Food review: Coppa Club in Brighton has a new Christmas menu

Brighton Square has always been a bit of an oddity. Set in the midst of the popular Lanes, it has always been a place to walk through to get to somewhere else rather than to stop and enjoy. Even the fountain and dolphin statue have failed to attract the thousands of visitors who come to this part of Brighton every year. Until now. With the regeneration of the area and the opening of a restaurant that really does cater for all tastes and budgets, it is now very much on the list of places to go when in this part of the centre of Brighton.

The popular igloos outside the Coppa Club in Brighton

The Coppa Club has erected four igloos outside their restaurant which now cover the whole of the outside area. They are large, seat eight and welcome visitors with tasteful decoration and, more importantly in the coldness of a winter evening, an efficient heater. They are good fun - your own private dining area where you can look out onto the passing world while curling up under one of their all enveloping rugs. It’s cosy.

The main restaurant has also had a make-over. Waiting for your seat next to a roaring real fire, comfortable armchairs and designer rugs is perfect for a cold December evening. I want my living room at home to look like this. This feeling of comfort extends into the inside eating areas where they haven’t tried to cram too many tables and chairs but instead have arranged the furniture to add to the feeling of space and comfort. It’s a good place to be.

The festive dining room at the restaurant in the Lanes

We are dining in one of the igloos. The menu is varied and, like the interior, they haven’t tried to cram too much on it. We start with home-baked bread delivered in a warming brown paper bag with a bowl of olive oil. Prawns with garlic, chilli and parsley on top of toasted sourdough bread moistened by fragrant oil and a portion of garlic bread do much to ease the initial pains of hunger and prepare us for the main course. Hand-picked white crab meat with capers, chilli and anchovies on linguine are simply delicious, and my medium steak with truffle sauce is the same. It’s all well presented and tastes good. It’s also reasonably priced.

We sit for some time watching the busy shoppers pass through the square, talking about the surrounding architecture and how far Brighton has come in the regeneration of areas such as this, enjoying the warmth and the ambience of the surrounding glow of soft lighting. The puddings arrive and disappear swiftly and we sink into our chairs with that wonderfully full feeling that only happens after eating great food in great surroundings. We are so comfortable - and warm - it’s hard to leave.

The food is well presented and tastes good

Unsurprisingly, the Coppa Club has created a seasonal Christmas menu to showcase its capability for providing food with a difference which includes kiln smoked sea trout, turkey and spiced roasted cauliflower, flourless chocolate cake and vanilla pavlova. Surrounded by subtle references to the festive season, this is really an enchanting place to be at this time of year.