An Insider’s Guide To Brighton Restaurants

For sea views…

Murmur

Located in The Arches on Brighton seafront, Murmur overlooks the iconic ruins of the West Pier. The sister restaurant to the award-winning 64 Degrees – more on that later – Murmur was opened by Michael Bremner in 2016 and offers a different dining concept to his original site, serving healthy and honest food for lunch and dinner in a bright beachside location. The child-friendly, 37-seat restaurant offers 40 further seats on the terrace, which overlooks the beach, making it an immensely popular place in the summer months. We like to pop in for a weekday lunch, where you’ll get two courses – such as Jersey Royal risotto with peas and stilton, followed by grilled mackerel fillet with fried sea beets and lentils – for £17.50.

91-96 Kings Road Arches, Brighton, BN1 2FN

Visit Murmur-Restaurant.com

The Salt Room

With uninterrupted views of Brighton seafront and the West Pier, The Salt Room is a modern British seafood restaurant that celebrates cooking over coal. As per its sister restaurant, The Coal Shed, this award-winning seaside restaurant pulls the focus on sustainable, local produce. Across its seasonal a la carte, afternoon tea and pre-theatre menus, you’ll find the likes of salt cod fritters with whipped smoked cod’s roe; crab salad with chilled asparagus veloute, smoked bacon and hazelnuts; and lamb with seaweed ragu, hispi, hazelnuts and barbecued leeks. However the standout dish has to be its ‘Taste of the Pier’ sharing dessert, which bursts with a blood peach ‘99’, edible pebbles, lemon meringue fudge, white chocolate and raspberry bark, apple and elderflower pâte de fruit and a strawberry and lime doughnut.

106 Kings Road, Brighton, BN1 2FU

Visit SaltRoom-Restaurant.co.uk
 

The Set

Tucked away inside quirky hotel The Artist Residence, The Set started its journey as a Halloween pop-up in 2014. Since then, the team has evolved into this highly regarded bricks-and-mortar establishment while still keeping its vision of a relaxed environment and a focus on letting local produce shine. When it first opened, the kitchen serves three set menus per night. Now, there’s an a la carte menu which offers a similarly inventive selection of dishes – think crumpets topped with Marmite-glazed ox tongue, pickled cockles and turnip; and short rib with bone marrow hash browns, mussels, smoked garlic and parsley sauce. For something extra-special, pairs can book the two-seat chef’s table up at the pass. Make sure to try The Fix, the fab cocktail bar within the hotel, for a pre-dinner tipple.

33 Regency Square, Brighton, BN1 2GG

Visit TheSetRestaurant.com

Bison Beer Beach Bar 

Bison Beer is a bar, bottleshop and brewery brand based in Brighton. The team stocks a huge range of craft beer from around the world, but places a keen interest in the Sussex beer scene. This summer, the team has partnered with Sea Lanes on the Kemptown coastline to create a pop-up a beach bar and street food joint offering some of the best sunset views around. It’s the perfect spot to sink one of the brewery’s See Side APAs in a deckchair. If beer’s not your thing, you’ll be pleased to learn the bar also sells prosecco on tap. Best of all, Brighton’s best takeaway –Pizzaface – can be ordered directly through the bar and will arrive pronto.

299 Madeira Drive, Brighton, BN2 1EN

Visit BisonBeer.co.uk
 

Brighton Beach Club

If location is everything, then the Brighton Beach Club has it in spades. This relatively new two-floor pub and dining room is right on the beach, and next to the i360, Brighton’s 162-m observation tower. With outside terraces and direct views across the sea, this is a great spot for drinks, snacks or something more substantial – you’ll find everything from grilled lobster and moules marinières to milkshakes and Sunday roasts. On gloomier days, it’s also an idea spot for watching the crashing waves with a coffee and slice of homemade cake.

26 Kings Road, Brighton, BN1 2LN
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Visit BrightonBeachClub.com

For special occasions...

64 Degrees

Tucked away in the Lanes, 64 Degrees is an intimate restaurant from Great British Menu 2017 winner chef Michael Bremner. Here, passionate chefs concoct an evolving menu of small plates using fresh, local produce. Every year since opening the kitchen has been awarded a Bib Gourmand by Michelin and it took the number one spot at the Brighton Top 20 awards in 2016 and 2017. 64 Degrees revolves around the food – the main feature is the open-kitchen where diners are encouraged to sit at the pass and watch the food be prepared right in front of them. Although the menus change constantly, expect to sample the likes of beef tartare with tokyo turnip and horseradish; red prawn and chipotle tacos; and asparagus with pink grapefruit and brown butter.

53 Meeting House Lane, Brighton, BN1 1HB

Visit 64Degrees.co.uk
 

The Coal Shed

The Coal Shed is a steak-focused restaurant in the centre of Brighton which celebrates the art of cooking over coals. The concept is simple: the highest quality ingredients, sourced as locally as possible, expertly cooked over fire. In 2017, the team launched The Coal Shed in London Bridge. However, this glossy original still hits the mark with its seasonal à la carte menu, great-value express lunch and its ginormous Sunday sharing roast. Highlights from the menu include smoked Old Spot pork belly with apple and radish slaw; its dry-aged Black Angus steak burger, served with bourbon relish, pickles and chips; and the south-coast stew with prawns, scallops and smoked liquor. Perfect for date nights.

8 Boyce's Street, Brighton, BN1 1AN

Visit TheCoalShed-Restaurant.co.uk
 

The Chilli Pickle

Inspired by owners Dawn and Alun’s Indian travels – from the tropics of Tamil Nadu and Kerala to the wetlands of West Bengal and Rajasthani desert plains – The Chilli Pickle is vibrant and big-flavoured in every way. Since opening in 2008 and expanding to its current site at Jubilee Street in 2010, the restaurant has become something of a Brighton institution. Here, lunch focuses on light bites, kebabs, salads and street food with thalis showcasing India with a kaleidoscope of flavours. Dinner offers a sharing experience with regional curries, succulent kebabs and the team’s signature ‘Barbecue Surf & Turf’. Yes, it’s pricier than your average Indian, but it’s also some of the most exciting Indian food you’ll try in the UK.

17 Jubilee Street, Brighton, BN1 1GE

Visit TheChilliPickle.com

Riddle & Finns

Riddle & Finns has become a household name for offering quality local seafood, oysters and champagne. Taking inspiration from the high end liquor shops and oyster bars of New York and Paris, the team offers an impressive culinary experience. Whether you're looking for a bowl of chowder and a glass of wine or 24 freshly shucked oysters and a vintage champagne, the kitchen caters for every occasion. In the original Lanes oyster bar, you’ll find yourself seated side by side and lit by candlelight, while its newer beachside restaurant features an al fresco terrace and views of the sea.

12b Meeting House Lane, Brighton, BN1 1HB and 139 Kings Road, Brighton, BN1 2FN

Visit RiddleAndFinns.co.uk
 

Isaac At

The team at Isaac At is a group of close friends, who share the same passion when it comes to serving seasonal local ingredients found on the south coast, presenting them in a way that allows customers to experience the best of Sussex on a plate. Sourcing all of its ingredients from Brighton and the surrounding area, it was the first restaurant in the world to serve an exclusively all-English wine list. Since opening in 2015, Isaac At has picked up numerous awards – once you’ve tried its seven-course tasting menu, which currently features celeriac with egg yolk and apple, followed by lamb, brussels sprouts and shallot, you’ll realise why.

2 Gloucester Street, Brighton, BN1 4EW
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Visit Isaac-At.com

For casual dining…

Bincho Yakitori

Preston Street’s Bincho Yakitori is an ‘izakaya’ – a modern, Japanese drinking den. Run by a Japanese team, the menu is printed every week and specials are drawn up daily. Here, food is for sharing, is cooked as it is ordered and is served when it’s ready. There are no starters or main courses, rather Japanese small plates, mostly grilled over natural fire. We like to order multiple portions of the chicken karage – it has to be up there with Brighton’s best chicken dishes.

63 Preston Street, Brighton, BN1 2HE

Visit BinchoYakitori.com
 

Cin Cin

Cin Cin started life as a street-food truck. Today, it spans two restaurants – one in Brighton and one in Hove. Tucked away in the North Laines, this award-winning 20-seat restaurant offers an intimate counter dining experience centred around an open bar and kitchen. Here, the team serves seasonal small plates and aperitifs, plus handmade pastas and wines from across the boot of Italy. Make sure to start with a ‘Lemon Drop Martini’, made with Malfy gin, Cointreau and lemon.

13-16 Vine Street, Brighton, BN1 4AG

Visit CinCin.co.uk
 

Curry Leaf Cafe

Curry Leaf Cafe was launched in 2014 with the goal of providing a relaxed, colourful space in which diners could explore authentic South Indian food alongside a wide range of craft beers that complement the flavours of the region. Today, the team offers this at three dining spots in the city. The original Lanes location operates as a cafe-cum-lunch spot during the day with a range of snacks and traditional South Indian street food, as well as more substantial meals such as thali platters, dosas and tandoor naan wraps. In the evenings, diners visit the cafe to experience its small but diverse menu of tandoor-grilled specialities, street food and expertly spiced curries. The Kemptown location offers a playful take on Indian food which focuses on sharing, while its Brighton Station kiosk is a godsend for hungry commuters.

60 Ship Street, Brighton, BN1 1AE and 40-42 Upper St James's Street, Brighton, BN2 1JN

Visit CurryLeafCafe.com

Plateau

Plateau focuses on natural wine and inventive sharing plates. Sustainability informs everything the team does – from the menu to the wine list and cocktails. Each dish focuses on the seasons and produce is sourced from biodynamic farms in the area. The menu changes daily based on what is available from local day boats, game hunters, butchers and foragers and is designed around the idea of sharing. Perfect for groups or couples, this buzzy spots hits the mark whether you’re after a few snacks to accompany a glass of wine or a full-on feast.

1 Bartholomews, Brighton, BN1 1HG

Visit PlateauBrighton.co.uk
 

Oshio

Oshio is owned and run by Korean-trained and Japanese-qualified chef, Min. Having spent years honing his skills in the restaurants of Korea, Japan, London and Brighton, Min opened Oshio in 2016, in Brighton’s North Laine. Fusing the purity of Japanese ingredients with the heat of Korean cuisine, Min has created a atmospheric spot where guests can revel in Asian flavours. From Min’s wife’s homemade kimchi to Korean soju and Japanese sake, the bustling restaurant offers an authentic dining experience – and it’s the perfect place to try something new.

87-88 Trafalgar Street, Brighton, BN1 4ER

Visit Oshio.co.uk
 

BeFries

Inspired by their childhoods spent in Amsterdam eating Belgian fries, siblings Dashal, Chan and Ezda opened BeFries in 2016. Traditionally, Belgian fries are topped with mayonnaise. Today, all Belgian friteries offer a minimum of 15 sauces to top their fries. Enter BeFries, which offers endless sauce options (many of them vegan) with which to top your chips – and trust us, these are some of the nicest triple-cooked fries you’ll ever taste. We like to sit up at the counter and dip into the green peppercorn mayo.

46 West Street, Brighton, BN1 2RA

Visit BeFries.com

For relaxed lunches…

Marmalade

Over in Kemptown, Marmalade is one of the very best places to eat breakfast or have a leisurely lunch at the weekend. Set up by one of the co-founders of Bill’s, Marmalade is a standalone cafe which offers excellent coffee, superlative salads and must-order cakes and pastries. Offering a shabby-chic interior, plenty of wooden tables to relax at and the option to take away, everything Marmalade serves is homemade at day. The kitchen rustles up the best scrambled eggs in Brighton, and – if you get there early enough – a fantastic selection of salads, quiches and ever-changing hot dishes. Best of all, it’s just opened a takeaway booth over the road, selling ready meals such as truffled mac 'n' cheese and beef massaman curry, plus deli essentials.

237 Eastern Road, Brighton, BN2 5JJ

Visit CafeMarmalade.co.uk
 

The Flour Pot Bakery

The Flour Pot is a modern British bakery committed to all things artisanal. As well as great coffee, the bakery serves freshly baked pork and fennel sausage rolls, traditional croques, vegan rolls and huge selection of sandwiches – there’s a reason there’s always a queue out the door come lunchtime. True to its community spirit, the team has collaborated with independent local florist Matt Gunn at its new site on Portland Road, creating a flower-filled Insta-friendly destination in which to sip coffe, while its recent seafront location has branched out to serve brunch, baked sourdough pizzas and sharing plates.

40 Sydney Street, Brighton, BN1 4EP and 85-90 Kings Road Arches, Brighton, BN1 2FN

Visit TheFlourPot.co.uk

The Open Bakery

The Open Bakery is a local family business in Kemptown, operated by a team who have been baking in Brighton since 1997. The shop used to be part of the Real Patisserie, a range of premium patisseries in town, but recently changed its name to The Open Bakery to reflect its expansion into baking and cookery classes. Absolutely everything sold is baked or prepared fresh on the day within the shop. As well as the bakery on the shop floor, work goes on downstairs in the patisserie where they bake fresh pastries and cakes, plus biscuits, jams and seasonal treats like Easter eggs and Christmas cakes.

34 St George's Road, Brighton, BN2 1ED

Visit OpenBakery.com

For Sunday roasts & pints…

The Freehaus

Part of the same group as Bier Haus and Haus on the Hill, The Freehaus is a modern tavern which pours a rotating range of local craft beer along with guest beers from across the UK and overseas. A hit with the local Hanover community, the pub also offers the largest selection of cider in Brighton and its wine list features local boutique and organically grown wines. When it comes to food, you’ll find a delicious menu of souvlaki from Papa Pitta. Come Sunday nights, the pub operates one of the best pub quizzes in town.

1 Howard Road, Brighton, BN2 9TP

Visit Freehaus.pub
 

The Pond

The Pond is an independent pub in Brighton's North Laine serving up delicious beer from all over the world, including its very own Pondwater Pale Ale. When it comes to food, this cosy boozer plays host to Taiwanese steamed bun purveyors Baby Bao. On Mondays the menu goes completely meat-free and dishes change with the seasons. On Sundays, we like to tuck into its sharing Sunday roast baos, where you can fill buns with roasted meats and excellent side dishes.

49 Gloucester Road, Brighton, BN1 4AQ

Visit ThePondBrighton.com

The Hand In Hand

Possibly the best boozer in Brighton, The Hand in Hand is a brew pub in Kemptown which makes its own beers down in the cellar. Run by a fun, friendly team, this cosy spot holds Sunday jazz nights, Toad championships (a local, highly skilled game where you have to throw metal coins into a hole in an old school desk) and one of the best New Year’s Eve parties in town. When it comes to food, you’ll be well served by Al The Pie Man, whose handmade wares are sold behind the bar.

33 Upper St James's Street, Brighton, BN2 1JN

Visit HandBrewPub.com
 

Easy Tiger

The team behind The Pond recently collaborated with Kanthi Kiran Thamma, chef and director of The Spice Circuit, to offer a new kitchen experience at The Hampton. Easy Tiger is inspired by India’s famous Toddy Shop street side bars. When it comes to the menu, we like to tuck into one of the kitchen’s lamb roti wraps or the masala mackerel fish and chips. A great selection of drinks, a laid-back atmosphere and a cracking beer garden make this a vibrant place to hang out come Sunday afternoons.

57 Upper North Street, Brighton, BN1 3FH

Visit EasyTigerBrighton.com
 

The Ginger Dog

The Ginger Dog is a local pub offering real ales, craft beers and fine wines together with an elevated menu of traditional pub food. As with its sister sites – Hove’s famous The Gingerman and The Ginger Pig – The Ginger Dog uses seasonal ingredients to offer a high-end dining experience in relaxed surroundings. When it comes to Sunday lunch, we’re a fan of the pickled mackerel with smoked mackerel croquette, celeriac remoulade and gooseberry ketchup, followed by lamb rump with lamb fat pressed potato, romesco, chard and lamb nugget. Families and, of course, dogs are welcome.

12 College Place, Brighton, BN2 1HN
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Visit TheGingerDog.com