Eastern Eye, London Road, Brighton

This is a south Indian place doing dosas and the like on the gritty London Road. I've been there before and they've changed the tables since my wife's last visit when one of heavy glass tables exploded showering diners with glass. This was followed by the remaining diners being showered with bleach cleaning spray.

The other GOGs and I visited on a cold Monday evening in November. There was a sprinkling of other punters including a table od south Asians which was a good sign. The rotund waiter seemed a bit distracted - he knocked over a wine glass and brought us 2 large bottles of beer instead of one and we're not convinced we got exactly what we ordered. Perhaps he was distracted by the massive flat screen telly on the wall beside us. Anyway, the food was Ok. We had some (bog standard) poppadums and pickles to taste as we chose coconut fish curry, soft crab curry (off so we had something else), a masala dosa, chickpeas and a chicken dish, washed down with ok Kingfisher. We were looking forward to sweet but were informed that it had all been eaten! Bizarre. So far, in the Brighton and Hove Curryhouse League this is beaten by Rasa, Chilli Pickle and Moonstone.

3 out of 5
http://www.easterneyerestaurant.co.uk/

Dyke Tavern, Dyke Road, Brighton

This is one of Martin Webb's (ex Webb Kirby - responsible for tarting up many pubs and clubs in Brighton) new ventures. Along with the Connaught, it was a well-dodgy half-timbered barn of a place frequented by the wider members of the community. Now its been titivated into a gastro-pub style with mismatched furniture, log fires, wooden stripped floors and so on - you get the picture. The menu is also the normal modern British fare. Starters were about £6 ans mains a steep £12-15. On a Wednesday lunchtime it was sprinkled with yummy mummies and badly dressed businessmen. I had a tasty if thick gnochhi and mussel dish and my wife had a good rosti. Beer was Harveys and a toothsome Brakspear Oxford Gold. Service was ok but the tables and menus were a bit grubby. Rumoured to get packed at the weekends.
4/5

Is it me or is everything shit?

I'm laid up with a broken leg and my mates have showered me with books, DVDs and abuse. Some of the best books are by Steve Lowe and Alan McArthur. The clue is in the title of this blog. They are alphabetically listed tirades against modern British life. Well worth a read.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Best-Just-Me-Everything-Shit/dp/0751541745/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1289326815&sr=1-2

5 out of 5