Anya Zervudachi talks to Mattia Casadei, General Manager at Azure
What type of restaurant is Azure?
Azure is a very versatile venue. We have a large terrace to enjoy quality cocktails, mock-tails, bubbles and food. The indoor space is fresh and tastefully decorated and we also have a relaxing ambiance for more privacy in our booths.
We have great food; our chefs prepare tasteful dishes by making everything from scratch in our kitchen. Only base ingredients are bought in and the vegetarian offering is wide thanks to our concept of serving Mediterranean cuisine with a Middle Eastern influence.
Our coffee blends are also unique, while the beers are local and hand-crafted; with original, traditional ciders and bottle-conditioned ales as well as our own Pilsner-style lager just going in to production to be available from July.
Where did the concept originate from?
The owner Max has developed a passion for middle-eastern food through his travels and I wanted a place where one could enjoy all the seaside treats of the Bel Paese. We looked for a chef who shares these likes and we have been lucky enough to find the missing piece of the puzzle in a woman who’s passion, experience and skills are proving to be real added value to our team.
What makes your outside space so unique?
The decked terrace is set between two main Brighton attractions: the Brighton Pier and the Brighton Wheel. There are no noisy clubs anywhere around us making it the perfect setting for families and couples who look for fun without indecency. You can hear the birds and the waves of the sea of which you get a perfect view from your chair or deck chair. There is even an acoustic guitar available for people to play.
What special promotions can be expected this summer?
Wet 4 Wet: while it rains all our cocktails, beers and house wines are on a 2 for 1 and with our prices being already some of the most competitive, it makes for a killer session.
What kind of drinks do you sell at Azure?
We have some fantastic cocktails, with the real seaside feel. A Pina Colada served in a cored frozen pineapple is hard to top in this sense. We also have fine wines tasted and selected by myself with the help of one of the finest Sussex-based suppliers; all at the most reasonable prices possible.
‘We work closely with Mixology Group, mainly to help us keeping our feet solid on the ground and keeping us realistic on the projects and ideas we have for the place. Myles with his experience and calm helps us not to rush in to things head first and eyes closed.’
What are your top 3 favourite dishes to enjoy out in the sunshine on your terrace?
Being Italian, a Bruschetta with the Ricotta and pesto made by Ingrid, the buttered prawns sautéed in tomatoes with olives and Arak, chicken wings twice-cooked so that the skin is nicely crispy smothered in a lemon, chilli and sumac butter.
If you eat with me I would add a salad of grilled Halloumi, chicory, pomegranate, walnuts and fresh parsley.
Is the outside space at Azure available for private hire?
It is and so is the whole venue. However, we do want the right clientele and events here so the client will need to have a good feel for the venue and we need to feel that the client and the event satisfy our parameters in terms of decency and quality.
It is a very versatile space and in the first weekend of opening we have hosted a couple of smaller functions, which proved to us just how functional this venue is.
9-11 Lower Promenade
Madeira Drive
Brighton
East Sussex
(01273) 620-856