Sussex restaurant turns back the clock with £35 menu and an unforgettable steak

I didn’t want the last mouthful to arrive.

That is probably the simplest way to describe the steak at The Coal Shed in Brighton. It melted in the mouth and was delightfully moreish.

To find it on a three-course menu, costing £35 per person, made the experience all the more remarkable.

The restaurant is celebrating its 15th anniversary by revisiting some of its original dishes, with a price inspired by its beginnings in 2011. Having tried the results, I already am looking forward to my next visit.

At Clarence House in North Street, The Coal Shed provides relaxing, calming surroundings in which to settle down for a proper meal. Dark, marble-patterned tabletops, upholstered seating and warm lighting help set the mood.

The service was exemplary, matching the standard of the food. There was no sense of being hurried through the courses, leaving time to enjoy both the cooking and the occasion.

The anniversary menu keeps things straightforward: Jacob’s Ladder to start, dry-aged Chateaubriand with beef dripping chips and peppercorn sauce for the main, followed by sticky toffee pudding.

First came the Jacob’s Ladder, a slow-cooked beef short rib with bourbon glaze and pickled cucumber.

The presentation allowed the beef to take centre stage: a substantial piece with a glossy, dark glaze, accompanied by sliced cucumber, red chilli and a small flourish of herbs. Against the pale plate, the colours stood out beautifully.

It was an impressive opening to a meal in which the food was superb throughout. But the main course was the moment that will stay with me.

The Chateaubriand arrived in thick slices, revealing a vivid pink centre beneath a deeply browned exterior. Alongside it sat a pot piled with chunky golden chips, a separate serving of peppercorn sauce and a little greenery.

It looked wonderful. Eating it was even better.

The tenderness was extraordinary. Each mouthful seemed to melt away, and I found myself wanting to make the steak last as long as possible.

The beef dripping chips and peppercorn sauce completed a plate that needed little embellishment.

Dessert brought one of my personal favourites: sticky toffee pudding with beef fat caramel and vanilla ice cream.

A generous scoop of ice cream crowned the dark, individual pudding, beginning to melt down its sides, with the sauce served separately in a small metal jug. It was a suitably inviting finish to this anniversary menu.

The Coal Shed first opened in Brighton in 2011, built around sourcing quality ingredients and cooking over fire. Fifteen years later, this celebration returns to the dishes that helped establish its reputation.

Founder Raz Helalat said: “When we opened The Coal Shed in Brighton in 2011, everything centred around great produce, fire and generous hospitality. Fifteen years later, those values haven’t changed.”

On the evidence of this visit, those principles are serving the restaurant very well.

The anniversary menu costs £35 per person, with an optional three-glass wine pairing available for a further £35. The restaurant says the food menu represents a saving of almost 50 per cent against comparable dishes ordered from its current à la carte selection.

For me, £35 a head for these three courses is a bargain. Add equally accomplished service and an atmosphere that encourages you to relax, and there is every reason to return.

I certainly will. Hopefully while those 2011-inspired prices are still in place.

The Coal Shed Brighton is at Clarence House, 30–31 North Street, Brighton, BN1 1EB. Its OctoberBEST anniversary menu lists availability Monday to Thursday, noon–5pm, during the October 12–25 promotion.