insideKENT Magazine Issue 46 - January 2016 | Page 106

GETAWAYS

A TOUCH OF CLASS AT THE
HOTEL DU VIN, BRIGHTON
Ideally situated a pebble’s throw from the beach, a five-minute amble to the iconic pier and
slap bang in the heart of Brighton’s iconic Lanes, why not treat yourself to a touch of class, a
bucketload of chic and a most comfortable stay at Hotel Du Vin? B Y S A M A N T H A G

Despite being hidden away in a little side street
in the oldest part of Brighton, you can’t really
miss the Hotel Du Vin. Lit up with its ambient
green lighting it was almost like stumbling
upon Oz’s Emerald City, the winding higgledy
piggledy Lanes a somewhat hipper alternative
to the yellow brick road and of course the gem
at the end of this journey was the sleek, dapper,
epitome of French style, class and service in
the guise of Hotel Du Vin’s Brighton offering.
One small step into the entrance and the
hubbub of the city and the beach dies away
as the quaint terraced courtyard – perfect for
al fresco dining and summer evening drinks
– tempts you further into this quaint and
interesting gothic-style abode.
The quaint mock tudor building, aptly first
built by a wine merchant, has a labyrinth of
spaces, staircases and rooms which have
been renovated and restored to provide 49
bedrooms, function rooms, private dining nooks,
a trademark Bistro, 24-hour plush residents
only hotel bar and its own ‘Pub’ as well as, of
course, ample cellar and storage space for the
plentiful wines, whiskies and rums on offer.
Ascending the winding staircase and heading
through the corridors to the rooms above Pub
Du Vin, my guest and I were impressed with the
size of our ‘Hepworth’ Junior Suite. Flooded
with light from the large windows (which we
were pleased to see had additional glazing to
aid an even more restful night in this bustling
city) the room proffered a king size bed, full-size
sofa, coffee table, chaise lounge, flat screen
TV, wardrobes and desk (with complimentary
Nespresso coffees) and there was still room to
move! The bathroom was just as impressive
with its roll top bath and huge walk in shower.

Checked in, and with an appetite enhanced
by an afternoon’s meandering, my guest and
I were more than ready for a Sunday evening
dinner at Bistro Du Vin, where rustic hops and
artistic murals meet the sleek combination of
Champagne magnums, dark wood tables,
black leather benches and chairs - creating
not only an interesting visual (aided by the soft
wall and candle lighting) but also a flexible
restaurant space, perfect for intimate dinners
and larger groups.
Settled into our cosy corner table for two, we
perused the choice of dishes from the well
conceived French menu featuring classics
such as moules marinere, French onion soup,
cassoulet, beef bourguignon and steak frites.
We finally settled on the fougasse (garlic bread)
and Shetland scallops to start, which came
with a crunchy sweet mix of red peppers,
onions, tomatoes and olive dressing, and were
swiftly devoured.
For our main course my guest chose the
cote de boeuf, the tender steak is served on
the bone with a choice of sauces. Opting
for the garlic butter he was interested to see
that this was served warm, fragrant and herb
infused in a separate copper dish – and with
some deliciously crisp French fries. I opted
for the plat du jour which, being Sunday, was
a traditional roast of the day; my tender pink
slices of beef came with a divine red wine
jus (which was happily topped up), crisp and
crunchy roast potatoes (which certainly ticked
my roastie high-standards box), Yorkshire
pudding and seasonal vegetables. Had we
opted for an earlier dinner this would have
been accompanied by the formidable Market
Table which offers a heady smorgasboard of
charcuterie, pâtés, rillettes, seafood, vegetables
and salads with fresh breads and dressings.

106

Starting to feel rather full but keen to continue,
we of course decided to indulge in dessert.
Foregoing the tempting tarte tatine, we opted
instead for the profiterole and the traditional
creme brûlée. Presented with the largest
profiterole we’d encountered served with a mix of
chocolate, hazelnut and vanilla ice cream and a
vat o b