"I don't need advertising – it sounds
crazy, but I can survive without it.
If people want to know me they can
come and eat and drink and understand me.”
So speaks the man behind The Arrogant
Frog, Rosario Guarneri, who previously made
his mark on the city with his celebrated
restaurant Victors. It is no wonder he has
decided to name his new restaurant after
himself – as he says, “Nobody in this town has
achieved what I achieved six years ago.”
That said, The Arrogant Frog is not the sort
of place where you are going to be made to feel
uncomfortable if you can’t pronounce one of the
French wines from the extensive list, or where
a waiter will tut over your choice of order.
Instead, the restaurant is a very intimate
and friendly venue almost hidden away in the
middle of one of Hove’s busiest streets.
At present, Rosario provides his diners
with a choice of two menus, one offering a
selection of starters, main courses and
desserts for just £20 all in, with a few
supplements for the more expensive dishes.
The restaurant’s small a la carte menu
offers similar main courses to the £20 menu
but starting around the £15 bracket.
As anyone who has eaten in France will
tell you, the general French attitude to
vegetarianism is a resounding “non!”
This is certainly the case with The Arrogant
Frog, with only the desserts, including creme
brulee, French apple tart and a chocolate
mousse, and the French onion soup starter
available for anyone who doesn’t eat meat
or fish.
The restaurant particularly prides itself on
is serving fresh fish, often bought that
morning from the local market.
As Rosario says, “We live so close to the sea
so why serve frozen fish?”
The main courses include steamed sea bass,
lobster, lemon sole and red mullet, with duck on
offer for anyone who prefers a bit of meat on
their plate. Starters include scallops and
salmon, along with the soup.
In terms of atmosphere and look, the food is
the star, so the decor is quiet and laid-back and
the service is gentle and unobtrusive to make
sure the food remains centre-stage.
Subtle French pop plays in the background
to create a little Gallic atmosphere but not so
loudly you cannot hear yourself think.
Unlike most French eateries nobody will be
wafting cigarette smoke out of their eyes –
Rosario has pre-empted the new non-smoking
laws set to come in this summer by asking
smokers to puff outside.
Anyone who just wants to sample the
extensive wine list can sit up at the bar,
although they will not be too far from the
tempting food – and it would be a challenge to
resist some of the gorgeous smells coming out
of the kitchen.
All in all The Arrogant Frog is about letting
the food do the talking. Whether that is
arrogance or just pride in a job well done is up
to the diners to decide.
Review by Duncan Hall
If you are interested in restaurants in Brighton, Hove and Sussex, visit www.theargusfoodguide.co.uk
