I tried TheWitchez - one of Brighton's highest-rated restaurants

Since June last year, it is also home to one of the city’s highest-rated restaurants, TheWitchez, after it relocated from its old site in Marine Parade to the former home of Choccywoccydoodah.

For one of the top ten best restaurants in the city according to reviews on Tripadvisor, TheWitchez does not give too much away from the outside, with blacked-out windows keeping the magic inside well hidden.

However, when arriving through a red curtain at the main entrance, you are greeted with a myriad of mystical decorations, from skeletons wearing top hats while playing the piano, to black roses and owls.

Posters and photos adorn the walls, with one including a framed copy of the Daily Prophet from the Harry Potter franchise, whose headline asks “Dumbledore: Daft or Dangerous?”.

Fairy lights and a light in the shape of the moon illuminate the main dining area, with table lamps standing on top of mythical and fantasy novels, including Harry Potter and Game Of Thrones.

The restaurant offers a welcoming vibe, with a projector screening silent black and white movies onto the wall while diners wait for their food to arrive.

Service is friendly and prompt, with a wide selection of European cuisine to select from the wooden menus, along with a number of “potions” to accompany your meal.

The menu also told us that the restaurant is in fact haunted by a nun, who is said to be seen at night gliding through a bricked-up archway.

Thankfully, patrons are informed that the restaurant’s owners have “made peace with all local spirits”, allowing me to enjoy my dining experience in peace from the paranormal.

I opted for the Bavarian schnitzel, which dwarfed the table and sat on a bed of chips.

The schnitzel, sprinkled with parmesan, was beautifully cooked, with the lemon and continental salad offering a zing to the dish.

My friend accompanying me on this dining experience opted for a dish that I was unfamiliar with, called BC, a chocolate and chilli dish with chicken, couscous, fresh coriander and chilli flakes.

I was unsure if such an eclectic combination would work, but was pleased to hear that the spice was well-balanced with the sweetness of the chocolate and offered a pleasant combination.

The schnitzel and the B.C. dish, which both cost £22, were worth every penny and we savoured every mouthful.

Both meals were filling and neither of us had room to explore the different dessert options, enticing as they were.

One unique feature of the restaurant that I didn’t get to explore is its “creative lounge”, as TheWitchez claims to be the first photo design cafe and restaurant, with photo restoration services and even passport photos.

While such a service would be out of place anywhere else, it fits right at home at a restaurant full of surprises.

As we emerged back out onto the quiet street, no one else was any the wiser about the culinary experience we both enjoyed.

One thing is for certain - I will certainly be sneaking behind the red curtain again sometime soon.