Despite Covid, we have also had a large hole in our dining arsenal for simple, but elegant Mediterranean food. But Med has arrived with sunny small plates of holiday memories, which is what we all need right now, particularly those mourning the loss of their summer holibob abroad. 

Although I visited on the opening weekend and my rule of not reviewing until a few weeks have passed, due to common teething issues until a place beds in, plates and opinion have been pretty consistent from the off here. The people behind Med are by no means new kids on the block, having held up a pretty strong local presence with Wolfsmouth and their numerous pub popups, as well as  the slicker small plate operation at Paradiso Social. All of that is now concentrated into this new spot and their delivery seems rather faultless.

If you're an eye roller to the small plate format, this could well change your mind. Here it truly does work and you can mix and match to your heart's content without creating either a monstrosity of a meal nor a colossal bill. 

Grown up hummus was given a pop of flavour from the unquestionable flavours of crunchy dukkah sprinkled on top, and scooped up with their excellent focaccia is an easy way kick off to things here, washed down with one of their cocktails from the short and sweet menu -  a very good negroni sbagliato hit the spot for me. 

The main "big dish" option is a market fish of the day. A simple grilled fish to share is a thing of beauty and today the choice was plaice, one of my favourites. De-boning whole fish at the table is an enjoyable ritual, so glad we were left to our own devices with it. Add in the patatas bravas and charred artichokes and courgettes and that's a meal complete. 

Of course don't stop there though. Dish of the night for me were clams with chorizo in a fragrant wine broth, served with a spoon I imagine, not to serving the clams with but to ensure you drink up every last drop from the bowl. Do that.

Portuguese style chicken is worth the order, a gooey chourico croquette and piquant romesco.

Most surprising was the cantaloupe melon dish. I've had thousands before, mainly depressing fridge cold wedges at wedding receptions, but this was a head turner; dressed up with avocado and cured cucumbers, with a combination of gorgeous herbs making for a light, fresh, sweet and delicious dish.

Wines have been treated equally well with a carafe working out the same cost as half bottle so you can work your way around the list a little with your meal. The list is nicely curated and unpretentious too. 

Dining here was a true delight actually, and it wasn't just the thirst for returning back to restaurants. It really is good full stop; the attention to detail is everywhere. Crowd pleasing, simple food, which hits that sweet spot of being well executed but relaxed and priced honestly. 

https://www.medbrighton.co.uk/
2/3 Little East Street
Brighton. BN1 1HT

Hero are the restaurants that thrive in difficult locations. And they do...look at Chilli Pickle from their original nook in the back and beyond of The Lanes, Coal Shed just off of Brighton's nightclub strip, the mighty Bincho Yakitori in the street that was notorious for mediocre grub. Even Pabellón's original restaurant, Senor Buddha (renamed Circo) in the arse end of London Road. But build it and they will come, forks in hand.

When Pabellón revealed their location, ok, in a prime spot near the Pavilion (see what they did there?), the location still jarred for me. A pass through, a nowhere...home of newsagents, banks and bus stops. Surely not a home to prop up the bar with a glass of fino? But hat off, the fit out is a beaut. Once inside this temple to Hague Blue you forget all about the outside world. And they've added to Brighton's growing portfolio of Instagram worthy loos, reclaiming the beautiful wood panelling from the previous owners.

This is Circo's sexier, glossier sister, retaining the modern Spanish tapas with an East Asian vibe that, somehow, they've made work so well.

After having my preconceptions of "fusion food" totally turned on its head after my last visit to Señor Buddha, I returned for the Fish Thursday Night for another taste of their Spanish Asian style tapas dishes. Fish Thursdays are held on the third Thursday of the month and include a set 5 course menu plus dessert for £35. It's a bargain.

Señor Buddha is a quirky restaurant; it's intimate and located just off Preston Circus. I can't quite put my finger on the environmental style but the quality of the food is outstanding. Their wines are also stunning and front of house extraordinaire, Chris Garcia Viera, is very knowledgeable about their carefully selected range.


As I said, the wines were all fabulous and matched to the food. I particularly enjoyed the Maetierra Atlantis wine we started out with and I rarely go for whites. Hondarrabi Zuri is not a grape variety I have come across before but coming from Basque Country it was perfect with the food and a great choice - I'm treating myself to a case of this one! Unlike me, I strongly recommend you leave the car at home and get stuck into the wines here as you are bound to discover new varieties and favourites. I was so, so sad to miss out on the others on the night.

I've always had a problem with the "F" word. No, not that one, I'm taking "fusion". For me it smacks of naff, dated ideas or worse, really confused, gimmicky flavour. But I think my issue is just the word as tweaks, twists and inspirations from other cuisines are often to be subtly found on our plates. Señor Buddha has always worried me though. The name, the Spanish and Asian tapas concept, the brash type on the logo (yes REALLY this affects me) and the location. But as Bincho Yakitori has recently taught me, I need to get over location issues pretty sharpish.

This is also one of the smallest restaurants in Brighton with just a handful of tables. At 5'1", I could easily have the shortest legs in Brighton but sat at the bar overlooking the compact open kitchen, even I wasn't the most comfortable. But this is where the action is, so just side saddle up and enjoy the cooking front row.

And straight from the off, I knew I'd got this place all wrong. The dishes were refined, exciting and enticing.


I order the cauliflower steak and pineapple just to see what bonkers turns up on the plate. Hat eaten, this just works. The previously sous vide cauliflower is charred and served with lightly cooked pineapple and a subtle yellow curry sauce. I'm still thinking about it a week later as I still don't understand how the flavours were in perfect balance, but they were indeed. If they still have it on, you must order this.


The dramatic dish of salt and pepper squid sat on top of a squid ink and romanesco sauce was outstanding. This was the best squid I think I have ever eaten, superbly tender and sweet with a light, seasoned cornflour coating to give it that delicious crunch from the fry.


My dining companion was slightly horrified at the thought of the blood sausage mocilla, but soon polished it off after tasting how good it was. Served with scallops, this classic combination was given a new dimension with a cauliflower and coconut puree.


Good ol' patatas bravas that we all know from our Spanish holibobs had Asian inspiration very much alive and kicking in a fiery ginger and shallot sauce. Most of the other dishes were quite subtle but this one had all guns blazing and luckily I adore spicy food.


The crispy confit duck leg was another great dish full of textures, served with a subtle Asian pear, pea and coconut puree.

Lastly the beautifully butterflied, grilled sardines (top image) were the perfect summer dish perched on top of a light, fresh papaya, chilli and onion salad to cut through those glorious fish oils.

Desserts here are minimal but I'm not one for them anyway. They do stock my favourite Boho Gelato who I'm sure will have have come up with a perfect flavour for them.


Señor Buddha is casual and affordable—amazingly so—and you would expect to pay a heck of a lot more for the same food in a fancy fit out with a more premium location. I'm not sure if it's a shame or not that it is due to find a second home in a more central spot. It will do amazingly well, but there is also something nice about it feeling like a hidden gem off the beaten track. Even though there seems to be a huge influx of restaurant chains invading the city (luckily all going down the Marina by the look of it), it's these small, off-beat indies that have made Brighton the dining destination it has become.

The food is far more sophisticated than the concept initially reveals, with a lightness of touch and very clever flavour working. Forget everything you may know about typical Spanish tapas - this is a different perspective on familiar dishes and makes for very unique dining in Brighton.

Señor Budda
9 Preston Rd

But one dish I do like, which is rarely on the menus, is Papas Arrugadas with Mojo sauces. This is regional to the Canary Islands and something I discovered with Mr Graphic Foodie back in the day when we were young, carefree and wrecking our cheap 1ltr white Nissan Micra by driving it off road to Playa de Papagayo. And when we weren't breaching our car hire lease conditions, we were propped up somewhere, ordering these wrinkly potatoes with a salted crust, dipping them in fiery mojo sauces. They really are one of best holiday food memories I have.

And as Alhambra were nice enough to send over a case of their Alhambra Reserva 1925 beer, I thought I'd remember what summer was like (is it EVER going to stop raining?) and recreate that holiday vibe. There are so many variations of mojo sauces but I've stuck to the two classics of spicy red and smoother parsley mojo sauce but you can try avocado or orange based ones too.