Where to eat in Brighton
Wondering where the best places to eat in Brighton are? The cosmopolitan south coast resort sustains a thriving restaurant and bar scene – with sun, sea and shingle thrown in. Travel writer and long-time resident Norman Miller lets us in on the best of Brighton (not forgetting its esteemed neighbour Hove, of course) with his pick of the best restaurants, bistros, bars, pubs and ice cream parlours…
Whether you’re exploring The Lanes, that maze of narrow streets in the oldest part of town, fishing for something good on the seafront or just need a cooling beer, don’t worry – I’ve got you covered. Let’s take a stroll together, breathe in that salty sea air and discover where to eat in Brighton and Hove…
The best restaurants in Brighton
Regarded by many as the top restaurant in Brighton right now, Furna is in the centre of town by the 18th-century Theatre Royal. It puts on gourmet performances with a nine-course tasting menu but also offers affordable à la carte dishes like confit duck leg with grilled peach and coco beans or Sussex tomatoes with curds, olive and elderflower.
For inventive modern-British fine dining, try Dilsk, a zero-waste kitchen beneath Georgian seafront hotel Drakes. There, chef Tom Stephens creates short, well-priced tasting menus featuring innovative combos such as grey mullet with strawberry and lovage, plus neglected ingredients like spider crab paired with cod and sorrel.
Vegetarians and vegans won’t go hungry, either. On a London Road side street, Bonsai Plant Kitchen, with its dragon murals and neon wall lights, transports you to a backstreet Tokyo diner. Superb dishes such as tempura ‘sea bream’ and char siu ‘chicken’ skewers are made entirely from plant ingredients and cooked on the Japanese-style charcoal grill.
The best international restaurants in Brighton
Palmito is a former takeaway turned 20-seat pink-walled space where chef Diego Ricaurte merges South American and South Asian flavours in an innovative way. Think crisp celeriac masala with stuffed padrón peppers or Peruvian-style sea bass tiradito with kiwi and raspberry leche de tigre. Near the historic Duke of York’s cinema, Kitgum offers an unfussy celebration of East African and Indian dishes like Kenyan lamb sausage with pinto beans and green peppercorn, or charred aubergine curry with crispy aubergine bajia, date and tamarind. If you like your food fast, Shelter Hall has pop-up kitchens offering pukka global eats in a fabulous beachfront location.
Restaurateur Razak Helalat has given Brighton a set of excellent restaurants: seafront seafood sensation The Salt Room; North Laine Italian Tutto; and the shrine to grilled meat and fish that is The Coal Shed in its new North Street spot. Holder of the people-voted Brighton’s Best Restaurant 2025, however, is Burnt Orange in The Lanes. Come for deceptively simple-sounding dishes like mussels on toast with young leeks and urfa chilli butter, or crispy artichokes with cashew cream and pickled pear.
The best ice cream, cocktails and craft beer spots in Brighton
The new Brighton branch of Badiani, which began in Florence and is slowly taking over the world, is a must-stop for ice cream slurpers. The intense dark chocolate and sweet-savoury pistachio are standouts but it’s all good stuff.
Celebrated for its seriously good cocktails, from a ‘Thums up’ sazerac to an orange-wine margarita, Permit Room is a spin-off of the Dishoom Bombay-style café chain, just up from Palace Pier. Enjoy a cocktail with a nibble – crispy spinach chaat – then move on to a classic curry. If you’re on the beach, thirsty for a craft beer, hidden away just behind the seafront is the small, welcoming The Hole In The Wall – so called, apparently, because fishermen used to be served outside through a hatch.
Where to eat in Hove
Just a five-minute train ride or 20 minute walk away, Brighton’s chi-chi neighbour Hove has foodie haunts well worth a visit. Behind a Tesco car park, The Urchin is a gem of a gastropub (with an on-site microbrewery) serving seafood such as roasted scallop with celeriac and apple, or crispy softshell crab with Chongqing spice.
Fourth and Church began as a wine-shop-with-snacks but now serves delights like pork char siu with mustard plums and caramelised peanuts, augmented, as you’d expect, by superb wines.
Further along Church Road, Wild Flor is the perfect laidback neighbourhood gaff, offering dishes such as Sussex venison with jerusalem artichoke and grapes alongside great set menus, from £22 (two courses)
What to do in Brighton and Hove
Combine the Brighton Museum & Gallery – opposite George IV’s eastern-fantasy Royal Pavilion – with Hove Museum of Creativity’s charming displays of vintage toys and modern craft. Browse Britain’s finest cluster of cool indie shops in North Laine, then visit the Open Market to get yourself some shades and bring that seaside vibe home.
Where to stay
The Ginger Pig is set between restaurant-filled Church Road and the seafront in Hove. This place has elegant wood floors, charcoal grey decor and flea market finds. Below it is an outstanding brasserie beloved by savvy locals. Doubles from £124 B&B.
Artist Residence is a bohemian hangout with art-filled, individually styled rooms on a square overlooking the evocative ruined West Pier. Doubles from £140 (room only).
Discover more weekend escape inspiration, where the focus is firmly on the food…