Terre à Terre

I like to eat out.... in becoming a vegan this year it has cut down the number of dining experiences.... not many vegan fine dining restaurants around.  So I just had take up the opportunity of some fine dining when I visited Brighton by going to Terre à Terre. If you ever visit try this restaurant out... even if you are a carnivore - you will be surprised. Terre à Terre is actually a vegetarian restaurant but they are very vegan friendly.  So good to have more than one vegan dish on the menu! The wine list is made up of vegetarian and some vegan wines which makes a change from other restaurants.  I didn't need to resort to drinking cider....

The menu was pleasantly eclectic .... stretching around the world for it's influences.  Just up my street for the type of cuisine I am looking for. Starters took in Greek and Columbian, a nod to Yemen and Japan for the main course and a glorious modern on desserts.  My only quibble being the slightly annoying cliched descriptions of dishes.

My starter of arepas chilli candy was a delightful taster but they were not arepas.... or at least the arepas I have had and made in the past.  The description of 'deep fried sweetcorn cakes rolled in chermoula seasoned spice dust served with chilli chelly jelly (???), avocado coriander chilli garlic hash, zesty oregano and lime mojo and candied chilli crackle' was more explanatory of the final dish.

My main course of aubergine baked with sake and tahini was less successful.  The aubergine was a little bland but the vegetable salad dressed in a beautiful sesame and ginger sauce more than made up for the aubergine.

Now to the star dish... the dessert.  A moist orange polenta cake with the most unusual fennel and lemon sorbet.  Candied fennel with a apricot gel, and a beautiful pinenut polenta biscuit all finished off with crunchy fennel seeds. Devine!