A new term at university has to be the right time to try new things. I often find that with Brighton the second that I find a nice place to go to, it is then impossible to draw myself away from it and go anywhere else. The vast expanse of wonderful places in Brighton often means that I end up missing out because of this. That's why last night it seemed like the right time to try a new place to eat.
The Blue Man is somewhere that I spotted when I was exploring last week. Located on Queens Road, very close to the train station, the cafe-bar jumps out at you as you pass it. With Moroccan style decor the place is quite literally lit up with an array of lanterns, practically begging you to go inside. Well boy am I glad we did. The atmosphere in the cafe is nicely laid back so you immediately feel at ease. The staff are among some of the friendliest I've come across which is a huge compliment in a place like Brighton. As for the food (which unfortunately was gone far too quickly for me to take any photos of it) all I can say is that you really should put it on your list to try.
We went for a vegetarian shared platter which consisted of falafel, tortilla and halloumi with apple (who would have thought the combination would be so perfect - the pair really should never be separated). To top it off a vegetable tagine which was definitely the highlight. There still remains nothing I enjoy more than mopping up juices of a homemade meal with some soft french bread. Automatically I'm transported to a place of comfort - as if I've lived in that one little cafe for my whole life. My only advice would be not to share! I wish I could have eaten all the delicious food to myself, but if you insist on being a generous person then the platter is great between a couple of you as you have a delicious variety to play around with.
After the Blue Man we headed to The Blind Tiger, which is located opposite the pavilion on the Grand Parade. I sometimes feel like the bar is the best kept secret in Brighton but perhaps I'm simply kidding myself that I'm the only person that's discovered the magic that's held between the walls. Painted blue with an incredible jungle mural on the outside, the bar is hard to miss. Yet it is actually what is beyond the colourfully decorated walls that is really what should be seen. The people inside are always incredibly happy and friendly - expect lots of mad dancing and somewhere where you can really let loose. As your feelings of self consciousness rapidly fade away you find yourself having one of the best nights you can remember.
Stay Sick is a monthly night held at The Blind Tiger that I had been meaning to check out for the past couple of months. Described as 'A night of wild, weird, delinquent filthy fifties & sicksties rock 'n' roll to dance ya feet to the bone to.' it certainly did not disappoint. We arrived late but managed to catch the end of King Salami and the Cumberland Three, a 50s style band whose lead singer seemed to sum up the vibe of the bar nicely as he concluded in his raspy voice that Brighton was 'one of the places in the world where everything is about a smile'. I don't know where else you can go from listening to 50s rock n roll to 70s punk (and of course, anywhere that plays The Clash is good in my books).
With grindhouse b-movies projected on the walls, featuring clips of the gorgeous Bettie Page, and music that frankly does make you just want to move your feet, by the end of the night I felt as if I were a character in a film. This was only aided by the fact that Jan Pehchan-Ho was played (see the clip below from Ghost World) which made me feel like I had been transported into Enid's TV screen. Then on top of that The Coaster's Down in Mexico which has to be my favourite song from Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof, which has one of my favourite soundtracks of any film. I managed to just about resist attempting to reenact the lap dance from the film but if you want to get an idea about how difficult that was I've posted the scene below as well. By the end of the night I was jumping around without a care in the world and dancing in a way that usually is solely reserved for the privacy of my bedroom. I'm left with aching feet and the knowledge that I may have just attended one of the best nights in Brighton. The night ended with Fever and the distinct thought that I will definitely be returning next month!
Ghost World Opening Credits with Jaan Pechechan Ho by Mohammed Rafi
Scene from Death Proof featuring Down in Mexico by The Coasters
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