The Salt Room Restaurant Brighton Review
The Salt Room
Brighton
Reviewed by Meresa Bergin
I was delighted to be invited along to review The Salt Room Restaurant on Brighton’s sea front. I live in Brighton but I have to admit I have never seen the restaurant before so I was looking forward to it.
The restaurant is easy to find along the sea front, right next to the Hilton Hotel and the Brighton Centre, there is also a lot of parking available if you are coming by car and most of the buses stop in the town centre which is a five minute walk.
I was impressed with the look of the restaurant from the outside, sadly there is some building work happening on the sea front itself which is a little off putting but it doesn’t deter from the restaurant itself.
We were greeted at the reception and shown to our table, the restaurant has plenty of seating and some outside seating which wasn’t in use on our visit. I loved the décor with the open brickwork and wide open spacing so you could see across the room. I also really liked the low hanging lighting which I find gave a really causal and romantic feel. We were seated near the windows which looked out over to the sea front which gave a wonderful view.
The restaurant also has a bar area which is very modern and cosy if you were looking for somewhere to just have a quiet drink or choose to relax after a meal.
Our waiter was very helpful and attentive, asking us how we were and what we would like to order. We were there to review their 3 course meal which they run twice a day from 12-4pm Monday to Friday and 6-7pm Monday to Thursday. The 3 course meal is £17.50 and they also offer a two course meal from £15 per person. The waiter asked what we would like to drink, my husband said he would like wine and asked what he would suggest to go with his meal, the waiter had a good knowledge of wine and what would suit which meals which I thought was impressive. I explained I did not drink and he suggested one of the non-alcoholic cocktails, which I decided to have and found very refreshing.
As we waited I went to the bathroom which is very rusty and quirky, I loved all the open piping use for the toilet roll holders and the taps I love things like that. The toilets were what you would expect from such an impressive place, clean and with wonderful soaps and lotions to wash your hands, good mirrors in the ladies so you can check yourself before returning to your table.
I ordered the Mackerel, elderflower, melon and cucumber and my husband had Fish soup, rouille, croutons. The waiter again asked if we had everything we needed and would be like another drink. As we waited I noticed how polite and attentive all the staff were with other customers in the restaurant, this is how I generally view customer service on a review and I am pleased to say the staff were amazing providing colouring sheets and pencils to children who came into the restaurant and did not seem uncomfortable to have them there at all, which you can find in some places.
Our starters arrived and I was take back with the presentation of them, they were outstanding. I fell a little in love with the bowl my husband’s fish soup came in. I am ashamed to admit I have never eaten fresh Mackerel but it was out of this world in taste, the melon and cucumber really added to it. My husband was equally impressed with his fish soup and kept commenting on the flavours really coming through in each mouth full, you could taste the sea and he loved the croutons he was given with his meal.
I felt there was the right amount of time between each course, with offers of water and more drinks. We were given time to talk to each other, in some places staff can appear to be rushing you and when you have paid to eat somewhere this can be very off putting.
When our mains arrived, we had both ordered Hanger steak, gentlemen’s relish, shallots and fries. Again I was again impressed with the presentation, I loved the little metal pots the fries came. I have never tried Hanger steak and I was a little put off by some of the pink bits, I do not eat much meat and I have always found the idea of it being pink unsettling but this was so different, it was rich and flaky, it was divine! And I adored the sauce on top of the steak, the fries were crispy and soft which is the best way to have them, I really dislike when they are hard. I noticed as we ate our main the restaurant was filling up with people but the staff dealt with it well and still assisted everyone with the same care and attention.
After our main I was unsure I could manage a dessert but I pushed myself! My husband decided to have coffee and doughnuts, I wanted this as well but I am not a fan of coffee, I did ask the waitress if it really tasted of coffee which seem to cause her some amusement so I decided on the cheeseboard and tried to cover my blushes.
As we waited my husband visited the men’s bathroom and said it was up to the standards of the ladies which is impressive as you sometimes find male toilets can leave little to be desired. I loved how relaxed the place is, there is no push to hurry with your meals and it gives the impression of somewhere very special to eat but I feel the pricing is very reasonable so really would suit any budget which I feel is important. We were also told the set menu changes each week which again I think is important for those we would like a wonderful meal out in a beautiful setting but not want to pay the earth to eat, it means you could go once a month and have something different each time. The set menu also times itself well around many of the theatre shows or shows at The Brighton Centre if you really wanted to go all out whilst in town to see a show.
Our desserts arrived and I loved the board my cheese came on, it was again very rustic and quirky which are two of my favourite things. My husband’s doughnuts looked very tempting but sadly he would not allow me to try them. I am a huge fan of cheese, I have tried most cheeses, been to cheese festivals and I feel I am an expert on cheeses! I adored all of the cheeses on the board, they were divine and the little biscuit crackers that came with them were very yummy. The raisin bread was well made and looked lovely but sadly I am not a fan of raisins so it wasn’t for me.
Again my husband was impressed with his doughnuts, he is a baker so he knows a good doughnut and he commented they were some of the best he had tried, he loved the biscotti and coffee mousse.
The Salt Room is a very special place to eat, it takes pride in what it offers and really thinks about what will suit. I was impressed with all the staff which can be rare but they were all well knowledgeable and showed amazing customer skills. There is plenty on offer for all budgets which makes it a place anyone can eat which I think is very special. I can imagine it would be a beautiful place to eat at night, with it all lit up and the room would look breath-taking with the bare walls and low lights, somewhere to take someone very special. The restaurant also hosts private dining and would be a truly remarkable place to have a wedding with the archway from the bar to the seating area giving you the perfect way to make your entrance or any special event and can be arranged to suit your needs.
Rating: 5/5 
For more information, to view menus or to make a booking visit www.saltroom-restaurant.co.uk.
Open 7 days a week | Lunch 12-4pm | Dinner 6-10pm (10.30pm Friday & Saturday)
The Salt Room, 106 King’s Rd, Brighton, BN1 2FU | 01273 929488
