The huge glass windows and welcoming smiles at Food for Friends bought some sunshine to a dreary June afternoon in Brighton. Nestled in the bustling South Lanes and just 2 minutes from the beach, it was the perfect location to watch the vibrant characters of Brighton stroll by. The decor is fresh but homely and a reassuring change from the numerous hippy cafes in the lanes which sometimes feel a little, dare I say, Glastonbury 2002. The lunch specials arrived swiftly on wooden clipboards with a choice of 2 courses for 11.95. The starters were simple Tahini dips, todays soup and a pear and cashew salad. The mains included a pea risotto, teriyaki fried tofu stir-fry and marinated halloumi salad (we later watched this plate with envy, a jaw-dropping tower of fruit couscous and golden halloumi). We wanted to ponder the a la carte menu too so started with some house white wine 2 glorious glasses of fruity Sauvignon Blanc, perfectly chilled but almost too reasonably priced at 3.65 a glass! By this point the restaurant was absolutely heaving and the young manager kept an impressive air of calm, effortlessly charming even the grumpiest old man! Our Tahini dips arrived, backed up by some Parmesan and Rosemary polenta chips which, quite frankly, I could have eaten all day! Perfectly crunchy with a soft centre and topped with tense words over who polished off the roasted garlic aioli. The pea and mint hummus was the winner of the Tahini trio perfectly summery with a good squeeze of lemon for some lift. After spying the Ricotta Arancini bouncing out of the kitchen we both couldnt resist these and were absolutely unwilling to share. The side salad alone was a sensational mess of baby herbs, dill roasted beetroot and (another!) trio of dips including a sensational rocket and pistachio tapenade. The bread-crumbed Arancini rested proudly on top – plump with creamy ricotta, broad beans and a great kick of mint. Food for Friends are certainly not shy with the portions so we settled for 2 espressos with homemade truffles to finish, alongside a promise of a brisk walk along the beach! The manager kindly suggested that we moved to outside to finish our meal as the sun had finally arrived, truffles on the terrace? he beamed, obviously excited to use the pretty outside space after weeks of rain! The truffles were divine and tasted even better with the hot sun on our backs as we compromised on a paddle in the sea.
