Hove's Tropical Underbelly (From The Argus)

Hove's Tropical Underbelly

8:20pm Sunday 22nd August 2010 in Blogs By Alice Wright - Reluctant Housewife

BALI BEAUTIFUL: Tropical Thunder over Hove

Having been intrigued for over a year now with Hove’s hidden resort spot The Bali Brasserie and it’s attached Tropical Bar I felt a visit was well overdue. I know its not so unusual to have a restaurant serving Malaysian food, but rather the thought of a Tropical Bar intrigued me. I had visions of an exotic bolthole hidden away from prying eyes full of a glamorous clientele who had just stepped off a recently moored yacht. I wasn’t far wrong…

The setting of the place couldn’t be more incongruous. This palace of delights resides in the basement of the imposing residential seafront edifice Kingsway Court and is rather hard to find, well why would you know it was there? It’s subterranean position however, lends it a rather private, exciting air and if I lived in that block I would be thrilled to know that far beneath me was this hidden gem.

We were greeted with a dizzyingly, dazzling display courtesy of the sweeping carpeted bar (reputed to be the longest in Hove) framed in hundreds of tiny mirrors and a huge amount of optics. So this was a Tropical Bar! We certainly weren’t disappointed, the fragrant interior was brilliant, all pink and green, palm and bamboo, and dim lighting.

The older bar staff (no young Saturday staff here!) and a personal touch from the owner who made his way round tables and drinkers offering advice on the food and chatting, made for a warm experience. As did the great food and drink prices. We didn’t try out the restaurant but nearly every one in the bar eventually made their way through to this pink paradise room which I caught a glimpse of but the bar snacks we did try were fantastic. There is also an extensive cocktail list, if you go you must try some and let me know if they come in coconut or conch shells?

It could be seen as a bit old-fashioned. The fag burns in the soft furnishings and a pool table offers a whiff of faded grandeur somewhat but no one here believes its time has past. Relocated in the 1980’s and it still has an incredibly authentically retro feel to it. The clientele, weren’t ‘knowing’ they were genuinely there for good food and service and to perhaps feel slightly glamorous? To keep regulars interested they offer live music, Karaoke and cabaret all with a kind of old-fashioned appeal which suits the venue perfectly. I was slightly dismayed that some very up to date chart music was playing while we were there instead of some Rat-Pack impersonators.

I was reminded a lot of Trader Vics in the basement of the Park Lane Hilton and like that upmarket Tiki Bar, the Bali Brasserie doesn’t have its tongue in its cheek at all! There has been a revival in all things tiki-kitsch recently with the rise of Mahiki and South London Pacific but the Bali Brasserie with its Tropical Bar was there long before and will probably be around for a lot longer.

With its stygian depths, bamboo, palm trees, pink napkins and mirrors The Bali Brasserie and its Tropical Bar evokes thoughts of James Bond, Jilly Cooper and a mint Julep. Which is no bad thing!