There’s always something exciting happening in Brighton whether it’s a new restaurant to dine out at, a new bar to sip a cocktail or two from or indeed discovering a new place to rest your head after a hectic day of sightseeing. And escaping to the seaside is a must to keep your mind, body and spirit happy.
The Chapel Townhouse affords you wonderful seclusion and complete privacy. From the moment you enter, the silver leafed door the space is yours to enjoy. A wonderful winding staircase takes you to the landing area of the coffee making facilities before leading to the bedroom with its 15ft high barrel ceiling. Everything in this room is quirky with an electrically operated piano mini bar as well as a pop up wardrobe for clothes. The free standing bath tub in the bedroom gives the room an extra touch of sophistication.
Named after the 300 years old vintage carousel horse, the penthouse is alluring and somewhat provocative which you can only expect from artists and people that are attracted to Brighton. Again boasting a free standing bathtub as well as a steam room and a four poster bed you can make the hardest of days a distant memory as you relax here in the lap of luxury.
It’s always a good sign when you hear someone screeching the name of a restaurant you’re approaching. ‘Isn’t the Giggling Squid here somewhere? Ah I remember it from the last time I visited Brighton. It was amazing!’ The voice of a passer-by walking behind me. As soon as I heard those words, I knew I was in good hands.
And indeed I wasn’t disappointed. The Giggling Squid – named after a nickname given to one of co-owner Andy and Pranee Laurillard children – can be described as a rustic Thai restaurant where everything is cooked from scratch by Thai chefs. Since opening in 2009, the restaurant has proved popular with office workers by day and all other diners in the evening, wanted to distant itself from other Thai places, which it does brilliantly using drift wood and reclaimed timbers to create a modern chic environment.
The menu boasts everything from street food to coastal specialities. The tasting set menus or the Thai tapas are definitely the best way to sample lots of different dishes in one go. There were so many lovely mouth-watering dishes that it was hard to pinpoint a favourite. Be warned though, the portions are huge – I was just so pleased to be able to walk it off along the pier before my visit to Indian Summer.
Having grown up with Indian cuisine, after a visit to this restaurant I would advise diners to leave any preconceptions at the door and sample Indian food for yourself. And the number of awards won by the restaurant since it was founded by Minesh Agnihotri and Byron Sales speaks volumes. It recently added Best of Britain Awards to its collection this year. With a team of chefs from various parts of India as well as staff from the UK, this restaurant seeks best to change the perception of curry as Indian and deliver it as an elegant offering of pan-Indian fine dining.
The recipes for most of the dishes have come from families that have been handed down for generations. The Bhel Puri, a mix of puffed rice, gram flour sticks, potatoes and onions chickpeas and tomatoes went down extremely well as a starter followed by the Kali Murghi, chicken breast in black spices with tamarind, cinnamon and black cardamom. Personally, I prefer my food on the hot side which was duly dealt with a pot of sauce on the side.
Currently a two night package at myhotel Brighton with breakfast only, based on two people sharing is £180.00.
For more information on myhotel Brighton, visit www.myhotels.com/my-hotel-brighton.
For more information on the Giggling Squid, visit www.gigglingsquid.com.
For more on Indian Summer, visit www.indian-summer.org.uk/home.