Plateau

For more than a decade, Plateau has been the place in Brighton for natural wines and inventive cocktails. While that still holds true, it’s now firmly established as one of the best places for creative small plates too. Its early reliance on sharing platters of cheese and charcuterie as a sop to all that alcohol is a thing of the past; now, there’s a short, regularly changing menu bursting with deliciousness. Whipped cod’s roe (taramasalata to older readers) paired with the verdant, herbal spicy notes of zhoug is an inspired combination, and we’d return just to eat another bowl of the wonderfully comforting baked mushroom rice topped with a hillock of salted ricotta and breadcrumbs. Elsewhere, a pork and duck-liver terrine featuring perfectly tender, full-flavoured meat and some piccalilli (crisp vegetables and a pleasing mustardy punch) proved that the kitchen can be equally adept with the classics . It might sound over the top to describe a simply dressed green salad with pumpkin seeds as ‘thrilling’, but the rustic assembly of robust, bitter and crunchy English and Japanese leaves from NamaYasai Farm in nearby Cooksbridge was exactly that. The intimate dining room, with its stained glass, bare brick walls, wood floors and eye-catching floral displays is a relaxed, casual space that attracts a slightly more mature crowd (during our visit, at least). Tables, big enough to fit the small plates, are closely set but the jazz and funk soundtrack means your conversation won’t be overheard by your neighbours. If you’re not a natural wine expert, it’s worth asking for advice, as not everything on the list is designed to be a crowd-pleaser – although we enjoyed a reasonably priced and well-made organic Grenache Blanc from Potron Minet in the Languedoc.