The top line: Brighton and Hove’s most prolific restaurateur has opened a pub. The Crazy Goose is on the former site of Raz Helalat’s debut restaurant project, The Coal Shed, which moved to a larger site five minutes down the road in 2024. The opening brings his Black Rock restaurant group up to six sites, joining The Salt Room, Burnt Orange, Tutto and The Coal Shed in Brighton, as well as a further Coal Shed in London. Located on a side street linking sticky and chaotic West Street with the more seemly The Lanes, The Crazy Goose has a high-spec fit-out but remains a proper pub with guests actively encouraged to drop in without a booking. The tight food offer is described as classic British and European comfort food “elevated with seasonal creativity” and adhering to the same culinary standards as the wider group.
The menu: Overseen by recently appointed executive chef and Gordon Ramsay Restaurants alumnus Kim Woodward, the menu largely eschews pub staples, with the exception of prawns by the half pint and triple-cooked chips. Dishes include salt-baked celeriac with apple and pine nut salad and miso mustard dressing; grilled leeks with Cornish crab, hazelnut and brown butter vinaigrette; Cornish hake with Umbrian lentils, chicken fat and Parma ham; and slow-cooked beef cheek and bone marrow pie (pictured below). The drinks offer is comprehensive and a clear step up from most pubs in the surrounding area. Alongside a strong range of draught beers and ciders is a concise list of simple but well-made cocktails. The wine list starts at £30 and tops out at £130 for a bottle of Clos du Marquis, Saint-Julien 2011.
The vibe: Set across a ground-floor pub and a first-floor dining room known as The Blue Room, The Crazy Goose feels warm and relaxed despite a finish that is far more polished than the average local. Design details include bentwood bar stools with red upholstered seats, oversized globe pendant lights and bespoke joinery, including an impressive bar back with a central mirror finished in gold lettering.
And another thing: The Crazy Goose takes its name from a long-standing family nickname given to Don Camilleri, Helalat’s Maltese father-in-law. Camilleri played a key role in supporting the launch of The Coal Shed in its early days.
8 Boyce’s St, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN1 1AN