No 32 is a unique, all-in-one venue with a menu offering modern dishes with top quality ingredients and a drinks menu with over 40 cocktails. Sounding exactly like my kind of place, I took a visit to try it out.
The Venue
On a quiet lane just off of busy West Street in the heart of Brighton, we found No 32 Duke Street. Once inside we were greeted with an expansive gentleman’s club like restaurant. Brown leather sofas up on the gallery looked like the perfect place to have a drink (or two) with the main restaurant being directly below. The décor was timelessly classic, with photos of James Dean and vintage airplanes setting the vibe alongside dark wooden furniture and a beautiful modern chandelier, leaving with the place feeling industrial but inviting. We were seated in a cosy booth, able to watch the goings on of the restaurant and take in the stylish surroundings.
A gentleman's bar of sorts, that turns into a party den at night.
The Food and Drink
No 32 offers a range of fish dishes and meals from the grill with a range of sides and snacks to accompany. We had mixed olives and spiced nuts (both £3.50) to get us started and were warned by the attentive waiter to beware - some nuts were sweet but some were hot! Both were delicious. For mains, I chose the Truffle Burger (£16) - a juicy pink burger with melted gruyère cheese, caramelised onion, truffle mayo and a fried quail’s egg. Normally one to pretty much inhale my food, I found myself taking my time with this burger because it was that good - I just didn't want it to end! My friend had the Lobster Burger (£17), lemongrass mayo, red pepper and gem lettuce which was an amazing refreshing burger, something a bit different to the usual and so tasty. We finished the meal with a Dark Chocolate and Honeycomb Bar - a rich slab of chocolate with a scoop of the nicest strawberry ice cream I've ever tasted, a mini jam doughnut and marshmallows.
No 32 provides a drinks menu which covers all tastes. Coffees, teas, milkshakes, smoothies, wines, beers, spirits, soft drinks and an extensive list of cocktails - we were spoilt for choice and spent some time deliberating which to go for. Eventually I chose the No 32 (£9.50) a light and fruity cocktail with just a smidge of bitters to add some depth. My friend opted for the Dark and Stormy (£9) - rum and bitters with ginger beer for added spice.
Dishes at No 32 more than exceeded our expectations.
The Atmosphere
No 32 is effortlessly cool. Stopping off for brunch with friends, a casual work lunch or a more intimate dinner, No 32 is the ideal location for whatever you need. The wait staff were friendly and were keen to ensure every part of our evening was to our liking. When I visited, the restaurant was relaxed with mellow music acting as our soundtrack but at the weekend, the tables are cleared to make room for a dance floor, with the place turning into a nightclub open until late. I’ll definitely be planning a night out here soon as it seemed like a great place to party with friends.
Buzzing, even without the party, this is a great addition to Brighton.
Summary
No 32’s mantra is “eat, drink, dance” and whilst I haven’t yet been able to take part in the dancing, I can vouch that you’ll be able to eat a fantastic meal and drink amazing cocktails, designed and created by people who really care about what they do in an elegant venue. If this sounds like you’re kind of thing, I recommend you get yourself to No 32.
