Permission to Wax Lyrical

As we slink behind the heavy pink curtain at Brighton’s Permit Room, the smell of incense transports us to an inviting yet unfamiliar world: a world we soon come to identify as Post-Prohibition Bombay (with a forceful fusion twist).

For the uninitiated, perhaps a little more context is needed. In the late 1940s, as the drinks menu enlightens us, the only establishments serving alcohol did so in secret back rooms called Aunty Bars. By the 1970s, regulations had relaxed slightly, and restaurant owners could obtain a licence to serve liquor in a specific section of their premises, called the Permit Room.

And boy, does the drinks menu live up to this long-winded legacy. With a range of red, white, rosé and orange wines, as well as locally sourced beers, there’s also an extensive cocktail (and mocktail) menu. I challenge you to find a more theatrical offering than the club clover: gin mixed with lychee and berry liqueur and a dash of lemon oil, served in a classic pony glass with a coconut and cardamom whipped cream top. Joyous!

Suitably armoured, next comes the small matter of whittling down the menu to four or five sharing dishes. A thali option would not have been unwelcome as we’re faced with such existential dilemmas as black daal vs charred sweet potato. It helps that we studied the menu last night to avoid too much procrastination, as any good foodie should, leaving us to enjoy the earthily eclectic interiors and surreptitiously Shazam the playlist to our hearts’ content. 

Ten minutes later, we’re heavily dosed with chilli. 

“You’ve ordered two of the spiciest things on the menu,” our waiter tells me as we dig into Goan prawn recheado and sultry chilli chips.“Good for you!”

It’s also a good job I’ve got a mango lassi on standby, with welcome CBD oil reinforcements. Honestly, this stuff alone is worth coming back for, and gives a sweet sense of continuity from the classic club clover.

The Jackfruit Berry Pulao also packs a punch, providing enough sultana-studded rice to feed a family of five. With a generous side of black daal (lentils won out) and a torn-off sheet of garlic naan, we wash it all down with house chai. There’s a distinct danger of having no room left to try the delicious Parsi-Parisian Coconut Caramel Custard, that is until our waiter returns with three cardboard tubs and a large paper bag. That’s tomorrow’s lunch sorted; waste not, want not. And for every meal put away, another is provided for a child living in poverty, via Magic Breakfast in the UK and the Akshaya Patra Foundation in India. 

As it turns out, Thursdays are the best days to visit for those in the know, with a DJ set kicking off from 7.30pm, and a breakfast menu available to nurse you back to life before you head into work on Friday, ready for a quiet weekend.

Bangle heartily recommends. 🫶🏻