Cin Cin | Hove*

I can’t believe it was November 2016 when I attended the launch of Cin Cin in Vine Street!  It was such a lovely, fun evening and the food was absolutely perfect!

I was so excited when I learnt late last year that they were going to be opening another restaurant at 60 Western Road in Hove (right near Palmeira Square.) 

I was invited to the launch on Wednesday before their official opening night on Thursday 18th Jan 2018!  The new restaurant is a lot bigger than the flagship restaurant but still manages to retain that intimate feel.

I was immediately welcomed warmly by David, one of the owners, who immediately remembered my name; I was more than impressed 😀  I quickly found Jess and Josh, Sammy, Lyndsay, Georgia, Lilla and Millie and finally got to meet Amara (who I’ve followed on Instagram for ages!)

We set up camp at one of the quieter tables in the back and soon drinks, conversation and food were flowing!  We were all given a couple of dishes per table so it was really lovely to have tasters and not a dish each; it would have been way too much food otherwise 😂😂

The starters:

First up we were given an antipasti board to try – it was a delicious selection of meats and cheeses; including Lardo and Tallegio!!  Some of the cheeses were pretty strong but they were so creamy and rich; perfect for a cheese fiend like me!!

We were then treated to nduja (a spicy salami paste) and polenta crochettes with parsley mayonnaise on top.  The crochettes were absolutely delicious and the polenta was beautifully stringy (like mozzarella).  I could have happily eaten about 10 of these!! ♥

Next up were stracciatella & sardine crostini (or stretched-curd cheese with sardines on toast if you want to be exact) and pickled red onion.  The combination of flavours was perfect, but I found the dish was a little too bony for my liking, although it didn’t stop me scoffing a couple of them though!

The mains:

A vegetarian dish came round next; a leek agnolotti (a filled pasta parcel dish) with truffle potato and rosemary but I didn’t get to try it as we left it for the vegetarians of the group.  It looked and smelt gorgeous though!

I got really excited when they brought round a spaghetti carbonara dish that was served with smoked eel and confit egg yolk.  I absolutely loved this dish and I got to pop the yolk for the table’s boomerang story on Insta (which I completely failed at).  The carbonara was absolute perfection, although I’m not sure how I felt about the eel.  I loved the smoked flavour but the eel just felt wet in my mouth 😐

We got to sample a dish that wasn’t on the menu, but after the rousing success of it, I really hope they’re going to put it on! The lamb cutlets were so unbelievably tender and soft; it was one of my favourite dishes of the evening!!

Sussex pork was up next.  The pork was melt in the mouth and the crackling had been crisped to perfection!!

The butternut squash risotto was another dish that I didn’t try as it was a vegetarian dish but it looked damned delicious though 🙂

Puddings:

Beeramisu – It’s exactly as it sounds, a tiramisu but made with beer!  I love tiramisu but I’m not a fan of beer at all.  That being said, I was pleasantly surprised by this dish as I wouldn’t have known there was beer in it.  In fact, I only found out afterwards!  I’d definitely order it again 😀

Overall, if you’re looking for an intimate dining experience with beautiful food and an ever-changing menu then Cin Cin will be right up your street!  The venue is decently sized and there is a small garden out the back; however, the toilets are situated downstairs and I wasn’t immediately aware of a lift, and I forgot to ask, so I’m not sure if it’s accessible for wheelchair users or people with mobility problems.

Have you been to Cin Cin before?  What do you think your favourite dish would be from the above menu? Let me know in the comments below 🙂 x

*I was invited by the venue to attend the launch but all views and love of food are my own.

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11 Comments

  1. I love a good tiramisu and this beer version does look delicious! Not sure how I feel about the smoked eel! Even when I wasn’t veggie I think I still would of avoided it haha . The leek pasta looks delicious and it sounds like you had a great evening! xx

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