Where to eat

Despite being famished, before stopping at The Pass for a burger, I wandered up to Charlie Harpers to see what they were offering on their specials board.

[Edit] 11/05/2020 There has been a change of Chef at Charlie Harpers and with it the menu. Lunch is more quiche, pasta and chicken with cream teas, a little later in the day. Still good but different. 

Crispy belly of pork served with black pudding mash, apple cider and thyme jus, green beans and bacon.

More than enough to get me to a table and take out the newspaper.

Charlie Harpers is one of the best casual day restaurants in Chichester. Their specials board always offers something of interest at very affordable prices.

But it’s the Mexican burger at the Pass Street Food Cafe that I do more often than not. It is a rare pleasure to be served something bursting with flavour that needs no seasoning.

Again value for money.

The only restaurant where I order a burger. They also do a monthly special which is always ‘different’.

Gourmet street food West Sussex

These two along with and De Levante in St Pancras are worth trying as is Crispins, St Martins Coffee and Common Grounds.

 

Street food

I was late and missed a chicken satay wrap on my way back from what I was doing.

Street traders - street food in Chichester

Hu Bay Satay is  literally “powered” electric food bike serving street food in Chichester and the surrounding area.

Best street food in Chichester

Offering passers by irresistible freshly prepared chicken in an Indonesian  peanut satay sauce with lettuce wrapped in a warmed tortilla. Find them in the centre of town from mid-morning or make a booking for the bike to visit.

Thai festival

The Thai Festival in Chichester will take place on the weekend 25th and 26th June.Thai Festival in Chichester

It will be held at Oaklands Park next to the University and Festival Theatre.

food stalls Chichester

With food stalls offering a range of exotic street food that make it difficult to decide where to start.

Thai food products and ingredients Chichester

Traditional Thai massage

Traditional Thai Massage West Sussex

Entertainment including Thai dancing, live music and a jumping castle for the kids.

Traditional Thai dancers in the UK

Thai festival in Chichester

Woodies

 

A well cooked, as opposed to a well done steak is difficult to find. However the steak I was served at Woodies is worth going back to for another look see.

Nothing particularly special about it.

Steak restaurants in Chichester

Other than it being well seasoned, well cooked and well prepared. And besides the tomato, perched proudly over the accompanying mushroom. Suspect it had something to do with it being infused with Gin or possibly Vodka.

The Apple Cheesecake Crumble which followed was as good, if not better than my well prepared steak. A most enjoyable meal.

 

Best cheesecake in Chichester

Wine tasting

More in Hampshire than it is in West Sussex. Yet despite the anomaly of being half in and half out, Emsworth is definitely Chichester Harbour. A quaint South Coast village that has retained its charm and home to one of the few independent wine shops in West Sussex.

Vin Wine Merchants offer wine courses, free in-store tastings, corporate and private events as well as vineyard tours in the UK and throughout Europe

Wine shops in West Sussex and Hampshire

They can be found around the corner and are just hard enough to find to be unusual and interesting.

Housed in a listed building dating back to the seventeen hundreds, they stock a range of wines from all over the world along with our tasting room where we hold all our courses and tasting events. With original wooden floors throughout and old fruit crates for the shelving it’s like stepping back in time to the wine merchants of yesteryear, adding to the whole experience.

Early Breakfast

Not much gets going in the UK before 9am in the morning. So an early breakfast can be a problem in Chichester.

Reason enough to turn into the lay by and Fuel Stop cafe, dead on 06h50. It was still dark, with a nip in the air. But out came the tables and there was heater in the cozy cabin.

Early breakfasts are a rare thing these days. As are traditional English breakfast cafes.

But the Fuel Stop cafe is just that. Sweet instant coffee (I think), a big breakfast which was followed up with a lamb and mint burger. I shouldn’t have. But I did.

I was curious and was not disappointed.

Bread and butter pudding

This is what took me back to Winchester over the weekend.

The best bread and butter pudding Chichester

Only to discover that it is no longer on the menu. After a three hour bus ride, it was a bit of a disappointment. Despite which the Black Boy pub is still worth a visit.

Although I doubt it will involve a special outing by bus next time.

Pubs in the South of England

Best English pubs

Old wooden tables and a quirky collection of the oddest artefacts and bric-a-brac. Four squirrels playing pool in a glass case, a couple of squash rackets mounted on the wall and shelves of books. Not quite a library, nor a museum but definitely a pub worth exploring.

Pub bric-a-brac

Pity about the pudding.