Burnt Orange in Brighton is buzzing with life and quality dishes

Following on from the always marvellous restaurants The Salt Rooms and The Coal Shed was never going to be easy but restaurateur Razak Helalat’s third venue in BN1 is a rather super, slightly friskier addition to the stable.
Mangalitza pork belly shawarma with pickled fennel salad at Burnt Orange restaurant in Middle Street (Photo by Jon Rigby) SUS-210508-100130001Mangalitza pork belly shawarma with pickled fennel salad at Burnt Orange restaurant in Middle Street (Photo by Jon Rigby) SUS-210508-100130001
Mangalitza pork belly shawarma with pickled fennel salad at Burnt Orange restaurant in Middle Street (Photo by Jon Rigby) SUS-210508-100130001

Following on from the always marvellous Salt Rooms and Coal Shed was never going to be easy but restaurateur Razak Helalat’s third venue in BN1 is a rather super, slightly friskier addition to the stable.

Billed in the pre-opening chatter as a ‘new grown-up drinking and dining spot’ it’s a very different beast to the two aforementioned locally esteemed joints in terms of atmosphere but shares the same relentlessly high standards on the plates.

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The Thursday evening we visited was bubbling with post-lockdown energy and a goodly amount of that grown-up drinking.

Crispy smoked lamb shoulder cigars at Burnt Orange restaurant in Middle Street (Photo by Jon Rigby) SUS-210508-100316001Crispy smoked lamb shoulder cigars at Burnt Orange restaurant in Middle Street (Photo by Jon Rigby) SUS-210508-100316001
Crispy smoked lamb shoulder cigars at Burnt Orange restaurant in Middle Street (Photo by Jon Rigby) SUS-210508-100316001

A North Breeze (which included Campari, clementine juice and apricot brandy) and an Espresso Date cocktail seemed like an appropriate way to catch up with our happy fellow diners and drinkers.

Casual grazing is the name of the game at Burnt Orange, with good-sized small plates and perhaps a bottle or a few liveners along the way.

Accordingly The Burnt Orange Experience, a bumper sharing selection, was the only way to go, and instantly became my second favourite experience after Jimi Hendrix. The spread of nine dishes and a trio of spiffing sauces included nods to the spirit and style of the group’s other restaurants: a flamed sea bream with basil and yoghurt dressing which could have come straight from the Josper grill at the Salt Rooms, and a Mangalitza pork belly shawarma, with a pickled fennel salad, which would have had the carnivorous Coal Shed fans cooing over their kebabs.

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Other memorable treats included crispy smoked lamb shoulder cigars which sounded, and tasted, like the sort of thing the late Michael Winner would have happily steamed into, and a wonderfully comforting wood-fired flat bread which oozed melted sesame brown butter.

Skillet-baked potatoes with herb cream and sheep's cheese SUS-210508-132726001Skillet-baked potatoes with herb cream and sheep's cheese SUS-210508-132726001
Skillet-baked potatoes with herb cream and sheep's cheese SUS-210508-132726001

The universally adorable waiting team also deserve a mention, not least for their ability to fit nine dishes and three sauces on a table for two.

The ambience stayed lively but never lairy (with the exception of the report of one ‘over-excited’ punter who should a have known better) buoyed by a Fatboy Slim-curated soundtrack.

It’s a good concept, an excellent night out with an exceptional, but not surprising, quality of food.

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