If you’re looking for authentic and delicious Indian food, and warm, welcoming vibes, then look no further than Indian Summer.
You can’t miss the colourful shop front of Indian Summer on East Street: bold blue, pink and yellow. Inside: thoughtfully curated furnishings – vibrant tables, wall comfy seats, bright cushions, wall murals and soft lightning.
Delightful staff welcomed my friend and I, keen to share recommendations from both the cocktail menu and mouthwatering food menu. It is evident that everyone who works here loves Indian Summer’s offering. Poppadoms and Pickles, £5.70, which can be vegan on request, quickly arrived on the table. My fellow diner, who lived in India for nine years, smacked her lips at the simple yet satisfying silver plate of four poppadums with homemade chutneys. She gave the seal of approval on the food tasting authentic. As we devoured the welcome entree, including the classic tomato and pepper, tamarind, raita, onions and lime, our wonderful waiter talked us through the cocktail menu.
I chose Jungle Bird, £12, as recommended, consisting of Elephant Gin, Campari, lime and mango puree. My friend went for Indian Summer’s famous Coconut Chilli Margarita, £12,
(Cazcabel Blanco Tequila, Coconut Liqueur, Cointreau, lime and house chilli syrup.) As I sipped my beautifully presented Jungle Bird, made expertly at the bar a stone’s throw from our table, I audibly gasped at how delectable it was. I had a sip of my friend’s Coconut Chilli Margarita, which packed a punch, decorated with salt and chilli flakes around the rim of the glass. Too spicy for me but my friend lapped it up.
The menu at Indian Summer is not overly extensive like some places serving Indian food, as it feels like they have really found what works and focused on quality over quantity. There is still loads to choose from. Something to mention here is that they cater really well for gluten-free and vegan. My friend is celiac and the staff took a lot of care to make sure her dishes were suitable and safe. Starters (£5 to £10) include Malai Chicken Tikka, Tandoori Spiced Corn Cobs, the classic Masala Dosa and Slow Cooked Pork Ribs. A sharing starter is also on offer. There’s also a range of homestyle curries, which can be made more spicy on request. One of the popular choices at Indian Summer is the Thalis, which can be vegan, vegetarian or meat and can all be made gluten-free.
My friend and I decided to go for the showstopping Indian Summer Experience. This is £38 per person and two people minimum. It’s a great way of trying a lot of a little bit of many of the dishes. I chose the meat and my friend chose the veggie. The Indian Summer Experience includes a range of starters followed by a Thali, which includes rice, bread and dips. My mouth is watering just thinking back to the other evening.
When I say showstopper, I mean it. The starter and the Thali are beautifully presented and clearly made with joy and care. The starter includes a crispy and fragrant sweet potato and onion pakora, tandoori paneer, bhel chaat, Indian salad and chutneys. On my meat starter, I also had chicken tikka, which was delicate and tender. The tandoori paneer was also smoky and meaty. The veggie starter includes a Mooli kebab. The food at Indian Summer is just as colourful and thoughtful as its decor. Our only issue? We were starting to feel full after such an abundant starter!
Thankfully, dining feels spacious at Indian Summer and we had a little break between our starter and main. In that time, we sampled two more cocktails each. Myself: the refreshing and sweet Lychee fizz: consisting of Lychee liqueur, Vodka, soda, raspberry purée and rosewater, my friend the Desi Daiquiri, made of Don Q Cristal Rum, banana liqueur and lime. The cocktails at Indian Summer are top notch. The Desi Daiquiri had a strong banana flavour. Again, my friend was happy and I preferred my lighter choice. The last ones we sampled (our carafe of water getting little look in) were Melon Drop, made Mikolasch Vodka, Green Melon Liqueur, lemon and gomme syrup and Mango Tango for my friend: Desi Daru Mango Vodka, Nectarine Liqueur, orange bitters, lemon and soda. I loved both of these and we were really impressed at the staff’s knowledge and care with their recommendations and expert cocktail-making.
And now for the main event – the Thalis. There is something so joyful about a huge silver plate of colourful, fresh and fragrant dishes in smaller silver pots. It all tasted wonderful and my particular stand out dishes were the butter chicken, which was beautifully creamy and tender as well as the Dal Makhani. But honesty, it’s hard to pick out favourites. The whole experience felt like a warm and nourishing hug and I can’t wait to return and re-live it.
We gratefully accepted the invitation for our leftovers to be packed up to take home and left laden with tasty treats. The next day, I enjoyed dal for breakfast and naan bread for lunch.
Roll The Dice And Win
This October, on Sundays to Thursdays, between 5pm and 7pm, Indian Summer is running a Dice game called – Spice of Chance. At the end of the meal, diners can roll the dice once.
Double sixes (6 + 6) will mean your entire bill free, double threes (3 + 3), mean one main course free. Roll a 4 + 2 and get a complimentary cocktail or mocktail. Roll a 5 + 1 and get a free dessert of your choice.
Locals can also get a loyalty discount – 15% off their entire food bill for all Brighton residents from Monday to Thursday all day long.
Rob Heasman, Indian Summer owner, said: “We wanted to create something that turns a night out into a story you can’t wait to share. Spice of Chance gives every table a shot at winning big: from free desserts to the entire bill on us. It’s suspense, laughter, and a bit of chaos rolled into one. Where else in Brighton can dinner end with a dice roll that makes the whole restaurant cheer? Our discount for locals is our way of saying thank you to the people who’ve supported us for the last 24 years. Whether it’s your midweek curry fix, a catch-up with friends, or a family night out, you get to enjoy the full Indian Summer experience for less. Bring proof of your postcode, bring your appetite, and let us do the rest.”
Read more: Things To Do In Brighton In November
Family Activities This October Half-Term In Brighton
Address: 70 East Street, Brighton BN1 1HQ
Website: Homepage | Indian Summer Brighton
