There are probably many corners of Eastbourne still redolent of the 1950s, despite the shiny allure of 2023 with its new-fangled shopping centre and block-paved bus lanes.
And there’s nothing wrong with a solid bit of yesteryear when it’s bathed in a golden glow.
That was when you had conversations with people while looking at them, and a telephone in your house, hard-wired into a hallway socket, was the ultimate luxury.
That pull of nostalgia is perhaps part of the charm of the Sunshine Coast, where many ‘seniors’ arrive by coach to enjoy strolls along the promenade and a meal out.
Many of them may have a feeling of déjà vu (that they have experienced the same situation) should they chance upon Déjà Vu (the restaurant in the town centre).
There are pubs and noodle places aplenty for hipsters staying in ‘boutique’ hotels, but some visitors want a solid offering involving various forms of potato and a proper pudding to follow.
There is a 1950s vibe to Déjà Vu’s dark wood tables, brass shell-shaped wall lights and the decorative tiles across the wooden bar.
In fact, with the wrought ironwork between seating sections, there’s even a faint flavour of Brits abroad who prefer a “traditional” steak pie to a seafood paella. Ironic, considering the restaurant has a French name.
The customers are, in general, north of 60, a discerning crowd who look as if they’re enjoying what amounts to good value for a decent meal in these straitened times.
Staff are plentiful, attentive and efficient, which is a huge plus when many venues have problems finding the right people.
The specials board includes three different roasts, a daily cheese dish and a daily pie. A fridge stocks trifles and crumbles for afters. There is a nod to 2023 with a chocolate brownie option, balanced by the sheer 1950s-ness of spotted dick and custard.
If this is your dream menu, you won’t be disappointed at Déjà Vu. We took a seat before realising we were probably in the mood for breakfast at lunchtime.
To do the restaurant justice, one of us should probably have had a traditional slap-up meat-based dish.
But as we were paying, and it’s not #gifted or #pr or any other obfuscatory English which means ‘this was free, so we have to be nice’, we ate what we wanted.
£6.50. It’s a simple dish yet many places don’t quite manage it.
A veggie sausage can be a tube of crumbly dryness which makes you long for a fat-saturated proper banger if, like me, you’re not vegetarian. But this version was juicy and satisfying.
The mushrooms were freshly-cooked (not those tinned horrors one occasionally happens upon), the egg was perfect and the beans were, well, beans.
It was what I wanted to eat and it tasted very nice (if you’re looking for flowery prose, you’ve come to the wrong place).
The dining companion (DC) had smoked salmon and a mound of scrambled egg with toast for £9.95. The egg looked a bit dry for my taste, but that’s why I never order scrambled when I go out.
DC was happy and polished it off. “Good value and very nice,” was the verdict, once again using an adjective that most ten-year-olds are banned from using in school writing.
He went on to enjoy a pudding: apple and blackberry crumble, with proper custard, for £5.10.
He also greatly extended his descriptive vocabulary: “Very lovely. It’s fruity and crumbly and hot – generous portion, too.”
Eating breakfast at lunchtime followed by pudding does not, currently, appear to be against the law in England so I think we got away with it.
If an avocado brunch or miso glazed anything does not appeal in these crazy modern times, I urge a soothing visit to Déjà Vu. It’s a classic Eastbourne venue.
Déjà Vu, 1 Bolton Road, Eastbourne, BN21 3JU Tel: 01323 641718
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