The Crazy Goose serves classic British and European comfort food “elevated with seasonal creativity” and is described as being “premium without being formal and relaxed without being loose”.
Set across a ground-floor pub and a first-floor dining room called The Blue Room, Helalat says his latest venture has been designed to feel warm, confident and lived-in.
He adds that his Black Rock restaurant group’s first move into pubs will see it apply “restaurant-led standards to a format built for neighbourhood use”.
Dishes include coronation devilled eggs; king prawn vol-au-vent with Marie Rose sauce; Cornish hake with Umbrian lentils and chicken fat; Tamworth pork jowl, Alsace bacon and butter bean cassoulet; and Guinness custard tart.
The site - which is on a street that links West Street with Brighton’s The Lanes - has remained empty since Coal Shed relocated to a much larger premises on Brighton’s North Street towards the end of 2024.
The launch has roughly coincided with the appointment of Gordon Ramsay Restaurants alumnus Kim Woodward as executive chef across Black Rock restaurant group, which comprises Coal Shed, The Salt Room, Burnt Orange and Tutto in Brighton, as well as a further Coal Shed site near London’s Tower Bridge.
The Salt Room is currently closed for a major refurbishment project that will see the creation of a high-spec glass terrace.
The Crazy Goose takes its name from a long-standing family nickname given to Don Camilleri, Helalat’s father-in-law. Camilleri played a key role in supporting the launch of The Coal Shed in its early days, and his guidance and belief in Black Rock helped shape the foundations of the business.