Brighton, are you ready for this? | MEATliquor Brighton, 22 – 23 York Place Brighton, BN1 4GU

Kitchen in a box… Photograph from MEATliquor

Ah, MEATliquor, a place that is still one of our favourite restaurants of all time, not just for the food but the atmosphere too. Happiness is guaranteed when I have a ML burger in my mouth and Ade is chewing on a buffalo wing. We still haven’t tried all of their competition (yeah, I know) but their burgers remain at the top of our list. Now Scott and Yianni have ventured out of old London town and recently opened up by the seaside in one of our favourite places – Brighton. A marriage of our two ‘happy places’, what could possibly go wrong?

Now Brightoners aren’t like the committed London crowd who are prepared to queue for their dinner. The concept to them is baffling. Everyone we spoke to in the area remarked on how far away the restaurant was from the centre, which is crazy talk – it is just a five-minute walk from the North Laine, we just don’t get it. They even spoke of getting a taxi to it from the beach – it’s a twenty-minute stroll away! Yes, it may be situated in the less desirable location of London Road but still…

Pretty in pink, isn’t she? Photograph from MEATliquor

It was half-full on a Saturday lunchtime, no queuing required. We sat in a little separate area, cosy with a pink glow, the whole place is draped in numerous designs of specially commissioned wallpaper, a huge neon sign spelling out ‘Sin’, or just ‘Si’ on our visit and a glowing clown. The seaside/fairground inspired decor feels much more camp and friendly than the styling in London, this is somewhere I could take my dad without him moaning about the loud music and dim lighting. Helped by the fact that the waiting staff are genuinely friendly with no attitude.

In keeping with the location they have introduced a fair amount of fishy items to the menu, such as the Fish sandwich £7.50, and Shrimp Po-Boy £8.50. The Pina Colada shrimp £8.50 was the nuts – fresh juicy coconut fried shrimp with a mango and pineapple dip. Despite my efforts to change, I can’t go to ML without having a burger – it just isn’t right, so I had the Red chilli cheeseburger £8 (without cheese of course), a perfect combo of ML’s exceptional chilli and a patty, although it wasn’t as rare as I’d like and how it was back in the day.

Ade was recovering from an upset stomach, and what could be better for that than a filthy Buffalo chicken burger £8, dripping with hot pepper and blue cheese sauce. It surprisingly seemed to be just what the doctor ordered, after a weekend sipping peppermint tea, it was this which kick started his stomach back to life.

The Below Job cocktail £36 served in a face (serves four) is a hen/stag night’s dream, for which there is an abundance in Brighton. If you prefer whisky, there are about eight million to choose from, no exaggeration. I would never have wine in ML, but I like their witty descriptions on the menu, great dumbing down for people like me.

The question is, is Brighton ready for MEATliquor? Reviews such as this along with opinions from the locals cast doubts in our mind. When I told my cousin who lives locally about it and is far from uncool, he said something along the lines of  ‘I walked past and it looked all dark and seedy and I couldn’t see in. I thought it was a titty bar.’

Come on people, live a little and go inside!

*UPDATE* There are now some vegan choices on the menu – Satans fingers – battered mock chicken (seitan) fingers in chili sauce, with garlic dip and the Burgaloo vegan burger. So very Brighton!

www.meatliquor.com/brighton
22–23 York Place
Brighton, BN1 4GU

Telephone 01273 917710
Email info@brighton.MEATliquor.com

No reservations unless six or more people

Opening hours: MON – THU  12:00 – 23:00*
FRI – SAT  12:00 – 23:30*
SUN  12:00 – 22:30*
*Kitchen closes one hour prior

 NO UNDER 16′S AFTER 19:00

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Nearest station: Brighton