The best restaurants in Brighton
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Gone are the days of good-but-staid establishments, second-rate pizza parlours and soggy fish and chips. Brighton today has an increasingly sophisticated restaurant scene that easily outshines other seaside resorts. The trend in many is to emphasise locally sourced ingredients, and that’s all to the good, given Sussex’s burgeoning vineyards, artisan cheesemakers and organic farms. From a tiny Italian joint serving silky homemade pastas to Southern Indian street food, Telegraph Travel Brighton expert Louise Roddon shares her favourites.
North Laine
Isaac At
The average age of Isaac At’s team is just 23 years, but don’t let that put you off. Nor the tiny IKEA-styled space with its elegant if uncomfortable pine chairs and too small tables. Come instead to ogle Chef Isaac Bartlett-Copeland at work in his open kitchen (you can dine at the counter) where he and his team magic up small precision-cooked set menus spanning sea buckthorn and crab apple sorbet to hangar steak with heritage grains. Isaac’s passion for local ingredients (you get a food and drinks mileage chart) feels a bit laboured, but this, after all, is Brighton.
Contact: 07765934740; isaac-at.com
Opening times: Tues-Sat, 6.30pm-10.30pm; Sat lunch, 12.30pm-2.30pm
Reservations: Essential
Prices: ££
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Cin Cin Italian Bar and Kitchen
This tiny Italian joint in North Laine is located in a converted garage. Don’t expect elegance or comfort (the wooden bar stools around a central servery are bum-numbingly hard) – what you will get though is comfort food: small plates of zingy asparagus with hazelnuts and lardo, soused mackerel with sweet beetroot or first-rate charcuterie, then authentically homemade silky pastas with gutsy sauces (try the Tuscan pork). Pick a table away from the always-open double doors, or, if you want the full works including mains other than pasta, book at their larger sister branch in Hove.
Contact: 01273 698813; cincin.co.uk
Opening times: Tues-Sat, 12pm-3pm; 6pm-10.30pm
Reservations: Essential
Prices: £-££
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Grow 40
Tasting menus are having a moment in Brighton, but Grow 40’s eight-course creations are at least sensibly priced (add a £20 wine flight – these guys know their grapes). Star turns? Local Wagyu beef with smoked leek and carrot, and a dreamy quail egg chicken consommé in a miniature smoking tureen. There are a few over-inventive misses here and there: a palate-stripping apple and wasabi sorbet, an over-stodgy ox cheek doughnut, but this new restaurant is well worth a visit. Even better, they run two-course à la carte options alongside all-day breakfasts and snacky-but-satisfying lunches. The look? Rustic informality with on-trend exposed brickwork.
Contact:01273 622519; grow40.com
Opening times: Daily, 9am-11pm
Reservations: Recommended at weekends
Prices: £-££
Basketmakers Arms
This Victorian street-corner boozer is a locals’ favourite, and at weekends it’s packed with a benevolent mix of hipsters, young families and ageing hippies. From the snug salons and low ceilings, crowded barstools and walls covered with a clutter of old cigarette tins, this is where Brightonians come for a great range of cask-conditioned beers and craft lagers. If whisky is your thing, they’ve over 100 varieties. Expect a noisy friendly vibe and mostly traditional pub grub fodder: burgers, cheesy chips, mussels or dressed crab. That said, the ingredients are generally locally sourced and the cooking is sound.
Contact: 01273 689006; basket-makers-brighton.co.uk
Opening times: See website
Prices: £-££
Getting in: ID sometimes required
City Centre
Pascere
Since its opening in 2017, Pascere has wowed both locals and out-of-towners with its classy good looks (restful teal colours mixing with comfortable Lloyd Loom chairs) and seriously delicious creations. There’s a lengthy small plates menu (available from 12pm-3pm and 6pm-7pm; oh, how we wish it featured well into the evening serving) where the likes of dreamy English pea custard segue to delicately zingy crab tartlets. Mains include pretty-as-a-picture delicacies such as pan-fried halibut and clam chowder and there’s an impressive wine list with plenty of by-the-glass offerings. Regulars claim bar stools by the open kitchen upstairs, but the elbow space downstairs is also a nice spot.
Contact: 01273 917949; pascere.co.uk
Opening times: Tues-Sat, 11.30am-10pm; Sun, 11.30am-6pm
Reservations: Essential
Prices: ££-£££
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Murmur
Another fine newbie for Brighton, Murmur is the baby of 64 Degrees’ chef, Michael Bremner – and he’s created a winner here, tucked in one of the old boat builders’ arches facing the ruined west pier. Murmur – named after a murmuration of starlings – dishes up day-long treats such as lobster croquettes with charred lime or roast cod with hispi (fish is the wow ingredient here). Brunch is also a great option, especially seated on the outdoor terrace on a fine day. Inside? It’s small with tiny tables, cool canary-yellow metal chairs and hopelessly poor acoustics. But hey, the food is the main shout here.
Contact: 01273 711900; murmur-restaurant.co.uk
Opening times: See website
Reservations: Recommended
Prices: ££
Semolina
Semolina is not in the most attractive of locations – tucked away in a side street behind the London Road – but this small, husband-and-wife-run bistro offers assured cooking at highly reasonable prices. It’s a tiny, basically furnished space with small wooden tables and chairs. Expect zingy dishes such as cod clams with Parisienne gnocchi and salsa verde alongside dreamy fish soups, homemade terrines, and an occasional foray into North African flavours. Vegetarians won’t go hungry and there’s a good wine list where local wines feature, alongside excellent cocktails.
Contact: 01273 697259; semolinabrighton.co.uk
Opening times: Tues, 6pm-10pm; Wed-Sat, 12pm-3pm, 6pm-10pm
Reservations: Recommended
Prices: ££
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The Bistro at Hotel du Vin
Okay, we miss the cluttered Parisian bistro look they had going – even the dried flowers, and particularly the tobacco-coloured walls – but the latest look of sparseness works very well and the place still exudes a certain Gallic charm. It’s just more elegantly conceived, with marble tables offsetting eau de nil colour notes. What this place continues to do well are classic favourites such as slow roasted Gloucester old spot pork belly and steak frites. This is equally a perfect spot for a Sunday roast – but you need to book.
Contact: 01273 718588, hotelduvin.com
Opening times: See website
Reservations: Essential
Prices: ££-£££
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Terre à Terre
Vegetarians and carnivores alike adore this spacious pared-back restaurant for inspiring dishes and clever twists on all things pulled from the soil. The menu is a tad convoluted – what exactly are amchur, arame wakame and dengaku? – but no matter; if you can’t decide, opt for the easy-to-share tapas menu comprising seven generously sized though scaled-down portions from the à la carte menu. An Asian twist runs through some of the dishes, too. Wash down with cocktails made from local distiller’s Blackdown gin and vermouth.
Contact: 01273 729051; terreaterre.co.uk
Opening times: Daily, 12pm-10.30pm (Sat, 11pm; Sun, 10pm)
Reservations: Essential
Prices: ££-£££
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64 Degrees
Chef Michael Bremner opened this cramped industrial-chic establishment in the Lanes before flexing his wings in London, yet the original still pulls in the punters. The concept is slow precision cooking – an egg, for instance, poached at 64 degrees for 40 minutes to intensify flavour – with dishes intended for sharing. Grab a chair at the kitchen counter (always fun), and choose from ever-changing yummy treats spanning ox tongue, polenta and pickles to brill with grapefruit and chilli. Five or six dishes are sufficient for two – just don’t expect them to arrive in any logical order.
Contact: 01273 770115; 64degrees.co.uk
Opening times: See website
Reservations: Essential
Prices: ££
Curry Leaf Café
Curry Leaf Café continues to wow with lunchtime Southern Indian street food and well-executed dinner choices. They’ve also opened a kiosk for hot and cold snacks at Brighton Station alongside the Kemp Town Kitchen on Upper St James’s Street, but this, the original, is the cosiest. Hot lime green and orange décor, exposed brickwork and canteen-cool metal furniture provide the perfect setting for chef Kanthi Thamma’s imaginative cooking. For dinner, opt for slow-cooked Keralan duck mappas or the excellent Bengali fish curry. Cool off with a craft beer from an extensive drinks list.
Contact: 01273 207070; curryleafcafe.com
Opening times: See website
Reservations: Recommended
Prices: ££
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The Coal Shed
The Coal Shed is known for its expertly cooked, well-hung steaks. And now – huge puff for Brighton being first on the scene – they’ve also got an outpost in London. The décor of stripped floorboards, wooden tables and brick walls can result in poor acoustics but the cooking is spot on. Come in the evening to chow on aged Scottish cuts and fabulous beef dripping chips. Alternatively, try good value lunches and Sunday sharing roasts featuring 35-day aged beef. They also offer locally caught fish and seafood, but it's better to stick to the dishes that serve the restaurant's original purpose.
Contact: 01273 322998, coalshed-restaurant.co.uk
Opening times: Daily, 12pm-4pm, 6pm-10pm (10.30pm Friday and Saturday)
Reservations: Recommended
Prices: ££
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Coggings & Co
This is a great place to eat if you fancy yourself as a burger aficionado. Coggings & Co is a neighbourhood eatery in the fashionable Seven Dials district decked out with wooden tables, exposed brick walls and amusing art work. Food is served on annoying wooden platters rather than plates, but that aside it’s great, particularly for families. The beef is Sussex sourced, the buns are steamed to fluffy perfection and the chips are deliciously thrice cooked in beef dripping. Toppings are imaginative too – chorizo jam, candied streaky bacon and roast garlic mayo – and there’s a choice for vegetarians.
Contact: 01273 220220; coggingsandco.com
Opening times: Mon-Sat, 12pm-11pm; Sun, 12pm-7pm
Reservations: Recommended
Prices: £-££
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The Salt Room
Brighton has ridiculously few decent fish restaurants, considering its seaside location – but this is certainly one of them, especially for a celebratory treat. Peerless sea views meld with on-trend ships’ lamps, exposed brickwork and stripped floorboards. There’s even a covered sea-facing terrace, though the traffic noise mars the enjoyment a bit. And the food? The devil is in the detail – homemade bread with yummy seaweed butter, appetisers of salt cod fritters – preceding starry Josper grilled local fish. Pick a window table, try one of their cocktails and linger on for the inventive afternoon tea featuring sweet and savoury treats topped with candyfloss.
Contact: 01273 929488; saltroom-restaurant.co.uk
Opening times: Daily, 12pm-4pm, 6pm-10pm (10.30pm Friday and Saturday)
Reservations: Essential
Prices: ££-£££
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The Mock Turtle
If it's a spot of tea and a cake you're after, try The Mock Turtle. Don’t be put off by its location, just yards from the windy and desolate bus station – for this quaint three-storey tea room is a real find. Sure, it looks a little old-fashioned, but expect to find an eclectic crowd here. The café is bound to please retro fans with its jumble of small dining salons decked out with dainty Willow Plate crockery and polished gate-leg tables. Come for fry-ups, cream teas, ridiculously large slabs of homemade cake and snacks spanning sardines on toast to Welsh rarebit.
Address: 4 Pool Valley, Brighton BN1 1NJ
Contact: 01273 327380
Opening times: Tues-Sun, 9am-6pm
Reservations: Recommended
Prices: £
Hove
V&H Café
A fab choice for breakfasts, brunch or light lunches. Locals rate this neat little Hove café for hangover-busting specials: eggs Benedict perhaps, or homemade baked beans with Sussex pork and herb sausages on sourdough bread. The food is cooked to order, always locally sourced and the coffee never fails. There's plenty of loose leaf teas too, alongside gluten-free options. And do save room for the excellent cakes. The interior décor is limited but has a nice Nordic vibe with a pine refectory table, panelled walls and salvaged school chairs. Avoid sitting near the door – Hove’s winds have a nasty bite.
Contact: 01273 321147; vhhollandroad.co.uk
Opening times: Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm; Sat, 9am-5pm; Sun, 9am-4pm
Reservations: Possible, but mostly walk-ins
Prices: £
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The Gingerman
The Gingerman was one of the city’s first restaurants to offer proper posh nosh, and despite swapping its formerly plush and somewhat staid décor for a more contemporary look of exposed brickwork and wooden tables, it’s still an absolute winner. The cooking is highly inventive to the point of quirkiness, with a strong emphasis on locally sourced produce. And for such high standards the set menus offer surprisingly good value. Get behind irresistible dishes such as Brighton coast Gurnard with pork scratchings or the much-vaunted Sussex Wagyu beef with Brighton blue cheese.
Contact: 01273 326688; gingermanrestaurants.com
Opening times: Tues-Sun, 12.30-2pm, 7pm-10pm
Reservations: Essential
Prices: ££
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The Little Fish Market
The city’s star turn is found in Hove where three AA Rosettes chef, Duncan Ray (ex-Fat Duck) presides over a very special restaurant at the bottom of an easy-to-miss side street. What’s not to love apart from the scary bill? Expect exceptional cooking, an unfussy blond wood interior of just eight tables and a fishy five-course set menu. No choice means no foodie FOMO (that's fear of missing out) – just plate after zinging plate, with stand outs spanning perfectly cooked cubes of cod with seaweed butter and a memorable salmon risotto with oyster, watercress and lemon to velvety halibut with caviar and crispy chicken skin.
Contact: 01273 722213; thelittlefishmarket.co.uk
Prices: £££
Opening times: Tues-Sat, 7pm-10.30pm
Reservations: Essential
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The Ginger Pig
A member of the Gingerman clan of local restaurants, 'The Pig' takes the concept of gastropub to new levels. Inside, it's spacious and contemporary, with dark wooden tables, banquettes and a cool revamped auberginey colour scheme. Do keep in mind it’s popular with local families, and gets busy at weekends. That said, the atmosphere is convivial and the staff are super friendly. Pick a Sussex brew to enjoy with hearty dishes such as barbecued braised beef cheek or pork fillet with crispy pig head. Just the thing before a wind-whipped walk along Hove’s prom.
Contact: 01273 736123; thegingerpigpub.com
Opening times: Mon-Sat, 10.30am-12am; Sun, 12pm-12am
Reservations: Recommended
Prices: ££
Kemp Town
The Restaurant at Drakes
This basement restaurant is plush and surprisingly bright, with sinkable charcoal-toned banquettes, plenty of crisp napery and gleaming silver. So pleasant a space is it that you can easily overlook the dated slate-as-a-plate thing they’ve got going. There's wonderfully attentive staff too, which befits chef Andy Vitez’s starry cuisine. Vitez is hot on seasonal, locally sourced ingredients; think Gurnard with brown shrimp dumpling in a bouillabaisse consommé and Trenchmore Sussex Wagyu beef. Just try not to indulge in too much of the utterly delicious homemade bread, or you may find your eyes were bigger than your stomach. It’s not cheap, but the two-course lunchtime menu is particularly good value.
Contact: 01273 696934, therestaurantatdrakes.co.uk
Opening times: Mon-Fri, 6pm-9pm; Sat-Sun, 12pm-2pm, 6pm-9pm;
Reservations: Recommended
Prices: ££-£££
Expert guide to Brighton
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