On balance, Set of Scales does little to excite

Set of Scales

Artist Residence

@ScalesSet

'¨33 Regency Square, Brighton. BN1 2GG'¨

www.thesetrestaurant.com

I'm not the most fashion-conscious person and I would like to think I don't particularly follow the crowd.

Just because someone, somewhere, is doing something 'cool', that doesn't mean I have to do it, too. Having a sense of individuality is far more interesting, in my opinion.

This is where the slight irony of 'dirty diner' Set of Scales being set at Artist Residence occurs. The word 'artist' can hint at originality, subversiveness, and being able to step away from the norm - very little of which Set of Scales adheres to.

Set of Scales is the brainchild of Semone Bonner and Dan Kenny, the two men behind upmarket dining concept The Set. Opening in April 2015, Dan and Semone's venture has a double-restaurant concept, the idea being that The Set is a more formal dining experience and Set of Scales a relaxed, open to everyone, diner.

Essentially, this gives punters the choice between upmarket plates of swanky grub or more downmarket fare.

Located in the front half of the dining area, it's clear that Scales wants to impress and come across as a hip place to be. But grey paint, magnetic lettering menus, and wooden benches should have been left in Hoxton, circa 2005.

Scales serves - yup, everyone's already done-to-death favourite - burgers. Choose from ï¬ve ï¬sh-themed burgers and pair with a choice of meatball, cheese, or salted fries. Each burger clambers to be more creative than the next, with a bizarre array of condiments and ï¬llings.

Served on a shiny black plate, the Kentucky fried ï¬llets in the Cod Burger (Â£9) were overly-salty, although the delicate ï¬sh was well-cooked and light. The spice from the jalapeÃ±o mayo gave the burger a good punch, yet the crispy ham hock was instantly forgettable.

The Coca-Cola-softened onions were utterly pointless. Far too sweet, they slathered the bun in a thick black oil, making it look like it was spotted in mildew.

The hake burger (Â£8) was overpowered by the combination of rich BBQ sauce, fennel jam, and burned corn mayo. Once chunks of ï¬sh without the bizarre extras were retrieved, however, the thick hake was perfect.

The fries were your typical, batch-cook-from-frozen chips. Lightly salted, they were bland, slightly cool in the middle, and too dry. Perhaps adding a meatball topping would have brought them to life a bit?

Set of Scales did nothing for me. If anything, I was bored.

Pandering to out-of-towners, hipsters, and those sticking to their guns, it merely tries to follow trends and does nothing to set the world alight.

It's clear The Set team have bags of imagination and a talent for cooking, yet I longed for their diner food to be more original. Perhaps the back half of the dining room in The Set is where the magic really happens at Artist Residence?