The top line: The new addition to Sussex’s coastline, Ebb, has taken up residence in the grade II listed Southern Pavilion at the end of Worthing Pier. Set above restaurant Perch, Ebb occupies a residency space known as The Nest and marks a new partnership between Perch owner Alex Coombes and the chief operations officer Damian Wilkins. The new seaside venture offers regularly changing dishes based on seasonal availability with a focus on local produce, particularly ingredients sourced from the Sussex area, including produce from local farms and day boat fish.
The menu: The kitchen is led by head chef Charlie Simmonds, whose background includes Wiston Estate and The Pass at South Lodge. His approach combines classical technique with a produce-first style with a menu that is designed to share. It kicks off with a concise list of snacks such as Gordal olives; focaccia with whipped butter; and whipped cod’s roe with prawn cocktail crisps while main sharing plates include Tunworth arancini with burnt cauliflower and pecorino; chalk stream trout with burnt chive and blood orange and crispy chilli; and a 200g Trenchmore wagyu sirloin with roasted onion and bordelaise. Also featured is a concise list of sides comprising pressed potato confit with wild garlic aioli; mustard greens with herb yoghurt and toasted almonds; and hispi cabbage in aged cheddar custard. To complete the food offering are desserts such as brown butter madeleines glazed in Cotswold honey; and Ecuador vanilla soft serve with forced rhubarb and yoghurt meringue. To drink, there’s cocktails ‘inspired by the coast’, including The Ebb made with vodka, Oyster Shell vermouth and wakame seaweed; Flow made with gin, fino sherry, yuzu, coconut and Thai basil foam; and Reserve made with beef fat bourbon, brown sugar and voatsiperifery pepper, a little known wild pepper that comes from new grown shoots of the vine.
The vibe: The 36-cover restaurant, designed by Brighton Studio Pattern House, is intentionally understated to keep focus on the panoramic sea views. The space features a curved counter in the centre of the room with the rest of the tables set around the edge. Wooden tables and minimalistic chairs keep the design simple so the room can easily shift with the light and weather outside.
And another thing: Worthing Pier has previously been named Pier of the Year by the National Piers Society in both 2006 and 2019 and was recently ranked among the UK’s top 10 piers by The Telegraph.