Brighton - Marina - Gerry Louis Review

Limited to a 600 calorie meal but being healthy costs an extra £4+ and also leaves your plate looking a little empty and leaves you a bit unsatisfied.

Day trip to Brighton and I was resigned to going to the Duke Street branch as I thought my friends wouldn't let me go to the Marina.. Much to my delight, probably after behaving myself all day the said they'd feel bad if they didn't let me do a new branch. So we walked all the way from the end of what may have been the lanes, down past the Pavilion with the intention to walk there. Google maps said half an hour from Brighton Pier and I started to say let's turn around until Christine noticed the train direct to the Marina.

For £2.80 there is a mini train that takes you along the beach and the road in between Brighton Pier and the Marina. There was also an open air cinema just behind the train station playing Wayne's World. We were all in high spirits, the train journey was wicked and then it was an extra ten minute walk to the Marina from the Black Rock last stop.

The branch is literally in the Marina alongside Pizza Express, Prezzo and other restaurants. It's opposite a housing estate which is next to a Harvesters and also a24hour Asda which is quite huge. There is parking on the opposite side if the Marina which is also home to a Cineworld which is also opposite a different complex of shops and restaurants.

Plenty of seats outside but we were given a table along the inside glass wall right next to the drinks station. Convenient for proximity but not with other eaters hovering behind your table to get drinks and cutlery. At one point a young girl practically did a plié behind me to get to the drinks machine. It's the move where you jump into a split then land on both feet. Anyway it was weird.

So the lady who showed us to our table actually got the huge binder with the calorie information for me so I could chose my meal. Plain butterfly chicken only 310cals and 246 for the sweet mash left me a little leeway for adding the mango and lime sauce... I hope. I was the last to order but the food took ages to arrive. A woman came over to ask if was still waiting, as everyone else had theirs and it's like, no I'm finished, I also ate the plate... Of course I'm still waiting...ugh.

When it arrived apparently my face showed my disappointment. Where was the rest of the food? Two small chicken breasts which come as one piece? And a mountain of mash to make up for the wait? The mash tasted nice though it was a little warm. For the first time in years I actually had to use a knife too...

The toilets were pretty decent and clean. The branch is well lit and very open. Plenty of space between tables and variants on table size, especially the four circular booths at the end if each run of tables which are all connected by... If I can describe it from the ceiling it's like a spanner but two circular booths on each end. Only the wait time for the food let the branch down but otherwise it was all cool.