64 Degrees

It has been almost two years since I last visited 64 Degrees when they were situated at the Artist Residence Boutique Hotel in Pimlico. I recall me and my cousin enjoying most of the dishes that we had, and our lovely and attentive waitress, Chloe, that made the experience even more memorable. After much procrastination, I eventually made it to their original site in Brighton during an impromptu daytrip. Set up by chef-owner Michael Bremner, this little gem is quietly tucked away in the Lanes. The first lunch customers to arrive for the day, we tried not too look overly desperate and hungry for food, as we stepped in just as the clock struck 12 - noon, as opposed to the more dramatic midnight in Cinderella ...The place is quite small with an industrial-like interior and an open kitchen that occupies about half the space. There was a choice of regular table seating or the more casual interactive counter seats - we perched ourselves onto a couple of wooden cubes by the little table by the window, sipping on some chilled rose whilst we perused the menu.

Oh Brighton, why didn’t you tell me you had changed so much! I’ve been avoiding this seaside town for the past 6 years or more now, with far too many bad memories from my partying days. Back then Brighton was known to me as the hen, stag and student party central, full of fast food chains and almost nowhere to enjoy a good glass of wine, artisan beer or quality bar snack. The dining and drinking scene back then was huge yes, but quality was a hard thing to find – unless you fancied fish and chips. However that’s all changed and nothing shows that more with Brighton now home to its own awards – Brighton’s Best. A website dedicated to finding, showcasing and ranking the top restaurants in the area – I for one had no idea there was so many. With the list in hand we took ourselves off to Brighton for a foodie extravaganza, starting with Brighton’s Best number 1 ranked restaurant – 64 Degrees.

A couple of weekends ago we jumped in the van and headed to Brighton for 24 hours. I really love Brighton, but most of my visits have been at night to see friends who are DJs or musicians perform there, so I've never really got a true feel for the town. So we booked a flat via AirBnb and went to make the most of the lovely weekend. This also meant we had the opportunity to book a couple of places for food that I'd heard about and really wanted to try out, as again, we're normally there late at night, or staying with friends so going with them to eat. One of the places I'd heard about was a new, tapas-style restaurant in The Laines called 64 Degrees. It only opened this year but has had rave reviews already so I was thrilled that they'd managed to book a table for us on Saturday afternoon. That was until we got on to the M25, and didn't move for about half an hour. A small panic rose inside me as I calculated miles left til Brighton, amount of time we were stuck and potentially missing 64 Degrees' opening hours. We were booked for 2.30 - they stop serving food at 3. We got to Brighton at 2.45, found a parking space and ran through the throng of tourists to get to the restaurant in time. We got there with seconds to spare... Luckily! In fact by this time we'd agreed to meet with our friend and her son, and try and squeeze them onto our table as well, which we did. 64 Degrees is tiny. It probably seats a maximum of 24 people at any one time - one table of 4, one table of 6, two of 2 and 6-8 seats at the bar in front of the open kitchen. After a bit of re-jigging we were put on the largest table, as people were leaving and the kitchen closed. The idea of 64 Degrees is that you order 3-4 dishes per person, and share them... if you want! The menu is split into meat, fish and veggie and there are 4 or 5 dishes per category. The waitresses were very thorough in talking us through the menu, and also checking if we had any allergies so they could advise us what to avoid, which was really helpful, as menus don't necessarily list every single ingredient in a dish. We ordered plentifully and dishes arrived one after another, until we were so full the only thing we could do was polish off an espresso martini and head to the flat for a little rest! This is what we ate:Lamb, asparagus, fregola, anchovy. This was one of my favourite dishes - the lamb was cooked to perfection and the flavours of the dish so harmonious. It was Spring on a plate and just so good. The anchovies added the perfect amount of saltiness against the slightly creamy fregola.

Of the meat dishes, everyone’s fave was the Beef rib with bone marrow, wild leek and parsley purée. It was so tender you could’ve cut it with a spoon; luckily we had a knife so we used that.

Absolutely stunning food in a lovely, cosy yet cool space, in a great part of Brighton. Chef Michael is supremely talented and a gent at the same time. Brilliant value for money in my view. Great staff as well. Anya - front of house. Charming and great knowledge of wine.

A truly spectacular experience one I won’t forget my first ever tasting menu. The tasting menu itself was absolutely sensational, our server was extremely attentive and knowledgeable. Would definitely visit again and I’d highly recommend 64 Degrees!

Wow! Wow! Wow! What an experience. Booked for my husband's 50th birthday and I must say I would highly recommend and will definitely be returning in the near future. Michael Bremner and his staff are welcoming, friendly and explained every dish that we were served. They answered our questions too. The open kitchen was amazing, as you could see the chefs creating their master pieces in front of you. There is a supplement added to the scallops. They are definitely worth every penny. We had the lunch menu and my husband included the wine flight. Booking in advance is recommended.

Brilliant experience all around. Came for my birthday on a Monday night which was nice as it was quieter. Tasting menu was perfect - we loved every single course. Wine pairing was delicious - our server was super attentive and knowledgeable. Never waited a second for anything - left feeling happy - Great value !

Went here for a 10th Anniversary celebration, for which recognition of this milestone was given on arrival. Coincidentally it is also the tenth anniversary of the restaurant as well! What an experience! Superb! We have had the good fortune to dine in many establishments around the world. I can truly say we have never experienced the intimacy of service at “the pass” as we did on this night. Arrived 15 minutes early and offered any seat in the house. Chose the pass and seated within “splash” distance of Chef Bremner! No splashes however but to witness “plating” live was outstanding! Also the to see and hear the instruction/advice given to the upcoming chefs was inspiring! Served by all the chefs with explanations to what was about to be consumed. In all honesty we were hoping for a tasting menu with a wine flight. Advised earlier about a change to “small plates” menu. Do not be put off because this is in essence a tasting menu created by you! The plates are not small but ideal for two to share. I can go into detail about what we had but I don’t have the vocabulary to convey how delicious everything was. Cocktails were properly made with correct proportions erring on the good side of strong! I alluded to not mentioning about the food but being an avid carnivore, I have to mention the mushroom croquettes, WOW!!!! To conclude, one the best experiences to be had, whilst not cooked in nitrogen in outer space and sprinkled in moon dust, it is great wholesome food in an intimate environment, cooked by one of the best Chef’s on the planet! (Who will talk to you as well!) The proof is in the eating of the pudding (excuse the pun), just go and try it!