Kindling has been around since 2019 and is run by chefs and best friends Holly Taylor and Toby Geneen. And although it’s kept itself to itself a little when it comes to the Brighton food scene, it’s got a great location and continues to be popular, not least since its inclusion in the 2022 Michelin Guide.
It’s a bright, airy space designed with a soft Scandinavian palette and minimalist decor. Plants hang from pine planters around the ceiling and element bulbs glow in nicely designed sconces on the walls. Wood floors match harmoniously to the light tonal tiles of the bar, with glassware glittering around the perimeter of the open kitchen. There’s excellent multi-layered string artwork by Perspicere (a friend of Holly and Toby) filling the gaps and it all feels pretty cool.
The menu itself comprises four snacks, eight plates, two sides and two desserts. It’s a small plates concept but, interestingly, these are not designed to be shared. There’s a mix of classic small plates and some more creative modern dishes using plenty of local ingredients, foraged produce and high-quality goods.
Seasonality is at the forefront of Kindling’s concept
In amongst the small plates they also offer, a little strangely perhaps, a full-size burger and chips, which presumably is to satiate the clientele who perhaps don’t understand the concept so well. Either way, the menu is concise but made with dishes sure to please most that come in expecting that kind of food.
Just like their food menu, all elements of their drinks offering are made from scratch in house; any syrup or garnish that can be made, is, and made with the seasonality that’s at the very forefront of the restaurant’s concept. That, plus their focus on sustainability, provenance and minimal waste forms part of an ethos that runs fluidly throughout the entire experience; it’s the future of small restaurants and very ‘on trend’.
We opted to start our meal with a mezcal & sours cocktail – it was nice and refreshing with the typically delicious smokiness of mezcal, nicely balanced with fragrant pink peppercorns and sour orange. Not too punchy but well-rounded and satisfying.
Honey and oat soda bread
The honey and oat soda bread is wholesome, crumbly and has a nourishing homely feel about it. It’s quite dense, as is the style, but has a good malty flavour with the addition of oats and honey making it almost cake-like. Personally, we would have loved a nice warm chunk of it rather than the three thin slices, but that’s down to personal preference. Served with a lovely rocher of cultured butter with crunches of maldon salt throughout, it was tasty and left us wanting more! It’s great to see a different, more adventurous bread serve to the norm.
Plaice and trout fish cake
The cake is served minimally (a running theme) with a small tangle of remoulade on a large plate. It’s very subtly flavoured with the more prominent plaice and a little of the trout flavour coming through, complemented by a gentle citrus-y finish. The flavour of the fish is a little bit lost in this instance but, as with most things here, it’s scaled back. The simple remoulade completes the dish, without it it might be a little dry.
With great produce, you don’t always need to work too hard
Grilled romanesco cauliflower
This comes nicely blackened and smokey from the grill. Again, the flavourings are very subtle, making it almost difficult to distinguish exactly what made up its parts. The cauliflower is well-cooked and dressed in a fermented red pepper sauce with toasted almonds. It’s earthy and reserved, quite tasty and, ultimately, ingredient-led. It was served with an apple purée, which was light but maybe didn’t feel part of the dish.
Cured chalkstream trout
The vibrant orange trout (which I’m sure is top quality and local), is cured lightly and is, at its core, a celebration of itself. It’s a dish which won’t break any boundaries, but with great produce there isn’t always the need to work too hard with it. The crème fraîche is, again, very subtle in flavour but the house pickles are sharp and tangy. It’s a scantily clad dish which could do with just a bit more of everything to make it really come alive. But maybe we just want too much of a good thing.
Longhorn beef burger
This one threw us a bit as it was the only dish lacking in the subtlety we came to expect from Kindling. They use VERY aged longhorn beef (with a 50:50 fat-to-beef ratio we’re told), so the patty has that distinct pungent aged-parmesan taste. Delicious if you like aged beef. However, the grind of the mince was a little coarse and the patty a little thick for our taste, as we were left with larger unrendered chunks of fat.
But again, carnivores with a taste for the age should get on just fine. The Ogleshield cheese is just as strong, making the burger a bit challenging as it didn’t have much in the way of counterbalance. The fries were great (not sure if they’re made in house) and the ketchup (definitely made in house) was delicious. It’s just an odd addition to a menu of light and delicate small plates as, well, it’s a full-size, cheese-oozing beef burger.
Overall, the meal was thoughtfully presented, nicely cooked and showcased quality ingredients. We were maybe hoping for a little more punch from some dishes (and perhaps a touch less on the burger), but like the restaurant itself, almost everything is pared back, Scandi and minimalistic.
Things are served in their most basic form, championing produce over punch, so don’t go expecting all big flavours. But in their stead you’ll find top-notch produce and simplicity. It can at times feel a bit expensive, but when you consider the quality of ingredients they say they use, it’s completely understandable, especially in the difficult climate restaurants are currently having to negotiate. To sum up: it’s a gorgeous restaurant with great wine, great cocktails, sleek food and great service.
Kindling
69 East Street, Brighton BN1 1NQ
kindlingrestaurant.com
By Jack Southan
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