Circa

All too often restaurants use rather highbrow, some might say fancy, descriptions on their menus to disguise dishes that are really something of a disappointment when they arrive. So uneasy feelings of suspicion accompany a first look at the menu from Circa. Happily these are swept away by the reality of dishes which are imaginative, in some cases inspired, fusions of flavours and texture.

To demonstrate the point try starting with the chopped whole soft shell crab, some hand cut pasta, soured milk and green fried banana. To follow consider the seared New Zealand venison with beet Anna, pomegranate beans and a light cumin jus. Assuming you can, or were obliged to, turn your back on the truly wonderful selection of cheeses, thoughts might turn to the white Munuka honey parfait, with Baklava garnish and a thin saffron croissant.

When I tell you that this sort of quality cooking can be had for £27.50 for three courses and rather less for two you will see why lawyers jostle with each other to appear at Lewes Crown Court. Like everything else the wine is taken seriously and given the dazzling potential it's a wonder that anything gets done after lunch in so far as the dispensation of justice is concerned. Perhaps it doesn't?