Located on the site of Madame Geisha nightclub in East Street, the 1920s New York-inspired venue will open on Thursday (27 March). It is concealed behind a pawn-brokers shop, which will operate as a separate business for specialist vintage buyers.
“Dirty Blonde clearly illustrates Eclectic’s plans to continually enhance and evolve its portfolio”, said the group’s operations director Lee Nicolson. “We are currently looking at several potential sites for Dirty Blonde venues across theUK.”
This is not the first time Eclectic have debuted a new concept in Brighton. Back in 2010, the group opened its first Lola La South Pacific bar and club in the city, which sits right next door to this new venue on East Street.
The 320-capacity Dirty Blonde bar and restaurant will open six days a week from midday until 3am and from midday until 11pm on Sundays. Named after a cocktail discovered inNew Yorkby Eclectic’s chief executive Reuben Harley and designed by Hampshire-based Julian Taylor Design Associates, Dirty Blonde’s cocktail menu boasts up to 30 speciality beverages – a mix of pre-prohibition and prohibition era, aged cocktails, martinis and signature blends.
The bar food offer will include the Dirty Brunch served from 12noon - 3pm. Customers can treat themselves to home-made pancakes, waffles and muffins, or savoury dishes like truffle and chive scrambled egg on a toasted bagel or the Yanki Mini Dog with mustard, smoked ketchup and crispy onions. Other bar dishes will include small plates, burgers, dogs, sandwiches and salads.
Later in the day sees the ‘Boston Tea Party’ from 3pm-6pm, an afternoon tea featuring Moët & Chandon Rosé champagne and chocolate strawberries, spiced lobster blinis and a selection of pastries and cakes.
Immigrant cuisines
For a more formal dining experience, the restaurant menu will be classic New York fusion, drawing inspiration from the immigrant cuisines of New York, incorporating tastes and flavours from the city’s five boroughs.
Chef’s favourites include General Tso’s Sweet and Sour Salmon with Furi Kaki Rice, Grilled Chicken Breast with New York Bacon Waffles, Pan-Fried Maryland Sea Bass and Pomander Walk Polenta Cake.Desserts include baked chocolate fondant Big Chocolate and The Little Apple, along with Morningside Strawberry Shortcake.
The pawn-brokers shop will sell or trade vintage ephemera, from guitars and brooches to cigar cases and perfume bottles. After 9pm, the pawn-shop becomes a meet and greet area, with VIP booths available to pre-book along with a classic music mix from resident and big-name DJs and regular live performances.
Eclectic Bar Group operates 21 late-night bars and clubs across the UK under a number of brands including Sakura, Lola Lo,Fezand Po Na Na.
Dirty Blonde will open at 75-79 East Street, Brighton, on 27 March.