Koba

Hi I am Chris the General Manager of Koba. I wanted to write a little review about Koba as it has been changing over the last couple of years and some of the information on sites is slightly out of date.

Koba is located on Western Road next to Waitrose. 2 of our 3 bars used to be Members only however this has now changed and all 3 bars are open to guests wishing to receive great service, fantastic drinks and an all round good experience.

Weekdays we normally only run with one bar however if your a larger group it is always good to call in advance and we can look at opening another bar for you.

At the weekends 2 of our bars are normally hired out for functions but when they are not they are open for guests to explore. It is always advisable to call or email if you are a large group so we can try and find you the most suitable space and ensure you have a fantastic experience.

Although we are well known for our fantastic Cocktails we are more than happy to serve you a beer, a glass of wine or your preferred gin and tonic.

We have exciting news, later this year (2010) we will be opening a further 2 spaces and will be open in the daytime as well serving great coffee and food. The look and feel will be very different and its about providing and informal and relaxed space for all to come and relax in!

I would love to welcome you to Koba and for those that have already been I hope you enjoyed your experience and I look forward to welcoming you back!

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Having recently relocated I was pleased to discover that my new local specialises in cocktails, needless to say I was eager to try the place out so with an internship at The Guardian on the horizon and my sister nearing the end of her degree we decided to celebrate. Out came the sky high shoes and handsome beaus and off we went to explore the velvet walled establishment across the road.

We were ushered up to the third floor and promptly seated in a comfortable and cosy room wall to wall in lavish fabrics. The drinks did not disappoint and were mixed and delivered by a dapper and charming waiter, the conversation flowed and aided by some rather deadly Iced Teas our volume soon drowned out the rather mediocre tunes.

The three cases of stairs were far more challenging on the way down after sampling most of the concoctions on the extensive list, but we managed to navigate our way all 150 metres back to my flat with out any mishaps or broken ankles. And from what we can remember of the evening it was a memorable night...

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KOBA is nestled away up a narrow staircase next to Waitrose on the Western Road, this location in itself is not a promising start. Add to this that the place had a reputation as being a private members club (no longer exclusive in that way) and you can understand that I approached the place with a little trepidation. There were a number of good things about KOBA, the staff were very friendly and helpful, from the guy we spoke to on the phone to check about opening hours, to the security on the door, to the waitresses and bar staff. All a credit to the place. Our waitress found us somewhere to sit promptly, allowing us to sit at a table for four even though we were only two when it was a Friday night was a good sign. She also let us have a look at the bars which were closed to private parties (KOBA stretches over three floors), and offered advice on how to continue our night if we wanted to go on somewhere after the bar.

The drinks menu was vast, cocktails the speciality. My Dark and Stormy was a little sweet on first taste, but the zing of the lemon soon broke through and became a very pleasant drink. The music was so so, I didn’t come away thinking that the sounds had blown me away, but I didn’t find myself moaning about them, so that is usually a good sign. The acoustics meant I could chat to my very attractive date and the seating meant I could snuggle up nice and close!

The decor was a little dated. It was once cutting edge I am sure, but coming from London and seeing so many places that consider themselves to be the latest thing in interior design, it is easy to feel like you have seen it all before. I did like the colours used – purple of one of the walls, I also found the cube like seating remarkably comfortable.

It was a brief visit, but really a very nice one. Good drinks, good company, good service, and not bad prices considering KOBA clearly sees itself as an upmarket haunt for the bright young things of Brighton. You could do a lot worse than cocktail it away to the small hours here.

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