Rarely has a new pub integrated itself so quickly with its community as the Westbourne. Locals can barely remember what it was like without the friendly gastro-pub on the corner of Portland Road and Westbourne Street in Hove.

Soon after arriving owners Emma Lundin and Graham Tullett were flooded with customers and the business was the talk of the neighbourhood.

Emma and Graham, a couple as well as business partners, say people living in Poets Corner were so pleased to see the pub’s refurbishment and other changes they made a point of coming in to welcome them to the neighbourhood.

The Westbourne, formerly the Aldrington, is the first pub the pair have owned but they have run food outlets for years in Brighton, other parts of the UK and as far away as Australia.

Now in their mid-30s, they have both worked in hospitality since their teens and have trotted the globe together.

Chef Graham has designed a varied menu, inspired by flavours from around the world. Choose from a selection of Asian and European dishes including potato and goat’s cheese dauphinois (£6), Portobello mushroom risotto (£6.50) and Malaysian-style dhal (£5.50).

All ingredients are sourced locally where possible, with a heavy reliance on the fish market on Hove seafront and a butcher in nearby Richardson Road.

Food is served in the rear, larger room which has a relaxed, open-plan feel, while a separate room at the front feels like an intimate and traditional pub.

Eventually the two rooms will be combined and the kitchen will be moved from upstairs to the rear room.

Apart from giving the exterior and interior of the huge Victorian building a dramatic makeover, Emma and Graham have been researching the history of the pub. Thought to have been built in the 1870s, the venue was originally called The Madeira Tea Rooms.

At one time it may have been a Masonic Hall, a coach house, a stables or a church.

It is thought that most of Westbourne Street was built shortly before 1891 and i s named after a stream running beneath the road. Until recently, it was home to Emma’s mum, so the landlords felt like locals before they even moved into the pub.

Review by Rachel Pegg

• If you are interested in restaurants in Brighton, Hove and Sussex, visit www.theargusfoodguide.co.uk