Stay in Brighton - Malmaison Cocktails and Canapes

It may not have been my first visit to a Mal but it certainly was the jolliest. Thanks to LDN Meet Up a happy band of bloggers and plus ones were invited to check out the brand new Malmaison in Brighton Marina.

Living a mere 10 mins walk away fabulous Al and I went down to have a look inside. Continuing with the Mal's theme of sophisticated boudoir sultriness we found an interior scheme of charcoal and black with pops of zesty colour.

Behind the reception desk a glowing piece of fabulous pop art designed for the hotel by their in-house designers impressed us all.

From there the open space flowed into a large lounge with floor to ceiling glass doors at the other end that opened onto a balcony shaped like the bow of a ship.

Our first stop was through the lounge and into the bar area where we were greeted with a glass of Kir Royale to take out onto another balcony to enjoy the view over the marina.

The cocktails were flowing and our next drink was a new addition to the Mal menu, called a Spring Spritz that contained Aperol and grapefruit. To accompany this we were also offered mini tasters from the new spring menu of sweet and savoury dishes.

The team were lovely and both my friend and I with our links to Northern Ireland couldn't help but like Colm who had come over from the Belfast Mal about six months ago. From risotto to mackerel and lamb to rhubarb trifle the little morsels were all very tasty. Although, my favourite would have to be the fresh burrata starter of mozzarella, herb puree and heritage tomato, which was utterly delicious.

Soon we were off again checking out the dining area this time where walls had been knocked down and a verandah area created. Our guide, the equally lovely Gemma told us that non-residents are welcome at any time to eat at the hotel. In fact from 7 am in the morning when breakfast starts. Simultaneously I was imagining myself enjoying breakfast, brunch, Sunday lunch with the family and a cosy dinner with my Welsh One. I've since found out from a friend that the Sunday lunch, priced at £19.95 is very good.

Meanwhile, my explorations into cocktails continued with the help of the group's head of cocktails, Ian and Al. We tried La Latin an interesting blend of olive brine and Viognier, followed by a Cosmopolitan and a Metropolitan. La Latin was curious and nicer than I expected, the taste of olive brine was present without being overpowering. The Cosmopolitan tasted nice and fruity with cranberry and lime flavours while the Metropolitan had a distinctly raspberry taste.

Our tour didn't end there although I could have quite happily fallen onto a bed at our next destination. Our final stop was to see inside one of the club rooms. In total Mal Brighton has 71 rooms and with prices starting at £99, it's a pretty good price for Brighton. For a club room add on another £60.

It was time to leave the jolly crew at Mal for the night but not before we found out that their classic cocktails are £5 and a glass of Maison Champagne £6 on Fridays between 5 and 8 pm. There's only one thing I can add to that, oh man! Thank Mal it's Friday.

MALMAISON, WATERFRONT, BRIGHTON MARINA VILLAGE, BRIGHTON, BN2 5WA UNITED KINGDOM

Tel: 01273 041482

With thanks to Malmaison for the complimentary cocktails and canapes. I didn't get to try all the cocktails. If you discover one you love then please share in the comments below.

Best wishes

Sarah xx