Ox Block: Lord Nelson Inn review

A selection of juicy burgers, spiced grilled chicken, soft flatbreads, and even crisp, doughy fried Oreos…

We went to review the Lord Nelson Inn, as the new Ox Block menu launches at the Harvey’s Brewery Brighton pub.

Ox Block, created by Kenny Tutt, MasterChef’s 2018 winner, was originally housed at Brighton seafront’s Shelter Hall. This move to the Lord Nelson Inn brings all new burgers and bar snacks to their award-winning robata grilled meats.

I recently had the privilege of being invited to try the new Ox Block menu at the Lord Nelson Inn. As a slight fussy eater (I hate cheese), I had to have a quick peruse at the menu online first. Having spotted a few things that tickled my fancy, I graciously accepted.

I brought my housemate Kayley along, a big foodie herself, to indulge and judge some of the things I knew I wouldn’t try. So, we giddily headed off, excited to get an exclusive taste.

The greeting

I’ll admit, I didn’t have the best start. Pushing on the first thing I saw that looked like a door, which did not budge. People in the window very much saw me. But my embarrassment was forgotten when we received a lovely greeting from staff, at the correct entrance. They asked who we were, and I have to say I felt very fancy declaring “Lana, from Title Sussex” (I have never been ‘from’ anywhere before in my life). We were then given the choice of where to sit. Bonus points for being able to pick my own seating. There’s nothing worse than being sat by a door and being blasted by a cold breeze every time someone enters or exits.

After a quick glance around, we chose to sit by a big wall-to-ceiling window for the perfect lighting. Had it been an evening dinner date, I may have opted for one of the plush red bench seats in the corner.

Once seated, we were told we were allowed one main, one side, and a dessert. We were also given samples of three of their Harvey’s Brewery beers. We just had to order at the bar when ready. I was slightly surprised we had to order at the bar. Especially after such an attentive welcome, I expected table service. Perhaps an assumption still internalised from covid protoccol. On reflection, ordering at the bar is standard pub etiquette, so I shouldn’t really have be surprised.

Whilst pondering the menu, we took in the slight nautical themed décor. When I say nautical, I don’t mean anchor signs or blue and white lifebuoys hung on the wall. It’s much more understated. Think hard wood flooring and maroon panelled walls. Sparkly fairy lights also scattered the ceiling, bringing a bit of fun to the space.

Pre-lunch grub

Once ordered, we were brought over a sharing platter of the aptly named ‘pub snacks.’ Cheese toastie, devils on horseback, and fried chicken bites with pickled veg.

If you’re reading carefully, you’ll have picked up on that I hate cheese. But thanks to bringing Kayley along, I can still inform you dear reader about the toastie.

And, drumroll please… it was a standard toastie. Nothing more, nothing less. Which isn’t an issue other than it being described as a three cheese toastie with truffle mustard. Kayley couldn’t pick up on anything other than nicely toasted bread and cheddar. But hey! If that’s what you like, there’s nothing wrong with a nice toastie.

Now, the devils on horseback. Dates wrapped in crispy, salty ham. Having never had one before, I didn’t know what to expect, however I was very pleased. A big lover of a sweet and salty combo. We also felt it was a good partner to the Harvey’s Sussex Best bitter.

My personal favourite of the pub snacks had to be the fried chicken bites. Chicken thigh pieces with crispy skin. A bit of savoury sticky sauce, umami heaven. The pickled vegetables also provided a good vinegary cut through all the different flavours on the board.

Harvey’s Brewery selection

Lord Nelson Inn is a Harvey’s Brewery pub. A local Sussex brewery based in Lewes, only about 20 minutes from Brighton. So, there are plenty of local award-winning beers on tap at this cosy and comfortable pub.

I will preface this by saying I am not a beer fan. I’ve only started drinking the odd lager in the last year, and even then, I typically need a dash of lime to make it palatable. I’m much more of a rum and coke girl. However, I definitely found some of these Harvey’s Brewery beers enjoyable. So that’s saying something.

We tried the pilsner, Sussex best bitter, and Armada ale. The pilsner was lovely. A type of lager, light, and a bit hoppy (I used to be a bar tender, so I do kind of know what I’m talking about). The Sussex bitter wasn’t for me, but that’s likely because it was a bitter. What I can tell you (from visiting the brewery website) is that its’ got malt and caramel flavours.

Now for me, the Armada ale was where it was at. Dry and refreshing. A little bitter, but for me, paired really well with the food. Both the Sussex Best and Armada ale went better with the desserts. As the darker of the three beers, they cut up that sweetness.

The Lord Nelson Inn also has a selection of other Harvey’s Brewery beers. So, you’re bound to find the right one for your personal taste.

Want to know more about beer? Read about IPAs and Pale Ales here.

Mains

Our mains only carried on with the delicious-ness of the whole experience. Presented on greaseproof paper over a metal tray, the portion sizes were more than enough.

Served on flatbread, my gunpowder chicken thighs came perfectly succulent and spiced. With the right amount of drizzled siracha and mayo not to overpower anything. Plus, scattered peanuts for a welcomed crunch. The flatbread was probably the best flatbread I’d ever eaten.

Cheese lovers will adore the Full Nelson Burger. Enough cheese sauce that it was pooling out around the bun. Although, it did make for a messy eat. Kayley had to resort to a knife and fork after a couple of tries at picking it up. I would say, be aware that this burger came pink inside, if you’re not a fan of this maybe opt for something else on the menu.

The salad, with its fresh crunchy deliciousness and pickled onions, also had chilli flakes. Now, I’m quite happy with a bit of spice and for me it wasn’t too much at all. However, spice haters might struggle with this. Which could be disappointing as there was only one salad on the menu. I found the chilli flakes a fun addition to a typical garden salad.

The portion sizes were generous. And so delicious that we had to actively hold ourselves back from finishing them since we knew we had dessert to go.

Indulgence

On the new menu, Ox Block’s signature deep fried Oreos have now been joined by maple waffles with bacon and peanut ice cream.

We, of course, tried both.

The fried Oreos were something on another level. Crisp, crunchy batter round the outside and soft chocolatey Oreo inside. Partnered with dulche de leche ice cream. Moreish and indulgent. We couldn’t do more than a couple of mouthfuls without it becoming too sickly. However, that was probably impacted by the shear amount of food we had already devoured.

The sugar waffle came doused in maple syrup. Maple ice cream, with bacon and peanut crumb sprinkled on top. The salty savoury bacon punch just elevated the sweet flavours of the syrup and waffle. The sugar waffle was wonderful, not overcooked and hard. A good, sweet treat to round off a meal.

Neither of the portions were very big, however we felt they were the right size for a post dinner sweet kick.

All in all

The perfect spot for your next pub lunch. The Lord Nelson Inn provides a great selection of beers to partner with Ox Block’s succulent and flavoursome grilled menu. With polite and friendly service, you’re guaranteed to have a satisfying and enjoyable meal here.

I intend to take all my other friends here to experience the food. And, return to have a few rum and cokes in their intimate and sunny conservatory at the back.

Three cheese toastie – £7
Devils on Horseback – £6
Fried chicken and pickles – £7
Gunpowder chicken thighs – £12.50
The Full Nelson Burger – £12
House Salad – £5
Chips – £4.50
Deep fried Oreos – £7
Waffle with bacon and maple ice cream – £7

Ox Block is available at the Lord Nelson Inn now. The full menu, and prices, can be found on the Lord Nelson Brighton website.