I tried the huge outdoor food and drink venue that opens in Worthing every summer

It’s why being invited to review the food and drink on offer at Level 1 in Worthing was such a joy. As my friend and I sat down on the first-floor terrace opposite The Lido, with the sun on our faces and views of the seafront and the sea beyond, we almost convinced ourselves we were abroad.

It’s been an uncertain time for Level 1 in recent weeks, with the sudden closure of the Grafton multi-storey car park that sits behind it due to its structure being ‘unsafe’. It led to some customers assuming the venue was also closed, but in fact the Level 1 site is unaffected and open as usual – Friday evenings and all day Saturday and Sunday.

When we visited on a sunny Saturday evening it was bustling, but we were still able to get a table easily as there are so many. Food and drink can be ordered at two separate counters, or via a web address printed on the menu. Everything is cooked fresh to order on site, and throughout the summer there will be guests taking over the spare kitchen to offer food pop-ups.

We were served by the lovely manager, Mel, who explained that each year the venue tries to make things a bit different, to keep it fresh for customers. They also offer specials and try to come up with ways of letting customers know they’re still open and operating, such as social media posts.

The menu offers staples such as pizzas, burgers, salads and loaded fries, with breakfast served on weekend mornings.

Everything sounded great, but my friend and I opted to share things so we got to try more. We went for a Chicken shop burger and fries (£15) and a Pepperoni pizza (£14) that came with hot honey, plus a portion of chilli cheese fries.

The food came out pretty quickly, and as it was piping hot you could really tell it was fresh. I thought the portions were decent and we loved the strong flavours on all three of the dishes. My particular favourite was the chilli cheese fries, as I loved the seasoning and the addition of pickled red onions. My friend adored the chicken burger, which was really moist.

We struggled to finish the food, but we gave it a really good go as it was so delicious! We washed down our meal with a couple of refreshing spritzes (£8.75 each) – limoncello for me and Aperol for my friend. Both the perfect tipple on a summer’s evening.

Harry Smith, a director of QED which owns Level 1, said the venue was being kept informed about the car park closure by the council.

Explaining how Level 1 came to be, Harry said the team at QED worked with Worthing Borough Council to create something at the unused space on Marine Parade. There are long-term plans to redevelop the whole Grafton site, but in the meantime Harry said Level 1 makes the most of the site.

Harry added: “Over the years we’ve experimented a lot with what works here. We tried winter opening, stretch tents, and different foods. Every season we try to come back with something a bit different, a different iteration, using what we’ve learned and making the experience as nice as possible for people.

"It’s a real buzz down here on a warm, sunny day, when we’re busy, seeing people enjoying themselves. Worthing is a different market to Brighton. It’s not as busy during the weekdays, so now we really focus on Fridays and the weekends and it seems to work.”

For more information, see the Level 1 website.