For a different kind of date, Kirsten explored the dragon connection in Brighton… 

I love kids, but couldn’t eat a whole one, etc. And when booking the Ivy Asia / Dragons at the Royal Pavilion experience with my husband, for a different kind of date for a change, I had slight concerns there might be a lot of children involved. But I needn’t have worried.  

For us, we went for a Monday afternoon, which is slightly unusual for a date, agreed. But if you can arrange to sneak out so early in the week, I highly recommend it. It’s a calmer, lighter experience, and as one half of a couple, in which I have been half my actual life, it feels a bit more intimate and special than fighting it out with the usual weekend hordes. Obviously not everyone has that choice, but if you can, do it. It almost feels like being on holiday.  

If you haven’t been to the Ivy Asia, it’s stunningly decorated, with gorgeous layers of fabric, colour, and light. Things sparkle and shimmer from every angle, patterns vying for attention with shapes and textures. Just the right side of overwhelming. The first time I went, I could barely look at the semiprecious luminosity of the green agate floor without sunglasses on. But on Monday I felt nestled in a dragon’s lair of treasure.  

Despite being a Monday lunchtime, the restaurant wasn’t empty, but it did feel calm and spacious. We were welcomed, seated and looked after by a team of friendly staff who were attentive without being in your face. And who brought us two glasses of slightly sweet but very tasty champagne. I was of course expecting a fixed menu for the Royal Dragons Experience, but there is enough variety to feel like we had a good choice, including a vegetarian option.  

What did we eat? 

After much deliberation, we shared a couple of beautifully presented starters. The pork gyoza is served on a light kimchi mayonnaise which perfectly balances the sweetness of the sausage-meat filling. They were delicious, and filling! So we were grateful for the lightness of the prawn tempura, with its coriander dressing and garnish of fine strands of dried chilli. 

We both went for chicken for the mains, but two different presentations. One Makhani Chicken Curry, and one Robata Grilled Miso Chicken, which was a hefty half chicken with a miso glaze and Korean barbecue sauce. The “fragrant salad” advertised to come with the latter was just a disappointing side garnish of rocket. But everything else about the dish was generous and well flavoured.  

The Makhani curry was similarly well cooked and in a delicately flavoured tomato-based sauce. Neither dish packed a chilli punch though – no fiery dragons here.  

We washed it all down with a glass of Roussillon, a dry white from their Vintage menu. They patiently let us try three wines before we settled. I’m a fussy customer when it comes to white wine, and can’t handle anything too sweet. My very amateur wine notes for the Roussillon say “mineral” and “pear”. And I’m chuffed to say, so does Google! 

We treated ourselves to desserts. Who can resist an oblong of Mochi balls (chocolate, mango, yuzu) with a light mango sauce? Not even me, despite being distracted by my Green Lantern; like an upside-down cheesecake in a green glass, with hints of matcha in the cream cheese, a ginger chewy crunchy crumb, delicate matcha biscuit sticks, and beautifully painted white chocolate butterfly.  

Neither were overly sweet, especially the Green Lantern, although it comes with a rich mango sauce that you could use to adjust the sweetness to your liking. I love this approach, as I find so many desserts are too saccharin. 

Time for Dragons! 

Then it was just a short meander to the Royal Pavilion to see how adult-friendly the Dragons exhibition really is. This experience is actually a really great way to visit or even revisit the Pavilion, observing the dragon motif that I now realise is everywhere to share some of its history.  

The artists and designers responsible for the permanent dragon sculptures, wallpapers, carpet designs, paintings and even dragon suits, knew very little about Chinese culture. For that reason, many of the dragons are from mismatched cultures. Some are more serpent like, while others have legs, feet and toes.  

The most impressive, perhaps, is the great winged dragon holding the further be-dragoned, 9.1-metre-wide chandelier in the Banqueting Room. Some are indeed Welsh, perhaps fittingly as George IV was Prince of Wales. Whatever the dragon design influence, many were used as a symbol of power and status. 

At the moment, there are many extra dragons up to magic and mischief in the Royal Pavilion right now too – at least until 27 July 2026 – together with a dragon egg hunt, a dress-up room, a dragon-themed kids’ chill-out zone, and various other activities. Great if you have kids, but actually not annoying if you don’t. In fact, we were amused by many of the goings-on, and enjoyed some of the dragon-themed installations as much as any child might. 

There’s an interesting mini exhibition upstairs which illustrates just how much damage day-to-day life can do to various surfaces and textiles, and why everything needs constant maintenance. Just running your hand along a banister (all those thousands of hands every year!), walking on the gorgeously woven carpets (so many dirty shoes!), and even just breathing, all takes a heavy toll. So it’s good to know that the Ivy Asia donates £10 to Brighton & Hove Museums for every adult ticket sold, and £5 for every child’s ticket. 

I forget how lovely the Pavilion is 

Although we were sad to see the Royal Pavilion café/tearoom with its balcony overlooking the gardens has closed. Apparently, that’s been gone for a few years now. However, the gardens themselves are as stunning as ever this time of year (June), and I’m very grateful to have this gem in our city. This afternoon has reminded me to keep visiting the places I cherish, and just how magical Brighton can be.  

So, what’s actually included and how can we do this too? 

We had the Ivy Asia booked for lunch, as part of their current Royal Dragons Experience collaboration with the Royal Pavilion. You get a two-course lunch with a glass of champagne from their special Royal Dragons menu, and a ticket to the current Dragons exhibition at the Pavilion.  

Part of your ticket also includes a donation to Brighton & Hove Museums, all for £58 a head (or £38.50 if you’re already a B&H Museums member). This provides a full afternoon of enjoyment, plus a little snooze in the palace garden sunshine at the end. All beautifully ticking those holiday-feel boxes. 

You can also take children, for £36.50 a head (£25 for members), who can choose from the children’s menu instead. It was when I was booking that I actually noticed the Dragons exhibition included children’s activities and wondered if there would be kids everywhere. But I needn’t have feared. The experience was well balanced enough to appeal to all ages, I never felt overrun by children, and kids – or grandkids – would really love this. 

Running from 27 April to 27 July 2026. More information here: 

Brighton Pavilion 

Ivy Asia Brighton