The Minerva Brasserie - Chichester

We weren’t expecting very much to be honest, and certainly the reception was fairly offhand. After rejecting the poorly placed table, which had been booked a couple of weeks before, we were able to secure a table near the window, which was much more pleasant. After the unfortunate impression given by the Reception lady, some body standing in from one of the offices, I believe, the members of the young staff were extremely pleasant and attentive. A particular mention for Coral, who was especially helpful. We decided to have three courses as we had plenty of time before the matinee. I started with smoked a mackerel rillettes, I liked the idea of the confit of beetroot. Which sadly turned out to be three of the tiniest cubes of ordinary beetroot I should imagine it possible to cut, a leaf or two of chicory and a slice of cucumber surrounding a small heap of mackerel. No toast not even a single slice of sour dough. How is one to eat it? I asked and was told that if I required bread it was an extra £4 for a roll. The main course was ‘roast sirloin of beef’ sounds good? Two slices of pallid pinkish edible but tasteless long cooked meat sous vide? Quite repellent. I ate a token amount but could not bring myself to make more of an effort. My companion chose better with the grilled sea bass which looked and apparently tasted delicious. My bad choice, even though not so keen on fish anything would have been better than that pallid tasteless ‘beef’. The lemon posset to follow was acceptable. A small selection of wine by the glass, but well chosen. Around £40 or so each. Not a meal to remember with pleasure.

Pre show dinner so expectations not high since time is limited. However, we all thought menu choices were good and the food was well presented and delicious. Having slated the restaurant under Field and Fork’s tenure, we are now looking forward to returning at future shows.

We reserved the Minerva Bar and Grill for a gathering in honor of my mother who had recently passed away in late April. Her passion for the theatre made this venue a perfect choice. From my initial phone call to the impeccable service provided by Amanda, everything was exceptional. She understood my requirements perfectly, resulting in flawless and outstanding service. The entire staff, including manager Hugo, were fantastic on the day. They were attentive, kind, and willing to assist with anything we needed. Our guests were impressed by the food and service, and all of our requests were met with care. I would highly recommend this venue.

We returned to this restaurant for a post-matinee dinner, marking the end of the 2022 festival run. Our group of five had a better dining experience this time compared to our previous visit earlier in the summer. We all savored the food and indulged in three courses each, which was priced at around £32 per person and considered great value. The service was notably improved this time, with a new group of friendly and eager young staff members. The restaurant was bustling, yet had a welcoming atmosphere.

After attending a matinee performance at the main theatre on August 11th, I had made a reservation for a table for seven at the Minerva Bar and Grill. Unfortunately, booking a table at the Brasserie was not an option that day. My friends and I had dined at the Minerva Bar and Grill on previous occasions and had always been satisfied with our meals. However, this time we were all disappointed with the limited menu options. The only choices were a meat burger or a vegetarian burger, and even the availability of the vegetarian burgers had to be confirmed with the kitchen at 6:00pm. They only had two available. The quality of the burgers was subpar. Since the burger option did not appeal to my husband and two of our friends, we opted for the smoked salmon sharing platter, which we found to be overpriced for the small portion provided. We decided to skip dessert. Despite the disappointing food, I must mention that the service throughout the meal was good. As long-time patrons of the theatre, we have enjoyed dining at the Bar and Grill before and after performances. However, I was informed that dining at the Bar and Grill is currently not available due to operational reasons. The quality of entertainment at Chichester Festival Theatre is excellent, but unfortunately, our dining experience did not live up to that standard. I am unsure if we will be dining here again in the future.