Giggling Squid kindly invited us down to review a midweek meal and I decided to see if Marta could join me as while I love giggling, I’m not so keen on squid. Thankfully Marta is and was delighted to help me out.

I had visited the Hove branch a few years ago but I’m embarrassed to admit that I had never been to the Brighton one, even though it is about 2 minutes away from our office. I guess that’s both the good and the bad thing about working in The Lanes, you have so many options on your doorstep that it’s difficult getting to all of them! What a problem to have, eh?

After a pre-dinner visit to The Mesmerist, it was time for dinner and while summer has finally arrived and the restaurant does have some seats outside we opted to dine indoors. Partly so we could have a nose at the décor but also because I had no intention of sharing any of my dinner with a seagull.

The Brighton Giggling Squid was the first one and is housed in a charming old fisherman’s cottage, the building is narrow, so the owners have sensibly opted for a light & bright design. The chic, floral interiors would surely brighten up even the dullest day, although when we were there sunshine was streaming in through the windows making us feel like we were on holiday rather than it being just another Wednesday.

Now it was time to study the menu, and study is the correct word as there is an impressive selection available. Initially there was a hush as we took it all in, quickly followed by each of us taking it in turns to say what we fancied but then realising that we can’t actually eat everything on offer, so we were going to have to be decisive. There are nibbles and sharing platters available, but we decided to take the more traditional route of ordering our own starters and mains. For me, if duck spring rolls are on the menu, then I need to order them, the fact that these were even called Yummy Duck Spring Rolls sealed the deal. After some pontificating Marta went with the Crispy Squid.

As you may have noticed Marta is no stranger to this blog and often writes reviews on here as well, however this time I’d said she was welcome to sit back and relax and I’d do the review. After the meal I realised we both take a different approach to reviewing - I’m not very good at describing what I had so all I can tell you is that the duck spring rolls are accurately named as they were yummy in my tummy.  Marta on the other hand sent me this: “Crispy tantalising squid with a firm bite and zesty dip is all you need to start a summer’s evening.”  Let’s see how we fare with the main course...

Actually, before I tell you what we ordered I realise I forgot to mention something about the menu that I thought was an extra lovely touch. As mentioned, there is a lot of choice there’s: Classic & Special Curries, Stir Fries, Signature Dishes as well as all the sides. It’s great to have plenty of options but it can sometimes be overwhelming, which is why I love the highlighted Giggling Squid Favourites, it’s a simple way to help narrow down the options. In fact, in the end both my starter and main courses were GS Favourites, for my main I chose the Sticky Chicken which is not just a favourite, it's the owner's daughter's favourite. Marta on the other hand did not need the help of the 'favourites' option, perhaps because she has visited more regularly or simply because she’s an independent lady either way Marta's pick was the King Prawn Pad Thai.

My Sticky Chicken was a bowl of bite-sized chunks of crispy fried chicken, the stuff the colonel could only dream of creating. I thought I should order a side as well and initially I was going to embrace the stickiness with a side of Sticky Rice but then I spotted the Garlic Pepper Steamed Noodles and went with those instead. The chicken was lovely, but I’d have honestly been happy with just the noodles as they were essentially a garlic delivery system and I love garlic. But what about Marta’s Pad Thai? Don’t worry she sent me her thoughts on the main as well: “Classic Pad Thai is so well-known that it could be boring but it’s so moreish that I couldn’t say no” I can confirm the plate was cleared so she definitely enjoyed it.

When our friendly waiter returned with the dessert menu, I nearly did the sensible thing and say no thank you I’ve had enough food, but we decided we should at least have a look. I’m always tempted to squeeze in a dessert, especially if there is a chocolate option but equally, I don’t want to make myself uncomfortable. You could always share a dessert but then you both need to agree and then there’s the awkward thing of wanting to eat more of it but not wanting to seem like you’re having more than your fair share. Well, here is where Giggling Squid have added another clever addition to their menu. They offer miniature versions of a couple of their most popular desserts; this is such a great idea as I probably would have ended up saying no to pudding as I would have struggled with a full-size one and I hate the thought of waste. But rounding off the evening with a sweet little treat? Yes please! This time we both went for the Mini Melting Heart Chocolate Dessert & it was lovely, gooey chocolate with a molten chocolate core, hmmm.

Giggling Squid started back in 2002 and it’s no surprise that it’s still as popular as ever, the Brighton restaurant is full of nooks, crannies, and special enclaves (thanks Marta!) so if you’re on a romantic date you can find a cosy corner but equally there’s space for groups too and definitely plenty of choice. In fact, Marta & I decided we’ll need to return in the autumn as we had our eyes on the Red Duck Curry and the Slow Cooked Beef but decided they were too heavy for a warm summer’s evening.

Although why take mine or Marta’s word for it? Book now and even if you don’t like squid, you’re sure to have a great night of giggling while eating yummy food: www.gigglingsquid.com

Charlotte  

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^{Large professional image at the top of the page was kindly provided by Giggling Squid, photos within in the post were unprofessionally taken by the reviewer.}