Lively atmosphere and great value in the bright orange Brighton Restaurant

New addition is Twisted Brisket, unsurprisingly from the same block as Twisted Lemon, one of Brighton’s oldest and most prestigious cocktail bars, tucked away in a small corner at the far end of Duke Street.

I can’t remember what nondescript restaurant or cafe used to be on this site, but you definitely can’t miss Twisted Brisket in all its gorgeous, face-slapping orange glory.

The interior is fairly minimalist with a choice of high and low tables.

To be honest, the interior feels a little like it’s a work in progress, and I suspect it probably is.

Still, the vibe is lively, with an upbeat classic rock soundtrack playing in the background.

As one would expect from a Twisted Crew venue, there is quite an epic cocktail menu to enjoy with items from the menu or simply drop by for a sharpener while shopping.

Cocktails are around a tenner, but from lunchtime to 7pm about half of those are a very reasonable £5.95, which is not to be scoffed at when you consider costs elsewhere.

The floor team is also made up of experienced bartenders so they really know what they are doing unlike some restaurants I might mention.

If I ever needed an excuse for a lunchtime cocktail — which I usually don’t — this was it. I prefer a stiff one, so I chose a “perfect” Manhattan made of whiskey and sweet and dry vermouth.

My thought was that flavor wise it would go pretty well with the vaguely US Deep South themed menu.

Food-wise, the star of the show is, you guessed it, brisket – a classic cut of cow’s breast that melts in your mouth as it’s slowly cooked.

Twisted Brisket Burger

Consisting of a layer of sliced ​​meat with pickles, coleslaw and your choice of sauce, the breast roll hits the spot in flavor and texture.

It was also a pleasure to have a sandwich bun that actually holds together instead of falling apart into half a dozen sloppy pieces. For £8.95 this was a filling and enjoyable lunch.

There are also a few other dishes on the menu, including Thai beef salad and a rather epic-sounding twisted tower sandwich that I think falls into “man vs food” territory.

As it’s Brighton there are also vegetarian and vegan options.

Perhaps the most exciting element of the menu is the variety of side dishes, ranging from £3 to £7.

Loaded fries, corn fritters, macaroni and cheese…these are all things you probably shouldn’t be eating but can’t stop.

Can’t say I was overly impressed with the breaded beef bites, which looked and tasted like they came out of a bag of jerky, but the thinly sliced ​​onion rings were superb, clearly homemade with a perfectly light batter.

Likewise, the fried pickles were on point and will have me coming back for more.

All in all, Twisted Brisket offers a budget-friendly dining experience that’s informal and friendly.

The menu isn’t particularly extensive, but it doesn’t have to be when the food — and cocktails — are this good.

Nick Mosley