Pappardelle and Beef Ragu Coppa Club

The Coppa Club Brighton Review

The Coppa Club Brighton Review

"My pappardelle with pork and beef shin Chianti ragu  had an incredible depth of flavour that only comes from being slowly and gently cooked with the upmost care and attention."

I remember being on a night out in London last winter with some old friends and seeing the Coppa Club's beautifully lit famous igloos on the bank of the Thames. I was on the other side of the river and I recall thinking to myself how magical they looked, and what a wonderful time people seemed to be having in them. I made a mental note to pay Coppa Club a visit next time I was in town with the wife, but alas, I have not been back to London since and never got round to it.

Thankfully Coppa Club has landed in Brighton, and I have been enjoying sampling the cocktails and nibbles in the unique members club style lounge bar on many an evening since they opened in September last year. Located on Brighton Square, it is tucked away enough to have an "exclusive" feel to it, yet is open and free to all. Coppa Club is huge, with an elegant well-stocked bar, a variety of areas, some with dining tables and chairs, some with sofas and coffee tables, and plenty of lounge areas where you can casually enjoy a drink or two before perhaps choosing to dine.

I finally got round to dining in one of their igloos in December, and I have to say that the experience was one I will not forget in a hurry. Not only was the ambience that comes with dining out under the stars in such a beautiful setting absolutely incredible, but the food was top notch also!

I arrive with my dining companion Matt around 8PM on a particularly nippy December evening thinking we should have just booked a table inside. We were shown to our igloo by a particularly lovely and chatty waitress and were pleased to find the igloo nice and toasty inside. As well as this there were plenty of warm furry blankets scattered about so our reservations about dining alfresco-ish were well and truly quashed. Each igloo seats up to ten people, so we shared ours with a small group of girls and a couple enjoying a romantic meal. There was plenty of room so not to feel like we were dining on top of each other, but also cosy enough so we could not help but to make friends and chat with the other diners. The square itself where the igloos are situated is lit by hundreds of fairy lights which makes the experience all the more enchanting.

On to the food, which as I have already mentioned, was absolutely delicious. The menu is made up of a selection of nibbles, small sharing plates, mains and grills, and pizza and pasta, with some temping sides and super healthy seasonal salads. Feeling ravenous we devour some nibbles which were some very tasty and satisfyingly salty Marcona almonds and some large juicy green olives which all go down a treat. Whilst  we wait for our order, we casually sip on our wine selection; a rather sublime rich and chocolatey Malbec which we both agreed on after much deliberation when perusing the comprehensive drinks menu, which boasts select wines, champagnes, beers and ciders, classic cocktails and a wide range of soft drinks.

To start, we share small plates of D.O.P Burrata with pesto Genovese and seared king prawns. The luscious Burrata was wonderfully soft and creamy with a homemade pesto which, although tangy and full of deliciously herby, did well not to overpower the delicate flavour of the cheese. The prawns, plump tender and very tasty indeed, drenched in garlic, lemon and chilli olive oil and served up on warm crunchy sourdough toast. Delightful.

Matt is a rather fussy eater, and amongst other things, prefers not to eat gluten (despite not being gluten intolerant in the slightest). No problem for Coppa Club as the separate gluten free menu is nearly as comprehensive as the regular one. In the end, he selected a Portobello pizza from the regular menu anyway, shrugging when he saw my quizzical look after he unnecessarily delayed my dinner. I forgive him when he gives me a slice to try. I thoroughly enjoy the oozing stringy mozzarella, together with the generous amount of wild mushrooms and parmesan flakes, along with a light, crisp, fluffy distinctively full flavoured base, all combined tto create a pizza to rival offerings from any of the top pizzerias in Brighton.

My Pappardelle with pork and beef shin Chianti ragu had an incredible depth of flavour that only comes from being slowly and gently cooked with the upmost care and attention. Served with fat freshly made Pappardelle noodles and topped with thick flakes of parmesan slowly melting into the sauce, this legendary Tuscan dish, cooked to perfection is the perfect winter warmer and I devoured the lot with a huge smile on my face.

After a breather to finish off the last of our delightful wine, I managed to convince a fully-to-the brim  Matt to go in with me on a sharing board of desserts which consisted of a butterscotch pot, cashew brownie with vanilla ice-cream, panna cotta with pink grapefruit compote and ginger crumble, and a pecan pie with honeycomb ice-cream. Matt's eyes popped out of his head when our waitress presented this calorific marvel, and as my dinner had started to settle, I myself started to doubt our ability to even make even the slightest dent in it all. Bit by bit everything on the board seemed to evaporate however, and before you know it we had demolished it all. Every dessert was flawless, and with so many flavours and textures each mouthful was a sublimely sweet adventure. I particularly liked the pecan pie, a dessert I would not have gone for in itself, but I could not get enough of the gorgeous buttery pastry base and sweet smooth pecan filling which was expertly enhanced by the honeycomb ice-cream slowly melting all over it.

As we got up to leave, I wasn't sure if we would still fit through the Igloo door. I could imagine having to be lifted out by a crane and winch through a hole cut in the top. We managed to squeeze ourselves out and decided to grab a short at the bar to aid digestion and soak up some more of the atmosphere. On reflection of our visit, not only was the food impeccable, but the service and overall experience is something we could not recommend enough. Even when the igloos have been taken down I can imagine the square packed with happy people enjoying leisurely brunches and cocktails. Coppa Club really does have it all, and is somewhere I would be happily visit night or day.

Tony Shattell

Coppa Club

12-16 Brighton Square, BN1 1HD

www.coppaclub.co.uk /brighton

01273900731

matsonwhempos1944.blogspot.com

Source: https://sussexvisitor.com/the-coppa-club-brighton-review/

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