The Real Eating Co, Hove

After nearby restaurant ‘Graze’ losing our booking we decided not to let it spoil our day and found our way to ‘The Real Eating Company’ down the road. I’ve been here before and always felt it was overpriced. However they were quiet and we were hungry so we decided to give it a go.

This place is a far cry from the stuffy tiny restaurant that we almost ate in. With high ceilings and big windows and a lovely airy feel it’s just a great place to visit.

The staff were lovely from the moment we went in till we left. Our food was tasty and presented very well and not as expensive as I had remembered. Forgetting desert we ended with coffee’s all round and everyone through they we’ve very nice. A nice touch is the chocolate pieces on the cappuccinos which I prefer to cocoa.

It's just a great place to go for a light snack or coffee and cake and it is definitely somewhere I would come back too. I like casual dining and I like looking out of big windows onto the weird and wonderful city that is Brighton & Hove and this place is perfect for that.

Maybe I just didn’t see them but apparently the Real Eating Company had no reviews on Qype prior to this one. This is very surprising, as it’s well known as one of Hove’s premium cafes. Sitting opposite Starbucks like a Yorkshire Terrier to an Alsatian its profit margins are probably tiny by comparison, however, its quality is unquestionably superior. This isn’t to jump on the usual anti-Starbucks bandwagon, as I’m not necessarily adverse to corporate coffee, but when people argue that multinationals create a monopoly in the coffee market I usual point to the Real Eating Company as an example of why this isn’t always true. While it’s more than just a coffee shop, The Real Eating Company is competitive because it’s simply a well-run business that thrives on its attention to detail. With a cracking kitchen, serving by far the best breakfasts in the area, it’s got a lot to offer. With a set of time-appropriate menus you can visit at anytime of day with assurance you’ll receive top quality service and food (service ends at 9.30pm.) The usual range of breakfast dishes are available, including the best eggs Benedict you’ll ever have, all cooked to perfection and well presented. Its skilful design gives it a casual yet professional atmosphere. All this does come at a price however, as it’s certainly on the expensive side. That said it’s definitely worth it, as the price is in proportion to its quality. The only downside is that hot drinks only come in one size. Apart from this there is no reason not to visit. Everyone who lives nearby or is just passing through should eat here at least once. If not just to sample the delights hidden in their specialist cheese shop upstairs. Locally sourced ingredients, great cooking and friendly service make this a must-see for all foodies.

A great little place for drink and a bite. The staff are always particularly friendly and polite and their coffee is the best I've found in this area.

I love this place -- it's cozy and modest. I've been here many times and have always had perfect service - pleasant, polite and fast. The lattes, hot chocolates and other drinks are always delicious. But I'll always be back for their amazing brownies.

I really wanted to love this place having passed it so many times.

I chose this place for a dinner date and seeing the menu and that it catered for a variety of tastes and flavours thought it was the best place to go for a Saturday eve and booked a table.

On arrival, the place was not that busy and the young staff member looked to place us right next to another couple - because there was two of us doesn't mean we have to have one of those tables for two!

We asked if we could sit at another table nearby (places for 4) to allow some privacy.

The Manageress could see our decision made utter sense and allowed us to sit at that table. No one else came in that evening so the choice was right.

The Manageress took over looking after our table, she was great - attentive and giving advise where we needed it.

We shared a Charcuterie board which didn't disappoint.

For the mains, I went for the Gnocchi, fancying a vegetarian option. I am sorry to say this dish was a disappointment.
Instead of firm potato flour balls, they were more like fluffy yorkshire puds. I can understand what they were trying to achieve but they failed.
The matching vegetables failed to lift and there was a sense to much oil was used.

Perhaps it wasn't one of their signature dishes or a change of chef so really, though the experience was fine, the food was somewhat lacking.

I will try it again though!

This is a friendly place on Western Road. I have not actually lunched or dined there but regularly go there for afternoon coffee and cakes (!) as it has more character than Starbucks across the road. There is also a small shop/deli upstairs, selling a small selection of cheeses, charcuterie, honey, chutney, etc. On sunny days you can eat outside on the pavement but Western Road has quite a bit of traffic so personally I prefer to stay indoors!

Yesterday we had a very disappointing experience here with a group of 12 of us, 8 of whom were clients.

The service was as if we were putting them out by being a large group (please don’t take our booking if we are a difficult size for you to cope with) - some huffing when we needed extra tables, a distinct feel we were being hassley rather than about to spend over £150.

The food took about an hour to arrive, with no update from the staff, by which time happiness levels were rapidly falling. I asked politely for an update on when the food might arrive, and received a description of ‘well it is lunchtime and you are a large group and…’ to which I replied ‘I understand, I’d just like an update on when it will arrive if possible’. The update came back promptly.

The food arrived quite soon afterwards, but the feedback from our group wasn’t good: my food was reasonable, but to my right a client said hers was ‘a bit burnt’ and one of my colleagues felt that there was hardly any fish in her dish.

There was an overall sense of disappointment. And for a first day’s lunch with a new client, at an expense of £165, and with no sense of apology or regret from the waiting staff, I was thoroughly disappointed.