I tried Brighton's Coal Shed and it's a fab foodie experience

Clarence House, North Street, Brighton

PHONE: 01273 322998

GO TO: coalshed-restaurant.co.uk

OPEN: Monday to Saturday, noon to 12am; Sunday, noon to 9.30pm.

WHAT IS IT? The hot new steak house in Brighton. OK, it’s not a new venue as such, more a new twist on an old favourite. This is the bigger and, yes, better Coal Shed in North Street.

You may have been to the original, round the corner in Boyce’s Street, which won plaudits for its robata cooking in an intimate, cosy setting. The robata process is where you cook well-aged cuts of meat on an open charcoal fire, searing the outside but leaving the inside tender and juicy with rich, smoky flavours.

Anyway, the Coal Shed has outgrown its original address and the move to North Street means it can handle 142 people. It is the latest move by Brighton restaurateur Razak Helalat, the man behind local favourites The Salt Room and Burnt Orange.

WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL? Brighton isn’t short of high end restaurants but The Coal Shed is upping the ante here. It’s a stylish upmarket space that resembles a New York steakhouse, with dark wood interiors, leather seating, curved booths and a vaguely industrial look with exposed brickwork.

It also has a great bar, where you can perch on a stool and enjoy a drink while you’re waiting for your table. Or just come and have one of their exclusive cocktails - see below.

SO WHAT’S THE FOOD LIKE? Flaming good, as you would expect. There is always a slight fear when a favourite restaurant expands that its original charm will be lost. Thankfully, it is anything but at the Coal Shed.

Chef Lee Murdoch is building on the signature fire-cooking of prime cuts of meats to add more vegetables and fish and seafood. He used to work in Japan and the Middle East and those flavours are in evidence in starters like the Blue Prawn Toast and Firecracker Cauliflower.

We had the Babyback Ribs (£10) and the Barbecue Waldorf Scallops (£14.50) from the Raw And Fire menu to start, followed by ribeye steak (£38) from the Charcoal Grill menu and the Black Duroc Pork Chop (£24) from the Robata and Rotisserie menu.

The main courses

We would have just had the Beef Fat Chips (£6) as a side but the woman at the next table leaned over and said: “You have to have the creamed mash potatoes” and did that mwah kissing sound of satisfaction. So we did. And she was dead right. Superb.

For dessert we had the belt-loosening selection for two (£24). This comprises four superb signature puds - the Brulee Brioche, Medjool Date Cake, Kiss At The Opera (a fab chocolate mousse shaped like a pair of lips) and the Burnt Lemon Pie.

Dessert for two

WHAT ABOUT DRINKS? There’s an extensive - and expensive - wine list. You can drink very well without spending too much if you choose wisely but expect to pay well north of £8 for a 125ml glass. You can spend a lot, lot more, depending on what kind of night you are having. It’s worth splashing out on a cocktail, though. We loved the Dill and Pickle Martini (£11) and Apricot and Fig Margarita (£12). Again, fab new twists on old favourites and completely original.

GOOD ATMOSPHERE? Very much so. We went on a rainy, windy Wednesday evening in September and the place was buzzing.

It was the kind of night you expect an establishment to be dead yet it felt like a Saturday night. And in these post Covid times, when even the big weekend nights aren’t guaranteed to be busy, that’s something of a triumph.

Also, the new Coal Shed pulls off a difficult act. Despite its size, it retains an intimate feel thanks to the fact the inside is divided up into different spaces and levels, meaning you never actually feel you are sharing a restaurant with 140 other diners.

The staff are very friendly and attentive too. One small, er, beef: We’re not crazy about having our wine glasses filled every couple of minutes but that’s an industry-wide problem.

ANYTHING ELSE WE NEED TO KNOW? Yes. It’s best to book, they do a children’s menu and the Sunday roasts are meant to be very good. And remember, although there are some tasty veggie options on the menu, The Coal Shed is all about the meat.

They do private parties too. There are three dining rooms - The Flamingo Social, The Longhorn and The Grand Dining Room. The Flamingo can seat 26 and has a private entrance, its own tasting menu, a dedicated sound system and bar. The Coal Shed does not take cash.

FINAL BILL: OK, this isn’t cheap but if you are planning a celebration, or you are a foodie, love dining out and don’t mind the cost, then this is the kind of place you want to go. It’s well worth it.

DO THEY DO TAKEAWAYS? No, sorry. And even if they did, by the time one had been biked round to your house, the food would have lost its magic. This is a fab foodie experience you can’t recreate at home.

Kate Parkin