sauce seemed microwaved, the ham was tasty however there was only a small amount, I understand portion control but really! The white wine was at the right temperature however it had been open for a day or two too long.

I liked the real eating company and hope it finds it's way back to its roots. I'll be eating in bills from now on.
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Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 4
Wednesday, March 03, 2010

Had 2 meals here, first was amazing, second was terrible. Burnt steak and undercooked chips!
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Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 1
Saturday, February 20, 2010

The real eating company is one of those places in Hove that you walk past and always say to yourself 'I must go in there' the appearance is brilliant and the food sounds delicious (if not a little overpriced)

Unfortunately, I now wish that I had not had a meal there as the illusion is spoilt.

Both the food and the drinks took a long time to arrive at the table and both were a let down for the amount my partner and I were paying. Admittedly we were dining on a Saturday at breakfast time, giving the restaurants busyness, the lateness and poor quality of food can be forgiven. The main issue my partner and I were concerned with was the patronising and obviously highly stressed manager. Her performance was that of an unprofessional. We will not be returning to the restaurant and will not recommend it to our friends.
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Ms Davidson
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 1
Saturday, December 19, 2009

My wife recently organised my 30th birthday party at the Real Eating Company in Hove and we had an absolutely amazing evening!

We booked the large table in the deli area upstairs which meant we had a private room and were surrounded by delicious cheeses and fun things to look at on the shelves which was a great treat.

The chef arranged for a special set menu for us, and everything was delicious. We all shared a selection of starters off the menu, including a charcuterie board, lovely chicken liver pate, and a very nice blue cheese and pear salad. Our main course was fresh grilled pollock and ratatouille, cooked to perfection and very flavourful. For dessert we had walnut tart topped with the creamiest ice cream (cinnamon) I have tasted in Brighton- to die for!

The staff were very friendly and attentive. We really appreciated that they and the chef made every effort to make us happy. In all it was a fantastic experience for a very good price, we will definitely be back!
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Simon H
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Wednesday, December 09, 2009

A nice enough place, the food was ok, most of the staff are pleasant but the manageress was very stressed and rude to her staff which was uncomfortable to watch. Made the whole experience unpleasant, we will not be returning.
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Paul James
Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 0
Monday, December 07, 2009

A group of us went to The Real Eating Company for breakfast recently and really enjoyed it. Great coffee, nice bread and jams, excellent fried breakfast (nice to see an Irish breakfast on the menu) and pancakes. Topped off with smiling, efficient service. This isn't the cheapest place you'll find and can get a bit cramped and hectic at weekends but it does what it says on the tin - good food, good service - and it's consistent.
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Kevin Johnson
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 8
Friday, September 11, 2009

I had been really ooking forward to visiting this restaurant and was treated to dinner here for a special occasion but was disappointed enough to not wish to come back unfortunately.

The surroundings are nice and the staff very friendly but we were disappointed not to have been advised that the smoked fish starter did not have one of its ingredients available. It took over 5 minutes to get the attention of a waitress to ask if it had been forgotten but to be advised that it had run out and we had been given more smoked salmon to compensate. This was unfortunate as the two of us were sharing the starter, with one to eat the missing ingredient (not being particularly fond of smoked salmon).

The fish stew chosen as a main course was really a boullabaise and therefore extremely rich (had I known this I would have chosen something else) and the flavour of the plaice chosen by the other party was sadly overwhelmed by the beetroot and capers covering it. The other elements of the meal, however, such as the delicious olives, bread, olive oil and new potatoes meant that we enjoyed our main courses until at just 10 pm we were disrupted by the loud noise of the rubbish bins being taken across the restaurant accompanied by some unsavoury smelling rubbish bins. This had happened to my partner on his previous visit also.

Whilst appreciating the necessity of the kitchen staff leaving for the night and merely doing their evening tasks it brought an abrupt end to the evening as we felt that it was an unsubtle way of getting us to depart. Our complaint regarding this was very well received in a polite and friendly manner but I doubt that this practice will cease as it will involve additional staffing costs for the restaurant.
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Katrina Heroys
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 7
Wednesday, September 09, 2009

I live not far from this excellent establishment. Even the coffee is fantastic. The service is very good and friendly apart from a slightly overenthusiastic young gentleman who's trying a bit too hard. I've eaten here many times, and although it is expensive, when you compare the quality of the food to the other places in Brighton, its worth paying that bit extra. Its worth going for the specials, although I did once have duck which I wasnt able to scape more than a mouthful off the rather skinny leg. No restaurant is perfect, but I think this one is definately one of the better ones in Brighton. It is actually nice to be around staff that actually enjoy working in the restaurant.
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Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 5
Thursday, December 11, 2008

I've been here on and off for the last couple of years and have had some variable meals and service. But, went for breakfast a few Saturdays ago and it was very good. Slick service, good food and a buzzy atmosphere. Only complaint was that the coffees took a while to get to our table.
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Alex Russell
Friday, July 18, 2008