The Gallery Bistro

Roast Dinner: £9.95 - £10.95
Avg drinks prices: Bottle cider £4.10; bottle lager £3.95; soft drinks £1.80
Desserts: £3.95 - £4.95

The Gallery is a pretty little place.  Formerly a clothes shop, it resides in a cool part of Church Road - just down from the bustle of George Street, a short walk from the sea and just across from the Town Hall.  Resplendent in multi-coloured leather, a verbal description of the decor doesn't really do it justice.  Bright, clean lines and an open-plan interior make this a welcome and refreshing change from the usual Sunday roast venue; the sun shines through the large windows and the high ceilings make everything echo in a slightly school-hall way, though this is not a bad thing - the chatter and the sound of cutlery on plates is reassuring.  Wi-Fi enabled and pet friendly, The Gallery should be bursting at the seams with patrons.  However, on our visit - a sunny, bright Sunday; early lunchtime - it was eerily quiet.  Bar another couple sitting to eat a late breakfast and an older lady with a laptop and a dog, we were the only people indoors.  Granted, the small outdoor terrace that spilled onto Church Street did fill up with early-afternoon coffee drinkers as the hour rolled on, which made me pleased for the manager of the place.  Why?  Because The Gallery is good.  It deserves the business.  A compact, clear menu boasting locally sourced, fresh produce is mouth-watering.  An evening offer of a 3-course set menu for £15 promises delights for the local gastronome and at a bargain price.  The decor is beautiful and they even have a jazz band three nights a week.  However, far be it from me to attempt to critique the place further - I'm here to focus on the roast.

My friend and I plumped for the beef; my partner the pork belly.  The menu simply says 'roast dinner with all the trimmings'; so I assume that the selection changes.  The waitress seemed friendly enough, if a little shy as she asked me how I wanted my beef cooked.  This is a first for me - usually I simply shout 'beef!' from a hungover state in the corner, and 30 minutes later it arrives.  Not this time - I found great pleasure in knowing my beef was going to arrive medium-rare, just how I like it.  We grabbed three Savanna ciders - as this is a bistro, don't expect ales or down-to-earth lagers - which came duly served with lemon and a glass with ice.   It was a welcome change again from a pint of Stowford, and I appreciated the light drink as we chilled at the table, the sun shining through the window behind us. 

The food rocked up twenty-five minutes later - an admirable amount of time to wait.  Not too long, but long enough to know that you're not being given food shovelled from a pre-cooked vat of slop sitting there since the early morning.  However, when it was placed in front of me I was distressed - nay, distraught - nay, destroyed - to see that my dinner - my roast beef dinner - was severely lacking in Yorkshire pudding.  What fresh hell was this?!  On questioning the waitress, I was told that The Gallery do not serve Yorkies.  (This needs to be changed, as I feel it clouded my entire view of the food from thereon in.)  Begrudgingly, I poured on my gravy and duly accepted that this Sunday was going to be Yorkie-less.  Gutting.  However, my partner's pork was crispy and nicely browned, glistening with sea-salt and smelling delicious.  My beef - more of a steak than a cut of a roast - was succulent; nicely browned on the outside and moist and pink in the centre - a perfect medium-rare cut.  My friend's steak was the same, which led me to believe that this was the work of an accomplished chef, not just some guy in the kitchen who got lucky.  However, I did feel like I was tucking into a strange steak dinner rather than a roast; no bad thing as I love steak, but the whole 'roast' feel just wasn't there. 

The veggies were simple but perfectly cooked - broccoli, carrots and roasties with a serving of green beans for good measure.  Simple, honest veggies that had evidently come from someone's allotment.  They were crunchy and hot, better than mum makes, but there was no artistry involved.  In previous pubs I've been party to honey-roast carrots; spiced cabbage; buttered peas - I suppose I've been spoiled.  It wasn't at all bad; just a little plain for my liking.  Simple.  Clean.  But not a gastronomic adventure.  I so wanted my food to blow me away - the menu itself made me want to abandon the roast altogether and plump for one of their many delicious combinations - but I was left feeling a little disappointed.  The chef could benefit from a little after-hours experimenting with different flavours and combinations of veg to really make the roast pop, especially as they have to contend with a lack of Yorkshire.

We didn't stay for dessert, but what we did see on the menu did seem reasonably priced and sounded delicious - from creme brulee to chocolate brownie, it was all simple, hearty, sugary goodness. 

It's hard for me to decide where to place The Gallery on the ratings board.  On the one hand, it's a beautiful place - the decor is second to none - and the location is very good.  The food is well-cooked and not at all soggy or sloppy.  From the limited selection I saw being rolled out from the main menu, the food seemed bright, burting with colour and flavours and arty on the plate - however, as a roast joint?  I'm not so sure.  As I said earlier, it felt more like a steak dinner, which would have been fine if that was what I'd ordered.  The whole plate needed more adventure, experimentation and ambition.  And Yorkies!  Sacrilege, that's what it is...  I'm not sure roasts are their forte.

I will be going back to The Gallery, for sure, but I'm going to take advantage of their excellent set menu and some light jazz.  I think that you should, too - it really does have a great atmosphere.  I think that is where this little bistro's talent will really lie, and I fully expect to have a great time.

6/10

115 Church Road, Hove BN3 2AF
Tel: 01273 777488
10% service charged added for parties of 4 or more; booking recommended for large parties
Credit/debit cards accepted
http://www.gallerybistrohove.co.uk/