Okay it was 7pm on a Monday- a little early for my companion and I to eat but as Esca stops serving at 8pm it was a necessity. The décor, designed by Blanch house’s Amanda Blanch, is a rich blend of reds, woods and leather which is very welcoming. We headed for the sofa and armchair option with enormous windows giving a great view out onto Preston Street which is ideal people watching opportunity. Moving on from their concise light lunch menu the dinner offerings are a wide range of pizza and pasta dishes with the remainder limited to chicken, fish and salad dishes.  However this is very good bar food remember and not a restaurant.

The wine menu gives you plenty to chose from whether by glass or bottle. We started with brochette- hunky wedges of fresh French bread piled high with tomatoes, onion and basil and my garlic mushrooms - scrumptiously firm in a light creamy garlic and herb sauce.

When we moved on to our main courses the sauce with my cod provencale was deliciously piquant with tomatoes and herbs perfectly balanced.  The fish itself was cooked to gentle flaking perfection.  The batter on my friends cod was crispy and avoided being too greasy which can be a pitfall. Both amply portioned meals came with well-dressed amounts of salad.

Service was swift and attentive without being intrusive – suitably so in this relaxed environment. My only regret is that there aren’t any puddings for those of us with a sweet tooth.

Expect to spend about £35 for a couple of courses including a glass of wine for two which is an easily affordable treat before moving your evening elsewhere or stay on at weekends to enjoy Djs in there pre-club warm up sessions.

Ideally situated on Preston Street, Brighton, the ESCA is decked out with Chesterfield sofas, chandeliers, comfy chairs and unlimited free wireless Internet. ESCA is the place to be, whether you are looking for a location for a quick business lunch, or want to sit and have a coffee with friends.  Esca provides an exceptional range of affordable full and light meals daily from 12-8pm.- alongside a variety of beers, wines, spirits and cocktails- for non-drinkers there is a selection of premium teas, coffees and delicious non-alcoholic cocktails!

Esca is a new late night bar situated on Brighton's Preston Street. Owners Khalid Bahemou and Saied Zargar enlisted the help of Blanch House's Amanda Blanch to design it. The bar is decked out in opulent reds and blacks with Chesterfield sofas, chandeliers and comfy chairs. The owners came up with the idea for the bar, after recognising a gap in Brighton's bar scene for a relaxed late night bar. As well as the usual fare - beers, wines spirits and cocktails - Esca also offers a good selection of decent non-alcoholic cocktails, as well as teas and coffees.

While Preston Street already boasts a plethora of restaurants, take-away places and pubs it’s been lacking a stylish, late night bar for those of you who like to drink somewhere upbeat beyond 11pm without hitting the clubs.
Designed by Amanda Blanch of Blanch House, Esca is a sumptuous venue decked out in opulent reds and blacks with chesterfields sofas and gorgeous banquettes.

Amanda Blanch tells us that “the owners asked me to get involved in this project to bring it a unique yet Brighton Flair. It’s a great space with fabulous light – we promise the end result is going to be something rather special and look forward to seeing you at the bar.”

Esca also offers light meals and the drink menu has been carefully selected to ensure that there’s something for everyone – perfectly served cocktails, premium spirits, draft and bottled beers and a thoroughly decent wine list. And for the non-drinkers out there – there’s a good selection of teas and coffees and bartenders willing to take up the challenge of mixing a decent non-alcoholic cocktail!

Late night drinking has only been a serious option for a few months - but already we are becoming choosy. Despite the majority of us feeling over the moon about being able to legally hang out past midnight drinking with friends in public, smoky pubs and sweaty nightclubs are not always what we want.

What if you are looking for somewhere more mellow and seductive to cosy up with a bottle of red or a couple of cocktails talking (as opposed to shouting until your throat hurts over loud music) until the early hours? Well, new bar Esca may be the answer.

Situated halfway down Preston Street in Brighton where Mamma Mia's restaurant used to be, Esca offers a chilled-out, grown-up alternative to the flashy alcopop bars littered all over West Street.

Owners Khalid Bahemou and Saied Zargal asked Amanda Blanch, music PR turned designer and co-creator of boutique hotel Blanch House in Kemp Town, to design their new premises "to bring it a unique yet Brighton flair", she says.

It certainly bears the hallmarks of Amanda's taste - subtle, sophisticated and modern.

Opulent chandeliers sparkle against rich reds and comfy black leather Chesterfield sofas. Wooden tables are spaced evenly across a split-level, light and airy space.

The atmosphere is warm and welcoming and it feels trendy without being prententious. On weekends the presence of a DJ lifts the spirits - but he plays tunes strictly to suit the mood of the clientele, not the other way around.

"Esca is a late night lounge bar," says Khalid, "a funky place where young professionals can come and have a drink, chat and relax instead of going to a club. It is the kind of place we would like to come to ourselves and there isn't really anywhere else like it in Brighton."

Drinks-wise, Esca offer premium spirits, draft and bottled beers, champers and a decent wine list.

But cocktails are where they really come into their own. A vivid mix of martinis and mojitos, punch and bellinis, from Turbo Charger (espresso shot, vanilla vodka, tia maria) to Fatboy Gin (Beefeater gin, raspberry puree, sugar, Chambord, ginger ale) and Brighton Pebble (vanilla vodka, Passoa, passion fruit puree, sugar, orange juice) start from £4.50.

For the non-drinkers out there, the bartenders are more than willing to take up the challenge of mixing a decent non-alcoholic cocktail.

"I'm really excited to be involved," says new manager Warwick Newton. "This is a perfect location for a bar of this kind. We are offering a relaxed environment which reflects the best things about Brighton and Hove and leaves the rest on the seafront!"