Whilst you might have considered the
seaside town of Hastings to be something of a chic bijou hideaway, a recent
visit to that part of the coast on a weekend getaway proved it to be anything
but. In fact, after three days of
inhaling air perforated with the smell of rotting fish and rancid chip fat and
watching chavs have dog fights on the beach, I was ready to nip this
adventurousness in the bud and henceforth always head back to Hove when I
wanted a break from London.
Chippy smells...
However, there are several ways in which
Hastings thoroughly redeemed itself, if not the town itself then some of its
resident providers of hospitality.
The first of these was The Laindons B&B. If you want to visit Hastings and you are looking for
accommodation that is convenient, welcoming, cosy and simply and stylishly
decorated then this is the place. This
seaside townhouse has only three bedrooms each one with thick carpets that
immediately make you want to take your shoes off, and chic yet nautical décor
that included corner baths, White Company toiletries, enormous beds with clouds
of scatter cushions and chaise longues.
From the relaxing jets of the power shower, to the care taken over the
breakfast (order fruit salad here and you’ll get everything from blueberries to
mango, freshly chopped that day), the experience of staying here made Hastings
a treat when it could have been a real disappointment.
The other saving grace of Hastings was Pomegranate,
a newly redecorated restaurant with ideas refreshingly above its station. This place has the kind of service that
makes you want to immediately spend a fortune, a bohemian ambiance of the
French 19th century kind, and genuinely delicious plates of food, we
were more than willing to forgive the fact that there didn’t seem to be an
extractor fan through the open hatch to the kitchen and we left smelling of our
dinner.
When you’re on ‘holiday,’ a meal out is
always an occasion to throw away the self-control. At Pomegranate this meant that within 20 minutes we had
steamed through nearly a bottle of prosecco and two baskets of soft, home made focaccia
with rich olive oil and tangy balsamic vinegar, all of which were delivered,
replenished and topped up without any judgment whatsoever. The arrival of the starters was greeted
with the enthusiasm of post a half bottle of prosecco and the light, fluffy
tempura prawns and fragrant pigeon and bacon salad barely touched the
sides.
Mains took a little time to arrive but we
could see the chef through the kitchen hatch and it was pretty clear that he
wasn’t slacking so we were content to chat tipsily and play footsie under the
table. I had ordered lemon sole
and when it arrived I was a little dismayed to find it entirely whole. But that was my own fault for not
properly reading the menu and those chunks of white flesh drenched in lemony
butter and capers were entirely worth the trouble of attempting to avoid all
the bones. Across the way my
dinner companion was enjoying a hearty plate of halloumi and couscous – for
once, a vegetarian main outside London that didn’t involved a quiche. I think it’s always a sign of a good
meal that when the pudding comes, the person eating it doesn’t speak for the
first five mouthfuls. The oozing, rich chocolate fondant and vanilla ice cream at Pomegranate was eaten in complete
silence. Right down to the kumquat
garnish.
Whilst we had consumed a substantial amount
of food and booze during the evening, the usual blood-draining moment when the
bill arrives proved much less terrifying, as the meal cost at least a third
less than we would have paid for it in London (around £70). Cue: relief all round and the
temptation to order more food…After that delicious evening, when we returned to
the corner bath and comfy bed of The Laindons we’d just about forgiven Hastings
for chippy smell and the dog fights.
Perhaps we might even return…
The Laindons
23 High Street Town Centre, Hastings TN34
3EY
01424 437 710
www.thelaindons.com
Pomegranate Hastings
50 George Street Hastings, East Sussex TN34
3EA
01424 429 221
www.pomegranatehastings.co.uk
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