The 22 best restaurants in Brighton
Anyone visiting the bohemian seafront enclave of Brighton is bound to ask – what are the best restaurants in Brighton? The seaside city is home to some beloved neighbourhood strongholds, but there is a wave of newcomers revolutionising the Brighton restaurant scene. So, we've tapped our network of locals for their recommendations on the best restaurants in Brighton; from the best seafood to incredible pasta and authentic Thai food.
How we choose the best restaurants in Brighton
Every restaurant on this list has been selected independently by our editors and written by a Condé Nast Traveller journalist who knows the destination and has eaten at that restaurant. When choosing restaurants, our editors consider both high end and affordable eateries that offer an authentic and insider experience of a destination. We're always looking for stand-out dishes, a great location and warm service – as well as serious sustainability credentials. We update this list regularly as new restaurants open and existing ones evolve.
1. Bincho Yakitori
Honestly it’s hard to have a bad meal on Preston Street, a string of restaurants running from Western Road down to the sea. What this road lacks in swankiness, it makes up for in global flavours: from the Mexican street food of Halisco to Nannienella’s Neapolitan snacks to go, chased with (foraged, sustainable) cocktails at Gungho. But if there’s a star of Preston Street’s menu, it has to be Bincho Yakitori, a Japanese izakaya inspired by the back-street dining dens of downtown Tokyo. It’s pretty small and (tellingly) often packed with returning locals, especially at weekend. Book ahead to tuck into big-flavour small dishes, most of which are grilled over wood fire. Some of our favourites include (but are not limited to) skewers of chicken skin, hearts and shiitake mushrooms, kimchi rice and a super-soft, super-sweet sweet potato brushed with miso butter. Wash it down with an ice-cold Asahi or a flight of delicate sake. Rae Boocock
Address: Bincho Yakitori, 63 Preston Street, Brighton BN1 2HE
Website: binchoyakitori.com2. Yeastie Boys Pizza Club
Yeastie Boys Pizza Club is gaining a cult following for – in its own words – ‘slinging 20” pies along the South Coast’. Founded by self-taught Brighton local Oliver Hill, it does serve some of the biggest New York-style pizzas in town. But size isn’t everything in its culinary arsenal. Toppings are 11/10. There’s the Meat Feastie Bois stacked with pepperoni, crisp pancetta, Italian sausage, parm and hot honey drizzle, as well as totally plant-based options like Green Peace with courgette, creamed basil and rocket scattered over a base swimming in garlic butter. Look out for specials like the (Eurovision adjacent) ABBA with Swedish meatballs and loganberry jam. A pot of spicy mayo for crust dipping is not essential, but recommended. As is grabbing a slice from the to-go hatch on Queens Road – straight down from the station – and pitching up on beach. And do look out for Yeastie Boys’ pop-ups at Shelter Hall. Rae Boocock
Address: Yeastie Boys Pizza Club, 128 Queens Road, Brighton BN1 3WB
Website: yeastieboyspizzaclub.com
Ellen Richardson3. Dilsk at Drakes
Dilsk is a relative newcomer in the Drakes Hotel’s near-subterranean restaurant space. Within just four months of first welcoming guests in late 2023, it got a nod from the Michelin Guide and was crowned best opening Brighton’s Best Restaurant Awards. And it’s not hard to see why, with reasonably priced set menus (starting at four courses for £35), an ethos that gets everyone nodding, and simply outstanding food.
The genius behind it are two alumni of another Brighton hotspot, 64 Degrees: chef Tom Stephens (whose culinary career includes stints with Tom Kerridge and Simon Rogan) and Madeleine Riches, who curated the restaurant’s flights of lesser-known wines. They’re paired with ever-evolving menus that read like a homage to local ingredients. (Did you know there are truffles on the South Downs?) And nothing goes to waste – from monkfish with prawn-head hollandaise to salsify crumbed with dry bread and *those* laminated brioche rolls with leek butter that have had foodies double tapping all over social. This cooking is the kind that looks simple, takes an incredible amount of creative work, and delivers flavours like nothing else you’ve tried. Rae Boocock
Address: Dilsk at Drakes Hotel, 44 Marine Parade, Kemptown, Brighton BN2 1PE
Website: dilsk.co.uk
4. The Pond
“Craft beers. Street food. No ducks.” says The Pond’s website. And sure enough, the wettest thing in this local watering hole is our appetite. This indie boozer is on the cusp of bohemian North Laine and a pebble’s toss from the train station – meaning, a three-minute walk. Perfect, because this “doesn’t take itself too seriously” place is seriously good for a low-key dinner of pillowy bao and Taiwanese-style small plates before heading home (or out-out).
We advise going hungry with pals up for sharing because there are loads you’ll want to order, whether you’re a carnivore or strictly plant-based. Think fried chicken bao with bread-and-butter pickles, squash nuggets with burnt green chilli sauce and Pond fries drowning in vegan hot honey. The menu changes with the seasons, and the specials more often – check them out on the chalkboard to the left of the bar. And if you’re wondering: is the prawn toast with som tam a dish too many? The answer is no, never. Order two. Rae Boocock
Address: The Pond, 49 Gloucester Road, Brighton BN1 4AQ
Website: thepondbrighton.com
Liz & Max Haarala Hamilton5. Permit Room
At first glance, Permit Room appears to be a pretty independent hideout on Brighton’s East Street, tucked in among the cosy pubs and vintage stores that bring gaggles of day trippers to The Lanes every day. Inside, its connection to Dishoom is clear – both from the homely smell of curried concoctions bubbling away in the kitchen and the recognisable menus. The bar-cum-café is inspired by the permit rooms of 1960s and 1970s Bombay, post-prohibition spaces that held alcohol permits and served homely plates alongside liquor. Many of Dishoom’s signature dishes appear on the menu, such as the indulgent chicken ruby and rich black daal. Highlights unique to this bustling establishment include the crispy spinach chaat, a delightfully fresh and tangy bed of fried baby leaf spinach doused in yoghurt, chutneys, spices, seeds, sev and fresh pomegranate. While tables of lunchers share spreads of crispy samosas and pile assortments of chaats, daals and curries onto cheese naans and rice, others head straight for the bar. Cocktails are taken seriously here, so get sipping – just bear in mind, the list warrants many a return visit. Connor Sturges
Address: Dishoom Permit Room, 32 East Street, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN1 1HL
Website: permitroom.co.uk
Justin De Souza6. Shelter Hall
Few cities do high-low like Brighton’s seafront. Where else would you find a Champagne and oyster bar in a Victorian-era rotunda perched on top of open-plan dining space with street food-inspired menus and communal dining – both with views of one of Britain’s best-loved seasides? Shelter Hall is Brighton’s first and only foodhall, and with seven kitchens rotating a who’s who of cool new names on the local(ish) food scene, it’s a sure bet when choosing one restaurant for dinner is too big of an ask. Think of it like a Time Out market, just a lot (lot) smaller, and less hassle for a table. (Just make sure to book when it’s sunny, bank holiday, or a screening of a football match.) The sunny terrace (occasionally soundtracked by live gigs) becomes a sea of cute, fairy-lit igloos in winter. But rain or shine, we prefer the mezzanine level indoors. Here, there are tall tables and a view down into the kitchens, where Sussex chefs stuff Mexican corn tacos; grill 40-day-aged sirloin steak on a Japanese robata and pan-fry plump gyoza. So far, our stand-out dishes have come from Zest by Hanoi Kitchen, Little Pigs (go for the Greek surf ‘n’ turf platter) and Happy Endings, whose nostalgic ice cream flavours just taste like a break at the seaside. AP
Address: Shelter Hall, Kings Road Arches, Shelter Hall, Brighton BN1 1NB
Website: shelterhall.co.uk
WhyKayEss7. Casazul
Brighton’s Open Market is a hub of independently owned businesses with seven restaurants that cater for quick snacks, on-the-move munchies and hot lunches. There’s always a crowd ordering steaming plates of meatballs and moussaka outside Greek meze spot Kouzina or bowls of fresh bibimbap at Kor-Pan or falafels from Smorl’s (NB. these guys do the best houmous in Brighton, buy a pot of the ‘thunder garlic’ variety as a souvenir). That said, Casazul’s authentic Mexican blue corn tacos should be top of your eat-right-now list. First-timers are made to feel utterly at home by amiable owner Gabriel Gutierrez, who sings to himself behind the counter and invites passers-by in for a slice of cake on his birthday. Every item on his simple menu speaks for itself: tacos are served three-strong in an enamel pie dish and are packed with flavour (Gabriel’s molé features over 40 ingredients). You can also buy taco kits to take home, and jars of homemade tinga chilli sauce, salsa macha and chipotle (the miniature jars make great gifts). AP
Address: Casazul, Open Market, 21 Marshalls Row, Brighton BN1 4JU
Website: casazul.co.uk
David Charbitt8. Tutto
Tutto is the latest outpost from restaurateur Razak Helalat and the team behind Burnt Orange, The Salt Room and The Coal Shed. The idea fueling Tutto is “Italian food memories - ours and yours” and I have to say there is something that makes you feel at home the minute you step into this former banking hall. The warm mid-century decor makes for an inviting, relaxed dining experience, especially on a bleak autumn day. This menu is carefully curated, showcasing the freshest ingredients. Light and fluffy focaccia soaked in rich olive oil; umami, buttery bone marrow goes down a treat; succulent cornish crab taglioni cooked al dente with zings of chilli; seabass that is charred to perfection with a tender, perfectly flakey interior. And finally, the salt-baked celeriac is a must, a dish that is full of robust, complex flavours of truffle and earthy hazelnut. Top it all off with the chocolate and hazelnut torte and you’re in heaven. We will most definitely be returning to this gem on our next UK getaway to Brighton. AP
Address: 20 – 22 Marlborough Place, Brighton, BN1 1UB
Website: tutto-restaurant.co.uk
Thomas Alexander9. Burnt Orange
Restaurateur Razak Helalat – of The Coal Shed and The Salt Room – has created a spot for all seasons a few streets along from Brighton’s historic Lanes by refitting what used to be the Old Coach House pub into somewhere the grown-ups know they’ll have a good time. Like its predecessor, it’s cosy and welcoming – warmth radiates from the brick-red banquettes and copper bar, the fiery flavours and the smiling, attentive staff. As service picks up, it’s also nicely noisy, with a relaxed, social atmosphere and music curated by Brighton local Fatboy Slim. That drop-in diners were still turning up hoping for a table as we left (defeated by a dessert appropriately named the Chocolate Nemesis) speaks volumes of Burnt Orange’s loyal return customers. Chef Peter Dantanus takes ingredients that often fall short of flavour (fig, squash, aubergine) and wood-fires them into submission. Hunks of lightly charred halloumi come drizzled with spiced fig honey; smoked aubergine marinated in miso and topped with crispy onions melts in the mouth; a sesame and tahini dressing elevates purple sprouting broccoli beyond a simple side. Order the flatbread as a vessel for all the sensational sauces, but don’t bother with the Padron peppers. We can’t wait to return in summer when the green and white striped conservatory will be a stellar spot for sundowners. Anna Prendergast
Address: Burnt Orange, 59 Middle Street, Brighton BN1 1AL
Website: burnt-orange.co.uk
Xavier Buendia10. The Flint House
The Flint House opened in April 2019 under Ben and Pamela McKellar’s collective The Gingerman Restaurants Group, following the success of its three other Sussex properties such as pub-with-rooms The Ginger Pig in Hove and the Ginger Fox in the South Downs. Word spread about chef Ben’s blue cheese and Sussex honey crumpets (still a best-seller), and by summer, those that dropped in for rooftop terrace cocktails frequently stayed for the plumped-up pillows of agnolotti filled with Lincolnshire Poacher cheese and pickled shallots, and fried Jerusalem artichoke. The small plates and countertop dining are a departure from the McKellar’s previous pub-grub set-ups, but their experiment has paid off: longtime Gingerman fans will find what they’re looking for in the lardo toast with truffle and honey and the slow-roasted lamb shoulder, whilst new visitors are won over by choice between not one but three potato sides (we recommend the butter-roasted firs with nduja) and an entire section of the menu dedicated to ‘Fried/Toast/Snacks’. A thimble of chocolate shot through with hazelnut and salted caramel is the sweetest full stop at the end of the McKellars’ latest chapter. AP
Address: The Flint House, 13 Hanningtons Lane, Brighton BN1 1GS
Website: flinthousebrighton.com
11. Lucky Khao
At Lucky Khao, seasonal Sussex farm produce – organic lamb, local pork, free-range chicken – is charcoal roasted into a ‘beer menu’ of Northern Thai dishes. Regional recipes were developed over years by a team with lived experience working and travelling in Thailand (many recipes were inspired by staff food served on lunch breaks in the capital). The chefs have undergone training in some of both Bangkok and London’s best restaurants such as Andy Oliver’s Som Saa, and have chosen to focus on the Isan region’s family-style barbecue. Inevitably, it’s a meat-heavy menu (think 18-hour smoked brisket and 32-day aged beef sirloin), but there’s a vegan yellow curry and fermented noodle salad, plus oyster mushroom larb and one-is-not-enough deep-fried doughnut bao for dessert. AP
Address: Lucky Khao, 1d St James's Street, Kemptown, Brighton BN2 1RE
Website: luckykhao.com
Justin De Souza12. Etch. by Steven Edwards
With a black facade, tinted windows and the smallest sign by the entry, Etch. by Steven Edwards (winner of Masterchef way back in 2013) is enticing before you even enter. The space is bright and airy, minimally designed with a monochrome palette. The open kitchen shows chefs busy at work giving a sense of beautiful choreography. Lined up are perfectly presented small plates waiting under a heated spotlight, as if in a gallery display. We were taken by the marmite brioche buns and seaweed butter that were glazed and gleaming as we walked in. The concept here is to focus on one or two ingredients which serve as a focal point of the dish, all the other flavours working together to bring the key ingredient to the fore. While this is an appealing concept, it sometimes limits the variety throughout the courses. Nevertheless, the flavours are excellent; the guinea hen served with tangy gravy with a sharp wine taste was particularly memorable. The ambiguous ‘dippy egg’ , which turned out to be an egg yolk with asparagus and fried solder to dip in it, rich and unexpectedly creamy, was a perfect example of how a single, humble ingredient can be served as art. The meal was not without its sense of performance either as the pudding – a beetroot mousse with white chocolate cannoli and blood orange sorbet – was delivered with a smoking bowl of granita on dry ice.
Address: etch. by Steven Edwards, 214-216 Church Road, Hove BN3 2DJ
Website: etchfood.co.uk
Emma Gutteridge13. Curry Leaf Café
Chef Kanthi Kiran Thamma’s southern Indian menu is all about balance: not too much spice, or creaminess, nor too little. It’s strong on vegetarian dishes, and allows for lots of mix-and-matching, in a cheerfully informal little space, all orange and green, with red tin chairs and blue masks (like Indian versions of the classic African mask). Start with the superb street-food selection of lightly fried pakoras, chilli bhajis and cauliflower florets – snack food for kids hungry after school when he was growing up, says Thamma – while you dither over thali platters, uttapams and dosai (two kinds of pancake), all with appropriate pickles, sauces and mini dishes of gently spiced vegetables. The most grown-up element is an extensive beer list, useful for perking up your well-spiced palate in anticipation of globetrotting desserts such as Belgian waffles dusted with chaat masala.
Address: Curry Leaf Café, 60 Ship Street, Brighton, BN1 1AE
Website: curryleafcafe.com
Alex Bamford14. The Little Fish Market
Down in the Hove end of town, this place is tiny (22 covers, so make sure to book), and chef-patron Duncan Ray is the only person in the basement kitchen. He insists on local produce, so the carbon footprint is mini-sized, too, with the fish all sourced from the British Isles. And what fish: a five-course set menu (there's just the one) might include the freshest, firmest slip sole in seaweed butter, a range of shellfish and seaweed in a clear fish broth that Ray has whimsically named a Rockpool, and a monkfish garnished with star anise, pancetta and peanuts. Ray’s worked in Michelin kitchens for 30+ years – including with Heston at the Fat Duck – and it shows in this simple, elegant yet creative food. That, and the restaurant’s stack of awards. Not that it goes to their head; the ambience is so relaxing you may forget to go home.
Address: The Little Fish Market, 10 Upper Market Street, Hove, BN3 1AS
Website: thelittlefishmarket.co.uk
15. The Salt Room
Another dodgy Brighton club/bar has been transformed into a terrific seafood restaurant, this one so close to the beach that the fish can practically wave to its relatives from your plate. Like its sibling restaurant The Coal Shed, The Salt Room features a super-hot Josper Grill, which means your catch of the day arrives moist, its lightly-seared skin decorated with flowers and sea vegetables freshly foraged by 'Andy down the road'. The exposed-brick and bare-lightbulb interior is a little cavernous but then here, size matters: the fish are big, the portions generous – even the gin is served in giant goblets, and there are 10 gins to choose from. Just make sure, as you slurp oysters with three dips – including a fabulous pink shallot vinaigrette – and crunch on salt cod fritters with taramasalata, that you're leaving room for the smorgasbord of Salt Room Sweets. With bitesize macarons, tarts and ice cream, it’s as much seaside fun as a bucket and spade – and a lot tastier.
Address: The Salt Room, 106 King's Road, Brighton, BN1 2FU
Website: saltroom-restaurant.co.uk
16. Plateau
Some of the best restaurants in Brighton neglect their wine lists, but not Plateau, where the natural wines range from beginner-friendly to seriously funky, and the staff are happy to explain the difference between organic and biodynamic – or not, if you don't much care. The 'plateaux' are sharing dishes of generous girth and seasonal persuasion: even the veggie option will line stomachs, with the likes of celeriac and apple beignets, cheeses, herb gnocchi and a selection of flatbreads and dips. There are non-sharing daily specials for those who don't feel like tussling over slow-roasted pork belly. You could just as happily sit at the curved bar with a glass of fizz and a scallop ravioli bite. Sometimes, natural wine is pretentious. Here, it accompanies top tunes, knowledgeable enthusiasm and boards of meat that would satisfy even the most ravenous carnivores.
Address: Plateau, 1 Bartholomews, Brighton, BN1 1HG
Website: plateaubrighton.co.uk
Jamie Lau / Studio Lau17. Riddle & Finns
The original R&F is a sweet but dark little place in the Lanes, with high marble-topped tables and a no-reservations policy. The newer sister restaurant has a fab location in the Rotunda building rising from Brighton’s bustling promenade – almost perfectly between the piers. And, happily, you can book a table in advance.
In summer, there's nothing quite like sitting on the wrap-around terrace, sipping Gewürztraminer with the signature wok-fried Singapore chilli crab, and watching the strollers on the beach path. In cooler months, tuck inside the glass-walled restaurant with a steamy bowl of squid and shellfish risotto, and admire the roiling grey waves from a safe distance. Seafood served with sea views. Who knew?
Address: Riddle & Finns The Beach, 65 Kings Road, Brighton BN1 1NA
Website: riddleandfinns.co.uk/restaurant-brighton-beach
Sanchia Gladwin18. The Chilli Pickle
The Chilli Pickle is run by Brits Alun and Dawn Sperring. Alun cooks street-food dishes such as Nepalese meat dumpling while Dawn welcomes guests to the bright, canteen-style restaurant. Dishes are seasonal, delicious and great for sharing, with roll-your-sleeves-up spins on street food and curries flavoured with a melting pot of regional influences. We loved the line-caught sea bass cooked in a banana leaf and the Chennai seafood pot. Poppadoms are light and greaseless, with rather more interesting dips: plum chutney and sour lemon pickle. More interesting still: chef Sunny’s pani puri – crispy, hollow shells you can stuff with potato chaat, tamarind and whatever else is on the table. The mains might change but the Bukhara black dal and onion bhajis (15 years in the perfecting) are always a regular on our order. As is the boozy, after-dinner chai for our “dessert stomach”.
Address: The Chilli Pickle, 17 Jubilee Street, Brighton
Website: thechillipickle.com
19. 64 Degrees
Brighton's pride in this superlative small-dish restaurant in the Lanes was only slightly dented when a second restaurant opened in London. But that closed, which says it all: ours is better. The fish is local, purchased from small, artisan suppliers, and few carbon-conscious chefs have chef Michael Bremner's talent for flavour combinations and presentation. Perch at the pass if you can't get a table (likely, in this tiny place) and admire the dexterous placing of each dish's components: smoked butter on knödel or watercress on Jerusalem artichoke with hazelnut. Even though the kitchen makes the front of house look spacious, every chicken wing is barbecued to tenderness (then combined with kimchi) and the pork belly oozes delicious juices onto its apple and, wait, turnip accompaniments. There are four options each of veg, meat and fish dishes, so take two friends and you can try everything. But remember to book – the three of you will fill half the restaurant.
Address: 64 Degrees, 53 Meeting House Lane, Brighton, BN1 1HB
Website: 64degrees.co.uk
20. The Gingerman
There's a hint of Brighton star 64 Degrees about The Gingerman's menu, with two types of mackerel and gently pickled cucumber accompanying breaded oyster on a muffin, while duck liver and heart are flanked by duck nugget with miso glaze and pear. And that's just starters: good thing there is lovely local fizz Ridgeview by the glass, to sip in anguish while you attempt to choose. Occasionally, the chef overreaches, but this is a Brighton stalwart, here since 1998 and now older sibling to three other Gingers dotted round the area – all of which are some of the best restaurants in Brighton. The menu changes every six weeks, so those painful choices will keep on coming (pork belly with crumble and delicious pressed potato to add texture, and oozing black pudding to add heft? Or cod with smoked cod, chorizo jam, charred leek and buttermilk dressing?) but these are what are known as First World problems – and the supremely pleasant staff are more than happy to help you solve them.
Address: The Gingerman, 21a Norfolk Square, Brighton, BN1 2PD
Website: gingermanrestaurants.com
21. Kindling
A restaurant rising from ashes. Kindling first opened in 2020 as a live-fire joint, with around 85% of its dishes flamed or grilled at some point on the journey from land or sea to plate. It quickly won the hearts and palettes of Brightonians with super seasonal, local, zero-waste dishes, as well as a nod from the Michelin Guide. But in October 2023, as the cost of living stifled the restaurant industry, it closed its doors. Until April 2024, that is.
Today, rekindled, it’s a steak restaurant, with the charcol fire roaring behind its short and juicy menu of bavette, ribeye and sirloin. This is grass-fed beef, served with little fuss, at great prices says the team, lead my head chef Ewan Cullen. Don’t fancy wielding a steak knife? Sink your teeth into slow-cooked beef brisket or double-patty burgers with toasted brioche. A few veggie options are available – a portobello burger, and sides like wild garlic mac ‘n’ cheese – but Kindling really burns for carnivores. PS. Tuesday is BYOB.
Address: Kindling Restaurant, 69 East Street, Brighton BN1 1HQ
Website: kindlingrestaurant.com
Ellen Richardson22. Wild Flor
Wild Flor has an unpretentious aesthetic with its chalkboard menu, exposed brick and candlelight. This is also reflected in the menu – the food takes staple bistro dishes and delivers them with grace. Start with the oysters which are locally caught and served with a zingy salsa. The pea soup is beautiful, with fresh, crunchy peas, crème fraîche and sourdough. The team’s passion for wine and the enjoyment clearly taken in finding each dish’s ideal partner gives the meal an edge which elevates things. The cocktails are also exceptional– with classic aperitifs served alongside house creations such as the margarita spiked with housemade citrus cordial, and the no-alcohol, cheerfully fizzy Rhubarb’s Blush.
Address: Wild Flor, 42 Church Road, Hove BN3 2FN
Website: wildflor.com