With the days getting colder and the nights getting longer, there’s nothing to warm the soul and bring everyone together like good food. Most people’s first instinct is to lean back onto the winter roasts and stews we’re used to, but what about a break from classics? With such a large selection of cultures, restaurants and of course dishes around us, there’s no reason not to experiment! But how do you choose? Well, why not start off with trying out some of this year’s biggest trends in food?
1. Sustainable food – plant-based vegetarian dishes
It doesn’t sound like the most warming food you could think of, but sustainable food has been an up and rising trend this year, and for good reason: as well as being good for the environment and the farming industry, vegetarian meals almost force us to be creative in what food we eat. If you don’t know where to start, or just for more inspiration, have a look at any of the excellent sustainable food blogs doing the rounds. Or if you’d prefer to sample first, make later, why not try out vegetarian restaurants, delivery and street food first? Indian cuisine, for example, has an enormous variety of vegetarian dishes, due to it having the largest population of vegetarians in the world, and there is plenty Indian cuisine available in Brighton.
2. Go Italian – not just pizza and lasagne!
Is it possible not to love a good Italian meal? Along with the traditional favourites, we’ve all tried (think spaghetti bolognese, carbonara, pizza, etc.) why not try something less well known, such as piadas: Italian style wraps, with meat, salad and dressings? You could even try merging cultures with this delicious falafel piadas recipe! Or, if you’re looking for more of a snack/brunch, try somewhere like the Coffee Break, where in-house coffee and pastries are combined with a cosy and relaxing atmosphere, and you can almost picture yourself in Florence or Bologna.
3. Seafood – what else to do when by the seaside?
Though it doesn’t seem like the best time of year to head out to the seafront, what with the wind and the rain and the waves, what’s better to bash away those winter blues than a seafood paella, a bowl of chowder, or just some good old fish and chips? Or if you’re feeling adventurous, why not try a seafood afternoon tea – smoked salmon sandwiches, salted scones with treacle, and more – at the Grand Hotel? Of course, sushi is always a great choice, and not only for the taste but also for the health benefits: no better time to up your vitamin D then as our daylight exposure lessens, and it’s far more fun to do this with tuna or salmon rolls than with vitamin pills!
So if your stomach is rumbling by now, what are you waiting for? There are heaps of restaurants just waiting for you to walk through their doors; get out and experience all the latest food trends Brighton has to offer!
