THE PLACE
For most of the establishments we review, their menu is the main attraction. Restaurants sensibly prioritise in this manner. But even eating in places whose primary function isn’t necessarily feeding you should still be a decent experience. Highly regarded for the acts they put on every weekend, is the Komedia’s Krater Comedy Club grub laughable too?
THE MEAL
Firstly, be aware that the kitchen closes when the acts are about to come on. We arrived just after 7pm for an 8 o’clock show and ordered straight away, kind of just in time. Despite the vastness of the room the food came very quickly – light bites/starters arrive with mains unless you pre-specify you’d like them as starters. The Thai cod & prawn fishcake (£3.95) was crisp and spicy, with a decent chutney of tomato, red pepper and lime. Sussex beer battered fish and chips as a main (£9.60) was a good size and the batter was done to a tee, with a homemade tartare sauce setting it off perfectly. Chips, also available separately for £2.95, are well cooked and chunky. The cheeseburger (£9.60) was as thick as we’ve had for a while though the focaccia needed either more or less toasting, while the chicken wings were a bit disappointing – meaty but a little anaemic. The salad was delicious and loaded with feta though we did ask for no dressing, alas to no avail.
THE VERDICT
Because of the timing of the evening, the meal would feel a bit rushed if you’re not there in plenty of time to eat. But given sufficient table time, the food here is very serviceable indeed. It’s perhaps a little pricey, but you can get a meal deal with tickets and food for £25, which seems fair. As you might expect, the food plays second fiddle to the comedy – Jimmy Carr used to play here on the way up, so they’re good at picking names from the mountains of up-and-comers. On the night we went, Loretta Main’s intense musical comedy had them rolling in the aisles.
WERE WE SUSSED?
We were sat with some strangers at our table and even they didn’t ask when we started photographing our plates.
