A Guide to the Best Restaurants in Brighton

There’s a lot more to Brighton’s dining scene than quintessential fish and chips on the pier. While that’s highly recommended at least once, why not branch out and treat yourself to a sit-down meal of gourmet quality?

The best places to eat in Brighton – and there’s plenty – all share a passion for quality and see food as an artistic craft. Locals and visitors can of course dine at chain restaurants like Brighton’s Côte Brasserie and Coast to Coast, but that’s selling yourself short.

Brighton’s top restaurants are diverse, creative and independent. Visit one of them and you’ll quickly find out. They skilfully make the most of their prime position bordering land and sea, resulting in menus that shine with flavoursome produce.

Naturally, the seafood restaurants in Brighton are blossoming. But there’s also steakhouses, sustainable restaurants, modern tapas bars and brunch spots worth shouting about.

So whether you’re on a day trip from London, in town for the weekend or just a local looking to broaden your horizons, be all the wiser and take up the following recommendations. Dig into the best places to eat in Brighton and we promise you won’t regret it.

The Little Fish Market

Brighton’s leading seafood restaurant

The Little Fish Market has won an accolade of awards for good reason. Featuring in both the Michelin Guide and The Food Good Guide, head chef and owner Duncan Ray is certainly on to something. The experience is fine dining, yet the atmosphere is inviting, relaxing and warm.

The five-course set menu is driven by local seafood and flavoursome produce from the British Isles, everything sourced sustainably and fresh. It changes regularly, but this culinary experience will always deliver on the same outstanding quality.

Open Tuesday to Saturday, 7 – 10:30pm. Located at 10 Upper Market Street, Hove, BN3 1AS.

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More seafood restaurants

Regency Restaurant

An atmospheric seaside restaurant with prime al fresco dining, established since the 1930s.

131 Kings Road, Brighton BN1 2HH

The Salt Room

Modern eatery on the Brighton seafront that specialises in grilled seafood.

106 Kings Road, Brighton BN1 2FU

Riddle & Finns

Champagne and oyster bar with views of Brighton beach, nestled in the famous promenade arches.

139 Kings Road Arches, Brighton BN1 2FN

Isaac At

Modern British cuisine driven by seasonality and Sussex locality

Proudly serving “Sussex on a plate”, Isaac At is a sophisticated restaurant with a firm belief in the quality of British produce. All ingredients are sourced from local suppliers and they boast an all-English wine list (the first restaurant in the world to do so).

It’s a seasonal ethos that celebrates each and every ingredient, the food skilfully simple yet packed with flavour. While several other places to eat in Brighton follow similar concepts, Isaac At is leading the charge. Both their set and tasting menus change weekly, and advance reservations are essential.

Open Tuesday to Saturday, 5 or 6 – 11pm (also lunch on Saturdays, 12:30 – 2:30pm). Located at 2 Gloucester Street, Brighton BN1 4EW.

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More sustainable restaurants

The Set Restaurant

Showcasing upmarket and seasonal British food, this independent restaurant works closely with local suppliers.

33 Regency Square, Brighton BN1 2GG

Silo

An atmospheric sustainable business with pure ingredients, artisan food, zero waste and a stripped-back warehouse decor.

39 Upper Gardner Street, North Laine, Brighton BN1 4AN

Terre à Terre

Brighton’s top vegetarian restaurant since 1993, serving ethical food using innovative approaches and international flavours.

71 East Street, Brighton BN1 1HQ

Circo

A tapas bar stopping at nothing with its innovative cuisine

Combining the concept of Spanish tapas with East Asian flavours, Circo is a great example of a modern restaurant doing it right. It’s about creativity, it’s about quality ingredients, it’s about casual and fun eating that you share with others.

The menu at Circo is always changing, this due to seasonal produce and the endless scope of new ideas coming from head chef Leandro Serradilla. It’s best to scroll their Instagram to gauge what’s currently being served, but trust us, it’s one of the best places to eat in Brighton.

Open Tuesday to Saturday, 6 – 10pm__9 Preston Road, Preston, Brighton BN1 4QE

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More contemporary restaurants

Pabellón

Sister restaurant to Circo, you’ll find the same bold flavours and creative tapas as the original outlet.

13 Pavilion Buildings, Brighton BN1 1EE

64 Degrees

Led by talented chef Michael Bremner, this award-winning restaurant has gourmet small plates and an open-air kitchen.

53 Meeting House Lane, Brighton BN1 1HB

Plateau

Modern-day dining in a nutshell: natural wines, craft cocktails, changing menus, music records and laid back vibes.

1 Bartholomews, Brighton BN1 1HG

No 32

A steak gallery like no other in Brighton

Elegant and chic dining is what you should expect at No 32, as well as the best steaks in Brighton. All beef is from the internationally-renowned Aubrey Allen butcher, dry-aged in a Himalayan salt drying room for at least 28 days, and then expertly cooked on a Josper Grill.

Punters can sink their teeth into cuts such as flat iron, rump, ribeye, sirloin, fillet, tomahawk and porterhouse, yet there’s more than just steaks. They also serve sharing platters, burgers, fish, chicken and veg, more often than not with a slight Asian twist.

Open Monday to Sunday, 11:30am – 11pm (Friday and Saturday until late). Located at 32 Duke Street, Brighton BN1 1AG.

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More steakhouses

Chamuyo Argentine Steakhouse

Go for steaks grilled to perfection, empanadas and dulce de leche desserts – the ultimate Argentinian meal.

62 Middle Street, The Lanes, Brighton BN1 1AL

IL Bistro

A family-run favourite in the Lanes, this charming bistro serves British sirloin, T-bone, ribeye and fillet steaks.

6-7a Market Street, The Lanes, Brighton BN1 1HH

The Coal Shed

An ambient steakhouse that boasts a beautiful dining space and juicy steak menu, all cooked over the fire grill.

8 Boyce’s St, The Lanes, Brighton BN1 1AN

Tlaloc

Truly authentic Mexican cuisine and refreshing artisan cocktails

At a humble cornerside in central Brighton you’ll find Tlaloc, undoubtedly the best Mexican restaurant in Brighton. It’s a casual eatery where tacos reign supreme, strong drinks are a gimme and the welcoming vibes always apparent.

The food is kept traditional with handmade corn tortillas, flavoursome spices, fresh produce and tender cooking techniques – which means dishes like slow-cooked goat quesadillas, oysters with jalapeño and roasted pork with pineapple tacos. It’s the type of food best matched with tequila shots, mezcal palomas or hibiscus margaritas.

Open Tuesday to Saturday, 6:30 – 10pm__34 North Road, North Laine, Brighton BN1 1YB

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More foreign cuisine

Fatto a Mano

These three pizzerias around the city churn out authentic wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas, keeping it traditional with a small artisan menu.

Locations near London Road, Hove and North Laine

Bincho Yakitori

A lively Japanese restaurant that brings cheerful izakaya-style dining to Brighton, serving sake and grilled skewers.

63 Preston St, Brighton BN1 2HE

The Chilli Pickle

Expect Indian street food and irresistible curries from this colourful hotspot in the city centre.

17 Jubilee St, Brighton BN1 1GE

Block Bar

A casual Spanish gastrobar – need we say more?

Block Bar is one of our favourite restaurants in Brighton for several reasons. Not only is their Mediterranean and Basque-inspired food delicious, but they also have a wicked beer garden and a chill dining atmosphere.

Their Spanish-style Bertha oven, both wood and charcoal burning, is at the centre of their menu. Every dish is cooked within the oven and local, fresh produce ensures maximum flavour. We love their artisan French sticks for lunch especially – get the dry-aged steak or the Cubano fire-roasted pork sandwiches.

Open Sunday to Tuesday, 11:30am – 11:30pm; Wednesday to Saturday, 10am – 11:30pm. Located at 101 St James’s Street, Kemptown, Brighton, BN2 1TP.

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More brunch and lunch spots

Tropical Sushi

Cheerful spot for fusion sushi and poke bowls, inspired by Japanese & Latin American cuisine.

12 Western Avenue, Brunswick, Brighton BN3 1AE

Compass Point Eatery

Old-school American diner with buttermilk pancakes, creamy milkshakes and juicy burgers.

127a Kings Road, Brighton BN1 2FA

Smokeys

An all-day eatery that serves Californian brunch, Tex-Mex and smoked American BBQ meats.

24 Kings Road, Brighton BN1 2FY