Restaurants in Brighton

Graze

Although Graze doesn’t have a Michelin star, the standard of the food is certainly in the ballpark. Food here changes with the season, but an indulgent eight-course taster menu is the only way to go for the serious diner. If you’re short on time try the Graze British Menu where the fillet of sea bass with herb gnocchi, barigoule vinaigrette and clam foam sets the standard.

Riddle & Finns

This Brighton institution now has two locations in the city and a seat in the mezzanine window of their beachside restaurant is possibly the most desirable table in town. Specialising in champagne and local oysters, it’s the latter that’s the star here, but the razor clams, local sea bass and shellfish risottos are equally as appetising.

The Gingerman

Since The Gingerman opened in 1998, it has becomes a benchmark for modern, locally sourced dining. Situated on the residential Western Street towards Hove, one look at the changing menu will confirm its credentials. Expect the likes of rump of lamb with sweetbreads, tongue, peas, goat’s milk and baby gem lettuce or sea bass with squid, broccoli, almonds, herb gnocchi and crab veloute.

Casa Don Carlos

If the red-and-white checked tablecloths and clunky wooden furniture at Casa Don Carlos don’t remind you of eating on the Continent, the authentic Spanish tapas certainly will. Expect traditional dishes like patatas bravas (potatoes in a tomato sauce), calamari and chorizo, but be prepared to sit cheek to jowl as it gets very busy, but that’s all part of the fun.

BBQ Shack

Housed in the kitchen of The World’s End pub, this barbeque pop-up is a haven for those who live their life by the way of the rib. If smoking is your thing - and we mean the slow-cooking, 12-hour, lick off your fingers type of smoking - then you’ll find yourself returning here again and again and again.

Terre à Terre

Terre à Terre has set new standards for vegetarian food in Brighton, making it a destination for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. With a sophisticated menu containing dishes like aubergine dengaku (miso-grilled aubergine) and a calabrese worth writing sonnets about, forget any preconceptions you might retain about veggie food and get those sense twitching.

Krua Anne

Krua-Anne is a Thai diner in the middle of the bustling North Laine; a family-run joint that’s long been holding its one amongst the endless restaurants that open up around it. You’ll find innovations like the Drunken Duck (stir-fired duck, vegetables and brandy), but it mostly puts its faith in holy basil and heavenly Thai curries, just like they do in old Siam.

Thewitchez Photo Design Cafe Bar

This funky (and affordable) café-cum-bar marries Instagram’s proverbial bedfellows: food and photography. It’s the only place in town where you can get passport photos snapped whilst waiting for a homemade pizza or have a mug made with your image on it whilst the chef whips up a Hungarian lecso (sausage, pepper and tomato stew).

Iydea

Award-winning Iydea serves a cornucopia of healthy vegetarian dishes that have been given their own, GM-free stamp. The menu changes daily, but the chilli bean enchiladas are reliably moreish. Our tip? Get there between 1600 and 1900 and you’ll get a main dish with two sides for just £6.50.