THE PLACE We don’t tend to go to the expensive places for Secret Eater simply because when it comes to a posh nosh or a tearing night out, we know where you guys would normally invest. Seven Dials gets loads of props – Jay Rayner’s a fan – so when we see a sign saying Two Courses For £10 we’re straight online booking a pre-7pm table to qualify. A couple of hours later and we’re sitting in a lovely light and airy dining room looking at the stripped-down set menu.

THE MEAL
There’s just a handful of options and we both head for the chicken with mustard mash. It’s simple clean food, made with good ingredients but needs the extra greens (£2.50), which are neither rough or iron-bitter, to make it full. For dessert the apple and strawberry crumble is shallow, giving plenty of crispy topping and has a healthy dollop of summer fruit ice cream above that. But we have to rewind to the starter, which is where Seven Dials really seem to shine. Having made our best appetiser ever (lamb, watercress and orange) the black pudding, poached egg and apple sauce salad didn’t disappoint. Betraying Sam Metcalf’s past at top flight restaurants like L’Escargot and 192, elements us mortals would never put together sing in perfect harmony.

VERDICT At a tenner you really can’t go wrong. Seven Dials has got a reputation as one of the best restaurants in Brighton with good reason and the recession has brought it within everyone’s budget. They won’t mind if you drink tap water and don’t get extras, so don’t be embarrassed to spend the bare minimum. We needed the greens, but that was worth the extra spend, and the starter was almost worth the whole budget.

WERE WE SUSSED No, not at all. Mind you even if they’d have suspected something was up they’d have been way to polite to say anything.

Seven Dials
Buckingham Place
(01273) 885555
£10 (two course) / £14 (three courses) set menu available Mon-Sat noon-3pm, Mon-Fri 6pm-7pm
WORDS AND PHOTO BY JAMES KENDALL