Dj Patch visits Aydo Lounge and Grill Brighton Marina. During September I was invited along to the one month anniversary day at AYDO Lounge & Grill at Brighton Marina, the former site of Coast-to-Coast restaurant, which is now re-invigorated, freshened up, and really unique. The venue offers Turkish and Middle Eastern dining, with a super authentic feel, from the staff to the background music, the greenery and the impressive looking menu. I felt that I had instantly been transported abroad. Owner Aydin came straight over to the table to greet me with a warm hug, and told me, “We want to create something independent, we are not a chain, and we want the people to have fresh food… everything is prepared daily. We are working with all the local suppliers; one of them being fish coming fresh daily”. First up Aydin brought me out some starters. I can honestly say I’ve never had halloumi that creamy, hummus that exciting, littered with fresh pomegranate seeds and the peppers which I hadn’t heard of before were great, fried and salted to balance out their natural sweetness; a real revelation for me. I can’t wait to try these again. The revamp of this venue is gorgeous. There’s some nice art, lots of plant life, the odd neon sign plus an open bar and kitchen where you see everyone hard at work. The terrace with unrestricted views of the boats and water is something that remains eternally breathtaking. I must also mention the incredibly comfy seating, subtle but effective lighting, the smell of fresh sizzling food but also an allure of some expensive perfume lingers too. Then came a little seafood section. The venue offers extensive fish dishes, from tiger prawns to sea bass, lobster to salt fish, salmon to squid. I decided to try a staple; the Calamari, which I find can so easily teeter on rubbery. Nope, not here, but cooked and seasoned perfectly with a great fresh salad accompaniment, and then I took owner Aydin’s offer of a surprise. He came out with grilled octopus tentacle. I have never ever tried this, and frankly never intended to, but I have to say, it was lovely. Much smoother than I had anticipated and not overpowering at all, hints of garlic, basil, and mint really kept me at ease as I love these flavours and they really shone through. I’m not sure I would order it every time, but i’ll definitely remember this culinary adventure forever. aydorestaurant.co.uk
Words by DJ Patch
Photo by Andria Allan PR
