Riddle and Finns Champagne and Oyster Bar

Riddle and Finns Champagne and Oyster Bar
A trip south to London-on-Sea, or Brighton as it's better known, in pursuit of a rare sighting of a culinary hero of mine: Anthony Bourdain.  He is appearing as part of the month-long Brighton and Hove Food Festival, courtesy of City Books who have organised this event to promote his latest book, 'Medium Raw'.  So, for an investment of £6 each we get to spend an hour listening to Tony talk off the cuff about his culinary adventures, ask questions, get our books signed AND get a free glass of wine! With that and a £4 discount off the book, they are almost paying us to be there.  
Afterwards we emerge onto the seafront to a picture-perfect sunset and with an appetite for some really good food.  Now those last few words don't usually go hand-in-hand with Brighton - with a few notable exceptions - so I did a considerable amount of internet trawling before the trip and came up with a pearl.  Amid a sea of fish and chip shops, there is an island of seafood gastronomy and its name is Riddle and Finns Champagne and Oyster Bar.  It is hidden away in the Lanes and we must have circled it several times before finding it - like Diagon Alley, you only find it by magic - and magical it is.  A busy open kitchen overlooks a temple of white tiling where shared tables are the order of the day.  The menu is extensive, if a little pricey, so it takes us a while to fix on selections.  I've a hankering for a fish soup, but first a special of sashimi catches our eyes so we order one to share, along with a bottle of Sauvignon de Touraine (£22).  The trio of raw fish - salmon, tuna and scallop - are as fresh as if they'd just come off the day boat (and probably have) and slide down easily.  Dover Sole, the king of flat fish, is another special, but as befits its royal status, it is a princely price so we pass.  Brill steps in - a much overlooked white fish, Brill can be every bit as meaty as HRH Dover Sole, just maybe not as subtle and certainly not as costly.  Here it is roasted and served with sauteed fennel and a beurre blanc, and does a sterling job as a last minute bench substitute.  My soup is filled with fishy creatures - a meaty langoustine sitting astride a bowl that's chock-a-block with razor clams (delicious), cherrystone clams, mussels and nuggets of what I take to be salmon, mullet and maybe some haddock. All swimming in a hearty cioppino-style broth.  I am a very happy camper working my way through 'til the spoon hits the bottom of the bowl.  Everything is just about perfect, the one slip-up is theside of samphire which is tough and stringy, and which should have been caught by the kitchen (the older stalks need to be pulled off their tough cores before serving), but FOH does the right thing and takes it off the bill.

Riddle and Finns is a wonderful fish restaurant - the sort of place that every seaside town needs - they not only know how to cook fish and seafood, they know how to sell it.  Our table partners had also travelled some distance to enjoy a favourite dish - wok-fried crab - and were clearly enjoying every mouthful.  Elsewhere folk are tucking into giant plates of Fruits de Mer that look like a mermaid's jewel box.  It's no wonder R & F proudly list their endorsements from the likes of Gordon Ramsey on the website.  We're also told Rick Stein raves about it, and, damnit, so he should.  Next time you find yourself in Brighton, make a wish and if you're lucky, you'll find Riddle and Finns.

riddleandfinns.co.uk