75-79 East Street,
Brighton,
BN1 1NF
(01273) 770 847
The ViewBrighton Review
For such a stylish city it’s a shame that all too often even the most fashionable late bars in Brighton seem a bit samey – towering Yucca plant in the corner: check, chunky scrubbed wooden tables: check, retro print wallpaper and battered Chesterfields: tick both those boxes too. Madame Geisha has been brave enough to break the mould and offers destination dining, drinking and dancing until the early hours.
The Venue
Traditionally in Japan, geishas were skilled entertainers in both art and music and the owners of this sleek haunt have clearly taken them not just as the venue’s namesake but as their inspiration. Although the sign outside is already a little faded and less than impressive, from the moment you set foot through the door, the space with its double height ceiling is jaw droppingly so. Reminiscent of a millionaire’s New York loft, it’s unlike any other space in Brighton. To the right, a long bar backlit in a palette of sunset hues runs the length of the room and the vast amount of bottles arranged behind it are testament to Madame Geisha’s dedication to the art of cocktail making. At night, a gigantic projector screen on the opposite wall keeps the atmosphere charged as does the DJ from the decks tucked beside the stairs. A bamboo frame breaks up the space and although it’s slightly more reminiscent of the Flintstones than Japanese fragility, branches of delicate cherry blossom near the ceiling soften the otherwise industrial interior.
Upstairs on the first floor, dining takes centre stage. The open kitchen is a bustling affair and although food is served late, the fact that at the far end there’s a view onto the bar area below prevents it feeling too formal. That said, there’s just as much attention to detail on this level with a tree carved from layers of wood winding its way up one wall and skyscraper high visuals set into the exposed brick wall at the far end.
The final top floor is reserved for VIP guests and the styling is just as lavish – the prime seats are the two woven hammock chairs so make sure you get there early if you’re heading to this floor for maximum posing potential. However, Madame Geisha wouldn’t have taken its inspiration from Japan fully without an all singing, all dancing karaoke room and the one tucked away on the upper level is certainly that. Decorated in black and white manga art there’s even a dressing up box to help you get in the mood for performing in front of your nearest and dearest.
The People
Friendly, fun and fabulous, everyone at Madame Geisha certainly knows how to have a good time till the early hours. Whether you’re dancing on the ground floor to some of the city’s finest vinyl spinners, reclining in the restaurant over a Pan Asian midnight feast, kicking back in the VIP area or belting out the karaoke classics wearing a cowboy hat and feather boa, you’ll be having a fantastic time doing it.
The Music
Unless you’re in the karaoke room warbling your own slightly skewed version of a Madge classic then the music is some of the best you’ll find at a late bar which probably explains why there’s more shape throwing taking place on the ground floor than a balloon magician at a kids’ party. Some of Brighton’s best DJs can be found behind the decks until the early hours mixing an upbeat soundtrack of funk, soul, classic disco, house and Balearic beats.
The Food
Whilst the entire venue is impressive, the restaurant area of Madame Geisha with its open kitchen and chic furnishings is perhaps the most surprising. Too often quality food is sacrificed for style but here they combine beautifully. The dim sum (four pieces per dish for £3.95) are very good and include steamed, fried and griddled options served with chilli and garlic dip, tamari and sesame oil and sweet merin and soy sauce. The griddled prawn gyoza are particularly recommended, simply seasoned with crushed pepper but veggies are well catered for too on the dim sum list with dishes such as Money Bags (Chinese mushroom, water chesnut, bamboo and ginger) being both well balanced and inventive.
The dim sum are delicious but it's the small (£5.50) and big plates (£9.50) which really make Madame Geisha stand out from the crowd. This is fine dining food at pub prices. Of the small plates, the pork satay served on lemongrass skewers with peanut sauce for dipping and the coconut corn cakes served with avocado cream and spicy mango salsa are best if you want to sample the diversity of the menu.
However, the stand out is the braised five spice belly pork with wok fried sesame greens which not only is one of the best dishes you'll ever eat in Brighton but also ludicrously good value at just £9.50. The pork is so tender it falls apart as soon as you touch it with your chopsticks (although cutlery is also provided for those who just want to dig in) and the fat is crisped with such care that all of the flavour saturates the meat making it really juicy too. Beautifully presented, the generous slab of pork is placed on top of a bed of greens that are wilted just-so.
Desserts are just as inventive with the selection including green tea creme brulee, hot ginger parkin pudding with butterscotch sauce and orange marmalade ice cream and a white chocolate mousse with sake red berries, all priced at £4.50. If you've less room, the homemade ice creams at just £1.50 a scoop certainly aren't an after thought at Madame Geisha. In addition to the orange marmalade ice cream, you'll find vanilla, cardamom and coconut and ginger. At weekends, the Sunday roast with a twist is already a popular choice with Brighton foodies who pride themselves on knowing the best places to kick back with friends.
The Drink
During the day, the Japanese tradition of taking tea is a popular choice with teas ranging from Rose of the Orient (green tea flavoured with jasmine, cornflower blossoms and rose buds) to jasmine hand tied flower teas for £4.50 a serving. However, to spend a night at Madame Geisha and not sample a sake cocktail would be scandalous as they certainly know their stuff. Cocktails are all reasonably priced at £6.50 (£7 for Champagne cocktails) but the stand outs are the Sweet Lemongrass Sakitini (which manages to balance the fine line between sweet and sour masterfully thanks to a combination of sake, chambord, fresh raspberries, lemongrass infused sugar syrup and a dash of cranberry to create a blush pink cocktail) that’s served in a martini glass with just a simple stick of lemongrass as a garnish and the Madame Geisha Mojito that combines the traditional rum and mint that you’d typically find in a mojito with vanilla and ginseng with a lychee juice top instead of soda. Be careful though as they’re very moreish and very strong.
Other cocktails well worth trying include the Frisky Panda which blends raspberry vodka and watermelon sugar syrup with fresh raspberries and guava juice and tastes as good as the name is memorable and the Sake Sake Five Dollar that mixes sake and rum with lime, watermelon and pineapple juice. However, if you prefer bottled beer then there’s plenty of choice too. Take your pick from Asahi, Asahi Black, Staropramen, Stella and Bramha at £3.20 a bottle.
The Last Word
Madame Geisha offers a superb night out in a sexy, stylish late night haunt moments from the seafront. Fashionable and fun, this is a true destination venue that’s been a long time coming.
Madame Geisha has been reviewed by 7 users