HAUS ON THE HILL, BRIGHTON
I don’t know about you but for me, the thought of a roast dinner conjures up memories of brisk Sunday walks with the family before docking at our foodie destination. These walks were often met with objection since they usually involved surviving the extreme elements we see here on this small island. However, someone (*cough*, my Dad) insisted it was a great idea and used food as the motive for our physical efforts. Now this is significant in my review because instilling these survival instincts from a young age somewhat paid off, and I’m about to tell you why.
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Those that are familiar with Hanover, in particular Southover Street, will be very familiar with that heinous climb to get to the top of it, not to overshadow the fact it’s actually home to several contenders for Brightons’ thriving roast dinner scene. Numerous times I’ve marched my way from Hove in the knowledge I’ll be rewarded with some glorious pub grub, notably by The Geese (which is actually only about a quarter of the way up but the ascent up to it is not to be sniffed at). If I know it’s good, I’ll go the extra mile for it. When we looked at the walk from West Hove to Haus On The Hill, we noticed that this was even further at the very top of the hill. Now to add to this, the nation was falling at the feet of an intense extratropical cyclone. Yep, this was the weekend Storm Eunice hit the streets and flipped all of our wheelie bins. On this occasion I did accept that sadly, it might be better to accept defeat and drive to our destination. Another thing to note is that parking around here is renowned for its difficulty but while the odds were against us, we persisted in our mission.
We had a brief battle against the storm having found a parking space up the road by Queens Park, so it felt like we were walking into a beacon of light as we entered the pub. You walk into the pub’s saloon style bar as soon as you enter, so there was an irony as we walked in like two dishevelled cowboys having experienced the madness outside. Fortunately, Haus On The Hill exuded comfort from the moment we walked in. Despite its comforting aura the pub was actually packed with people, indicative that this was a beloved neighbourhood hangout. Britpop beats and charming nicknacks brought this homely feel, not to mention the friendly at ease welcome from the bar staff who, while rushed off their feet, still shared a cheery smile. I’m not much of a beer drinker, but it’s worth noting that the pub is run by Brighton’s original craft brewery, Brighton Bier, so you’ll find award-winning fresh pours to enhance the community spirit here.
Following a brief pre-meal Instagram stalk, it occurred to me that there’s a unique twist to the kitchen here thanks to resident chef Danny O’Shea, who has been a permanent fixture since January 2020. My research uncovered Caribbean classics like jerk spiced chicken and curried goat - what were we in store for with a roast?! I hadn’t tried Danny’s food previously, but his hearty roast dinners have seemingly developed a devout following just as much as his Bajan classics. I couldn’t wait to discover what was in store. The menu reads exactly as you would expect with the traditional offering of meats such as the renowned roast belly of pork which comes complete with liberal amounts of crackling, as well as vegetarian options with a butternut squash Wellington and a Vegan nut roast. I was half-tempted by the Veggie Wellington but the fear of missing out drove me to ordering the beef. My friend, on the other hand, ordered the half-roasted chicken in lemon and thyme.
To me, the perfect roast dinner means nailing the supporting act of the veggies, the yorkies and of course the gravy. Anything short of great accompaniments then I’m left disappointed and unlikely to return. Each element to the roast should be well-executed yet almost clumsily dished up. Tidy, yes, but not clean. Nobody wants a dainty plate of food after surviving the harsh outdoors! Fortunately, Danny’s cooking delivered and we looked at each other wide-eyed as we saw mountainous plates of food walking towards us. The beef was presented as three strong cuts of meat (forget the dry, flaky end cuts you might get elsewhere) served slightly pink and succulent so the centre melted in your mouth. The half-roasted chicken had a superbly crisp skin with a subtle, smoky seasoning and juicy tender meat as you cut into it.
We all live for a yorkshire pudding, whether it’s traditional or not to have it with anything other than roast beef. To my friends' delight, both our plates arrived with that savoury golden saucer piled high on top. These were as you hope with a crunchy exterior and buttery, fluffy centre. Lifting the yorkie to judge all the accompaniments was like lifting the lid of a treasure chest. Here there were more than just braised red cabbage and sauteed greens, but even sides you wouldn’t always expect from a standard Sunday roast. It was a real treat to uncover goodies like complimentary pigs in blankets and oozing cauliflower cheese - something more often than not you need to order as an additional side dish. It was like Danny knew we had endured those bleak winter winds outside, and we were very well-looked after indeed.
The root veggies such as the roasties and the parsnips were different from the usual aesthetic, with a distinct curcumin hue. Assumedly these were given a dusting of turmeric, but they by no means fell short of tasty and were well-texturised. Most-pleasing was that gravy was provided individually and in generous quantities, so we could continue pouring as we ploughed through our plates. The unami, salty contents were the savoury icing on the cake.
It’s fair to say we succeeded in docking at this safe haven from the storm, and I’ll definitely revisit if there’s promise of such foodie reward.
Open Tuesday - Sunday, reservations here.
