Cafe Florentine

Just a hop, a skip and a (10 minutes) jump away from Brighton beach is Cafe Florentine, which I had the opportunity to visit recently with a friend. The idealist in me told me it's a spectacular idea to head to Brighton beach to catch the sun rays and sea breeze and have brunch with a cup of cappuccino. 

When I got to Cafe Florentine, it was a little disconcerting to find that it's not actually a brunch cafe, but offers a more upscale dining experience. It sounds brunch-like, and looks brunch-like, but the dishes offered there aren't. There's nothing much wrong with the Charcuterie Board or the starched white tablecloth per se, but they don't seem to gel with the brunch-like decorations the cafe has going for it. 

I had the Beef Short Ribs ($32), which was falling-off-the-bone tender and delicious.

My friend had the Charcuterie Board ($32), which came with wagyu bresaolo, wayu salami, jamon and chicken and pistachio terrine. It was lovely. I wasn't familiar with charcuterie, and between the two of us, we googled nearly everything on the platter. Even then, I only had the vaguest sense of which cut was which. Charcuterie is a pretty novel food for me, and I left with a pretty good impression of charcuterie. Though, it probably makes more sense to order this dish to share, as all the salt from the preserved meat can be overwhelming towards the end of the dish.

We also had the Duck Liver Parfait ($15). To be honest, I never cared much for liver parfait or pâté, both of which has a strong metallic taste. They look really precious though, and I had half a mind to ask them where they got the jars. I left the parfait to S, who wanted to order the dish, and ate the delicious onions and slices of baguette instead. S wasn't too pleased about having to eat the parfait directly from the jar without the baguette... but c'est la vie. 

The Verdict
I wasn't sure why Cafe Florentine opted for a brunch atmosphere and name when the menu reflects dishes found in high-end dining experiences. But that's a very slight hitch in the grand scheme of things. The staff was lovely and  the Beef Short Ribs and the Charcuterie are particularly enjoyable.