Sam’s of Sevendials

I really like eating at Sams of Seven Dials and do so regularly. The price is not much higher than the gastro pub around the corner and the quality of the food is brilliant. I have always eaten during off peak times so have not witnessed the staff under stress but the food is always excellent and the service superb.

This restaurant, formerly just Seven Dials, has been rebranded as Sam’s at Seven Dials, a sister restaurant to the former One Paston Place in Kemptown. We had lunch on Fathers Day, so the restaurant was busy. Service was good, but our ‘tempura battered fish and chips’ were a major disappointment — the batter like soggy cardboard. Maybe this was due to pressure in the kitchen, but it still ruined the meal. Puds were good. Bill for two courses for two people with wine and coffee at £40 would have been good value if the food had been better. We might try them on a less busy occasion, but then again, we might not.

I have eaten here a few times now and I have always had a great experience. This year, I was charged with organising our works Christmas do, and picked Seven Dials as the venue. Now, I felt I was opening myself up to disappointment here as the test of a quality restaurant is how they cope with mass catering. Admittedly, our party was only 11 but this is sometimes enough to trip even the most experienced restauranteurs.
We had to pay a £10 deposit per person, which was a little annoying but I guess that they had to cover themselves in case of any no-​shows. They sent me the Christmas menu and we were asked to pre-​order our food and I had to put together a table plan (oh, the power!!). Again, I prefer to order my food on the day as my tastes can change frenetically depending on my mood but the choice was good and a little different from most bog standard christmas menus.
On the night, the service was very good and the food was exceptional. I went for the beef as a main course (there is only so much turkey you can eat in December) and it was delicious. In fact, the whole table was very impressed with the experience.
Only negative points — side plates but no bread, and £1 per cracker (where is the christmas spirit there??!)
On the whole, Seven Dials remains one of my favourite restaurants in Brighton, although I hear that they are closing for a refurb in January, with a slight change in concept, heres hoping its for the best.

I have found Sevendials on proudrestaurants as it seemed to be the best value steak and the rest of the menu looked fantastic as well. I haven’t booked a table, I thought, midweek can’t be busy anyway… I was right and the meal was brilliant. The only downsize was that it wasnt exaclty what I expected having read the menu, not all the dishes were the same unfortunately. bit disappointing. Overall i would highly recommend it!

You learn a lot from a restaurant when it has to deal with a group. It stretches the team in the kitchen, the waiting staff and the bar. So when 22 of us sat down for a 50^th birthday lunch at Seven Dials last weekend, I was watching to see how they tackled the challenge.
We were in the lovely private room down in the basement where the vault of this former bank used to be. It’s a nice space with a big table and they’d let us decorate the room with balloons and bunting. Fizz was ready, cool and sparkling, on arrival.
Seven Dials is one of the posher restaurants in Brighton. Hardly elite by London standards, but very smart for us raffish, shabby Brightonians. The pre-​starter was an amusing soup in an espresso cup. Cup-​a-​soup. But nice. Next came Gravlax with salad and crab meat. I hope the crab was local but even so it was lovely, even if the avocado purée was entirely superfluous. I tried the ham hock terrine my companion had, and that was sensationally good too. Starter envy.
Next up, the roast rib of beef with veg, spuds and a proper Yorkshire pudding and it hit the spot. There wasn’t any scrimping on the gravy but the meat wasn’t quite pink enough for me. But then you can’t please everyone when it comes to roast beef. Some people like it red raw. Others scorched. I’m very much in the middle.
I was slightly disappointed with the British cheese plate I had, instead of a sweet dessert. It was long on bread and oatcakes and decidedly stingy with the unremarkable cheese. They could liven the fromage up a bit. I couldn’t even tell you what the cheese was. There were no tasting notes or even names on the menu. They just get that cheese out of Waitrose, I reckon.
Being in a group, there wasn’t much control over the wine choice. I thought the house red was a little bit grainy, too dry and unexciting. But a look over the list, and bear in mind I am no sommelier, showed some interesting and not insultingly expensive drink.
It was a good lunch and the team at Seven Dials tolerated and accommodated a rather rowdy and exacting crowd with polish. I’ll certainly go back and report on a dinner for two when I have a few quid to spare.

My girlfriend and I went for valentines and, having paid £98 in advance for our food, expectations were high.
The atmosphere was good, though no effort had been made to romanticise the restaurant — the décor remained untouched. This can be seen as either a good or a bad thing I suppose, though a dimmer light and some more prominent candelabra may have made the evening more special.
The food was exquisite — several courses of varying size, perfectly seasoned and of well-​delivered pacing meaning neither of us felt full until the last bite of our dessert.
We shared a bottle of bubbly and with the obligatory 12% charge — a practice I am not fond of on principle — the meal for 2 came to just over £140.
I didn’t feel I’d been ripped off, but similarly I didn’t feel I’d gotta good value for money. The fish dish, although nice, wasn’t spectacular and I was left wanting perhaps one more dimension to the flavour to really make it a polished dish.
I would eat there again though perhaps not on valentines, simply due to the cost versus the experience.

Seven Dials has a repuation as a classy, quality, and rather expensive restaurant.
Inside, the décor is all rather posh, with solid feeling tables, high ceilings and lots of attention to detail. It certainly feels classy.
The food is reliable, with plenty of classic dishes,. and both times I’ve been impressed with most of it. The one exception was the pigs ears (yes, really),. but that’ll serve me right for being adventurous for the sake of it…

Located on the hectic roundabout it’s named after, Seven Dials restaurant is a very busy place. It’s popular with both locals and tourists, as it’s situated a short walk away from Brighton station making it a hub for foodies from all around. The grub is reliably good and the prices reflect the quality without being unreasonable. Service always comes with a smile so I’d have no problems bringing anyone here. It’s suitable for parents, in-​laws, wife, boyfriend and basically anyone who isn’t adverse to a good meal.

This is a great restaurant to start your night out in Brighton. Just a 10 minute walk up from the station, its a tall and attractive building that sits right on the Seven Dials roundabout.
The service is good but don’t get annoyed if you have a little wait for your courses as they can get busy. The décor is really relaxing and contemporary and the place has a fantastic patio outside which is great for people watching.
When I ate there I had the chicken liver pâté followed by the slow roasted pork belly and both were cooked to perfection. Chef Sam Metcalfe changes the menu every 6 weeks which is great to see as you know he and his team care about getting fresh produce into their dishes.

The restaurant is a mega establishment in a renovated bank just off the Brighton landmark the Seven Dials. The old building means it has lots of character, high ceilings and has been elegantly decorated.
It has a gorge outdoor seating area with posh tables and umbrellas. The menu is pretty swish with champagne sorbet between courses, etc, but a main will only set you back about £15.
Great for a first date or a special occasion, don’t where jeans!

A variety of menus available. The chef is called Sam who devised a full a la carte dinner. The seasons are reflected in the menus. Fish and game plus great wines can be found here. There is a private dinning room on offer.