The Victory Inn

Roast Dinner: £9.95-£11.95
Avg drinks prices: Bottle cider £4.05; pint lager £3.90; soft drink £2.30

The Victory is one of my favourite pubs in Brighton. With its open fire, welcoming atmosphere and distinctly 'old man' feel, it retains a lot of character that many bars *coughNewWetherspoonscough* lack nowadays.  With a friendly staff, limited floor space, funny old layout and varied, charity-shop decor, one gets a sense of coming home when they walk through the doors.  It's always warm, there's always someone to chat to and even though it's in the centre of Brighton, it's rarely frequented by idiots - though maybe that has something to do with Shrek, the formidable doorman who can be found there every weekend without fail. Serving real ales, a large selection of wonderful-but-expensive ciders and hosting an annual cheese-and-cider festival, the place attracts a specific but comfortable clientele.  One gets the sense that they could grab a space on the sofa and stay there all afternoon - a great little Winter retreat, though they do have a small terrace out back for the smokers and sun worshippers amongst you.

Recently, The Victory has earned it's Five-Star Score on The Door, which means that it kicks ass when it comes to cleanliness in the kitchens and throughout the bar.  This meant I just had to sample the food.  I started by checking out their chicken burger earlier this year and wasn't disappointed - no processed sh*te in this place; just succulent, perfectly-spiced breast atop a herby ciabatta with glorious wedges of potato.  It was an excellent start, and a good indicator of what was to come when roast time came round.

Here, it's good old-fashioned order at the bar - though the waiting staff are happy to help if needed.

When we finally decided to make our way down there one sunny afternoon, we were delighted to see that they were serving an adventurous menu including ostrich and zebra.  The chef was obviously feeling confident and I always appreciate a deviation from the norm.  However, this doesn't mean I'm always brave, and eventually the lemon and herb chicken tempted me away from the more frivolous options - I mean, come on - who can resist half a chicken?!  I let my good friend Ray sample the ostrich for me and my partner settled for the lamb.  Oddly enough, The Victory also provides veggies with the option of fish pie, which to my veggie friends is a welcome change from nut roasts and mushrooms.  Inspired choice, chef.  All roasts come with 'all the trimmings', and the trimmings sounded phenomenal - creamed parsnips with black pepper, roast potatoes, cabbage, honey roast carrot and the all-important Yorkie.  We were expecting great things to arrive not long after.

When the food arrived we were not disappointed - the wait was adequate to know that the chef hadn't shoved anything into the microwave but not so long that we became bored or, in my case, rage-filled due to hunger.  The food looked succulent, crisp and fresh with a thick, dark gravy filled with herbs.  The Yorkie sat atop, nothing especially huge but still resplendent and soft, keeping slightly crispy edges.  My chicken was crusted with herbs, crisp skin splitting to reveal moist flesh below.  It was an entire half, too - leg and all.  It tasted awesome.  Slightly lemony but not overpowering, with a distinct tast of thyme, it melted off the bone and worked well with the peppery creamed parsnip, which was unusual, but awesome.  The skin was something else - I rarely eat chicken skin but, like The Bath Arms, this was lovely - subtly salted and giving off lovely flavours.

Ray's ostrich - well, I find it hard to comment as I've never really looked at ostrich before.  I have to say, it looked like beef, though a little purple at the edges.  According to Ray, it was 'okay, but a little dry - though I'm not sure that's the chef's fault.'  It did look a little less appetising than the others, mainly due to it being cut like the pre-packed roast beef you get in W**herspoons, but again, I'm not sure that's the chef's fault.

Dan's lamb was crusted with garlic and rosemary, and it was slightly pink, crisp at the edges and thickly cut.  He remarked 'ooh, that's good', whilst devouring a mouthful; praise indeed from such a man.  I did sample a portion and it was lovely - not fatty at all, not chewy - just soft, herby and delicious.

However.  This was not the perfect roast.  And when the letdown came, boy, was it a big one.

The potatoes looked well-done; from the outside they were crisp, slightly charred and waxy.  I was really looking forward to eating them.  However, when I cut into them, they were dry and powdery and needed the assistance of the remaining gravy to help allay the arrid texture.  With the meat, they were ok, but nothing more than just that - ok.  I was expecting phenomenal, and I felt truly let down. After all, spuds are, following the meat and Yorkie, the most important part of the plate - no?

On the whole, though, the portion was a good size and you do get your money's worth at this place.  They don't scrimp on veg - I had a good five carrots on my plate and a hearty lump of cinnamon-spiced cabbage - and they don't drizzle the gravy on, like some pubs do.  You have to hand it to them, they're not stingy.

I do feel that I have to remove some marks from this place for the prices of beverages, though.  Over £4.00 for a bottle of cider might be the shape of things to come in Brighton, but I really do resent it.  It's one of the most expensive 'old man' venues in the city and you do pay for the atmosphere.  A night out post-roast could end up costing a packet.  However, if it's what keeps the idiot army out, then I suppose I should be all for it.

7/10

6 Duke Street, Brighton BN1 1AH
Tel: 01273 326555
Credit/debit cards accepted
Limited seating; get there early