Our switch to a fully vegan and vegetarian a la carte menu this month has been causing quite a stir (in a good way)

We started the new year by challenging ourselves to recreate what we normally do at Cin Cin but plant-based to celebrate Veganuary in all it’s glory.  And since we launched our fully vegan and vegetarian a la carte menu it has been causing quite a stir amongst critics and foodies alike.

Restaurants Brighton reviewer, writer and vegan Rhys Trussler said  “Cin Cin’s January menu really shines. The dishes sing of the chefs’ love of real ingredients and a whole-hearted commitment to doing a thing exceptionally well. The team has worked incredibly hard to deliver plant-based dishes that represent the kind of food you’d expect at Cin Cin, without resorting to gimmicks. This isn’t a menu for people who aren’t eating meat, this is a menu for everyone who loves Italian food.” Read the full article here.

Whilst in London we unexpectedly had a visit from renowned restaurant critic Marina O’Loughlin (most notorious as restaurant food critic for The Sunday Times) who said of her recent visit “A brilliant vegan menu at Cin Cin – ‘we aim to squeeze ALL the flavour out of vegetables’ we’re told – and they totally succeed. Loved the clever touches, bursts of lightly acidulated shallot and peppercorns with the gnocchi; the rosemary crumb on the lentil bolognese. Thoughtful and delicious.” 

We have really embraced Veganuary by going almost fully plant-based for the whole month. And whilst a bold and daring move for us, it appears to be paying off, as our customers are embracing the deeply rich flavours of vegetables and plant-based foods. Many restaurants are increasing their plant-based menus and so we wanted to turn our hands at really focusing on some fantastic vegan dishes. Chef patron, Jamie Halsall, and his team of chefs have worked really hard to recreate what we normally do at Cin Cin but plant-based. And whilst, not without it’s challenges, it has inspired a great deal of creativity within the team.

Cin Cin owner and founder, David Toscano, made a guest appearance on Allison Ferns Saturday morning BBC Radio Sussex show last weekend (6th January). Allison, along with her children Lois and Harry, visited Cin Cin in Hove to try out some of the vegan and vegetarian dishes on offer, tempting her ‘veg-phobic’ children to eat more vegetables and plant-based foods.

Allison started by asking David whether he was worried about losing more of his carnivorous customers by embracing a full meat-free menu this month. Of which David replied “Yes, it is a bit of a gamble, it’s not something we do on a regular basis. We always have a vegan and vegetarian set menu, but this year we decided we’d flip it on its head and make the whole menu vegetarian and vegan, which has set a challenge for the chefs. But we’ve enjoyed it and we think we have a really strong menu that customers can come and enjoy and not miss the fuller, deeper flavours that you would otherwise think could only come from meat and fish. Because it is possible to achieve that, with our skilled chefs, using vegetables and plant-based foods. We were quite nervous about this challenge and how customers would react, but the feedback has been amazing. Even last night I served a butcher and he said he really enjoyed it and was blown away by the depth of flavour that has come from the dishes of plant-based ingredients.” To find out what Allison and her children thought about the dishes you can listen to the full radio recording of Allison and David here [start at 3:17:20]

Our vegan and vegetarian a la carte menus is running, at both our restaurants in Fitzrovia and Hove from 4th – 31st January. Read on to find out what other local foodies and influencers wrote about their experiences and book your place now, to avoid disappointment, before the end of the month.

Brighton Food Guide said “All dishes on the January menu have been inspired to introduce people to the world of Vegan food and how to do it well…Loved this meal and the vegan dishes were so full of flavour, you never would have guessed that they didn’t contain meat, especially the lentil bolognese, it was so delicious. Jamie Halsall, chef patron, has done an exceptional job of turning a cuisine that is tricky to make vegan and created some fantastic dishes, and better yet, not a vegan cheese in sight. If you’re doing Veganuary and love Italian food, look no further than here, they have done an excellent job and I think you will be impressed!”. Read the full post here.

Dustsheets_and_decor influencer Poppy said “The star of the show to start is Panelle, truffled ricotta and balsamic onions. Would happily return and eat 10 of them. I’m veggie / pescatarian so it was such a treat to look at a menu and have so many options. Ordered two different mains and they were both 10/10. Finished off with a couple of beautiful fully vegan puds. It was one of the best meals we’ve ever had…Cannot recommend enough”.

And Brighton Food Boy, Gary wrote “Cin Cin has never been known for its plant based offering, so it’s a bold move for David & Jamie to run a fully vegan menu (with a handful of veggie options thrown in) for January, and hats off to them for having the cojones. A lot of thought and energy has been put into the dishes and it shows. The salt baked celeriac is served with creamed cavolo nero, shallot crostata, and a rich mushroom and black truffle sauce that had oodles of depth to it – so much so that one could easily mistake it for a beef or venison based counterpart. If you used to eat meat and now miss it, this dish will tick a lot of boxes for you.”

You can read all about the menus and our food offers we’re running for Veganuary here. Then book yo urself a table to try some of the dishes for yourself, before the end of the month, and do let us know what you think?

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