The 40 Best Restaurants in Brighton We Loved Eating at

As soon as we booked our stay in Brighton, I got right to work researching all of the incredible places to eat in the city. And during our two month stay, I made it my mission to eat at as many of the best restaurants in Brighton as I could!

And by “best,” I don’t mean the most expensive or the fanciest. I mean the best food, the best atmosphere and sometimes even the best prices!

Brighton, England is absolutely known for its food scene, so arrive hungry. Here you’ll find cuisines from every corner of the world, plus lots of vegetarian and vegan options.

And don’t even get me started on the cafes – I’m writing a whole separate post about Brighton’s best coffee shops!

Below, I’m sharing 40 of the best places to eat in Brighton, divided into categories depending on what type of meal you’re hungry for. Whether you love pub food and fish n’ chips or Thai curries and bento boxes, my list has something for everyone.

My family and I have personally eaten at every single one of these restaurants – some of them multiple times – so all of my recommendations are based on firsthand experience!

None of the restaurants knew I was writing this blog post and I was not sponsored by any of these restaurants, so you’ll be hearing my unbiased opinions based on typical meals out that I paid for myself.

From banh mi and brunch burgers to tacos, Sunday roast and afternoon tea, let’s dig into Brighton’s delicious food scene!

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning if you click through and make a purchase, I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!

Want a taste of everything? Join a Brighton food tour!

Food tours are such a great way to get to know a city and its cuisine. You get to try a little bit of everything and you get inside knowledge from your local tour guide.

Assuming you don’t have two months in Brighton like we did, a food tour is also the perfect way to try lots of restaurants, since you’re only grabbing a small bite at each place.

Here are the top-rated food tours in Brighton:

• No Diet Club Brighton Food Tour: Try sausage rolls, fried fish and ice cream on this tour. We did a No Diet Club food tour in Nice, France and loved it!
• Brighton’s Artisan Sweet Treat Tour: Indulge your sweet tooth while passing some of Brighton’s most iconic locations.
• Brighton Small Group Food Tour: Get to know Brighton and its food scene with a local guide on this small group walking tour.

And now, onto my top restaurants in Brighton:

Best Korean & Japanese restaurants in Brighton

Taro

I’m ready to declare Taro as my favourite Japanese restaurant in Brighton and, in fact, the best sushi I’ve had anywhere in the UK (including London!).

Taro is a very cute place to eat by the Brighton seafront. Colin and I both got Coronation Bento boxes, which gave us a nice variety of Japanese foods: sashimi, maki, yakitori, tempura, karaage, salad and miso soup.

The sushi fish was very fresh with good rice, and we really loved the chicken yakitori and shrimp tempura. The karaage batter was a little too floury for my liking but otherwise, we enjoyed everything.

We also ordered a side of shrimp gyoza for Baby C, who ate them all up!

We ordered from Taro again a few weeks later while my dad was visiting us in Brighton. We got the Coronation Bentos again, plus more gyoza and a spider roll that was full of crab.

The staff at Taro were also very nice, sweetly playing with Baby C while we ate. And they had an awesome high chair (which can be hit or miss when dining out with a baby).

Bincho Yakitori

Bincho Yakitori is a small Japanese tapas restaurant on the west side of Brighton. It’s so popular that I actually made our reservation weeks in advance – and even then there were only a few time slots available.

Everything at Bincho Yakitori is served as a small plate and comes out of the kitchen lightning-quick (we were seated at 5:30pm and had the bill by 6:15pm!). That’s because most of the dishes are grilled on the habachi, so don’t take much time.

But that speed doesn’t mean they lack flavour! We were completely wowed by everything we ordered. My favourites were the pork belly skewers, prawn skewers with seafood butter, and salmon skewers.

The chicken karaage was also a big hit at our table, especially with Baby C. At one point, she refused to eat anything except for the fried chicken!

Luckily they were able to find a booster seat for us and give us a corner booth table, but I wouldn’t say Bincho Yakitori is super family-friendly. It’s quite a small and loud restaurant, and some of the tables won’t work well for kids.

We didn’t feel unwelcome, but they just don’t cater to kids like some other restaurants do. Not a bad thing, just something families may want to note!

Regardless, this is definitely one of the best places to eat in Brighton (in my humble opinion) and somewhere I’ll be making a reservation at the next time we’re in town!

O’Shio Japanese & Korean 

O’Shio was actually the first restaurant we ate out at in Brighton, on the day after we arrived from London. It was a beautiful day out and this spot was packed with people!

I can’t actually comment on the sushi from O’Shio, because the prices were mind-blowingly expensive for this Vancouverite!

Back in Vancouver we get very good and very fresh sushi for affordable prices. O’Shio was charging double or triple what I’d pay back home.

Luckily, they have some non-sushi options too. We ordered a bulgogi beef on rice, Japanese curry and pork yakiudon. The curry and yakiudon were the standouts and I’d highly recommend those!

Korpan

Korpan, a portmanteau of Korea and Japan, is a restaurant inside Brighton Open Market. They have a small counter where you can order and two rows of mismatched tables in the covered outdoor space.

Colin got the chicken katsu set, I got the beef bibimbap and Baby C enjoyed some chicken gyoza. Colin’s chicken portion was a little small, but he liked the taste. He wasn’t a fan of the potato salad on the side, but that’s just personal preference.

I liked how many vegetables were in my bibimbap, but the flavour on the beef was lacking. And Baby C’s gyoza were yummy enough.

Overall, I’d still recommend Korpan, though it’s not the best Korean/Japanese food in the city. It’s ready quick, fairly tasty, and quite affordable (we paid just £22 for two mains and a side of gyoza).

Pompoko

If you’re looking for affordable Japanese rice or noodle dishes, head to Pompoko, just between North Laine and The Lanes in Brighton. This small shop has just a few tables and is cash only, but worth the pit stop.

I went for the oyakodon (a rice dish with egg, onion and chicken) and unfortunately didn’t find it as flavourful as other oyakodons I’ve had in the past. It did have a lot of chicken, egg and onion though, which was nice.

I also ordered a shrimp tempura, which wasn’t my favourite, and chicken gyoza, which were very tasty. I’ve tried lots of gyoza around the UK, as it’s one of our go-to orders for Baby C, and I think this one might have been the best!

Next time, I’ll go for one of the saucier rice dishes or Japanese curries, which seem to be more popular. While I was waiting for my takeaway order, I saw lots of these dishes coming out of the kitchen and they looked great!

Cheap places to eat in Brighton: The best sandwiches, burgers, buns & rolls 

This Little Piggy  

I think it’s fair to say that This Little Piggy ruined sausage rolls for me. As in, after tasting the sausage rolls from This Little Piggy, every other one paled in comparison!

This Little Piggy is one of the food shops at Brighton Open Market. They have a huge variety of both full-size and mini sausage rolls with all sorts of fillings, plus fun names. We opted to try five different mini rolls, so we could taste as much as possible.

We went for the American Breakfast (pork, bacon, maple), Honey Monster (pork, honey, mustard), Peking Pork (pork, hoisin, green pepper, spring onion) and Spanish Senorita (chorizo, roasted pepper).

We also got the Christmas Stuffing roll (pork, bacon, cranberry, chestnut) as it was late December when we first tried this shop.

Each roll was super flavourful and distinct. The American Breakfast and Honey Monster were my favourites – so good that we went back for more a few weeks later. We also bought a tote bag to really show off our love of these sausage rolls!

And they make for a great cheap eat in Brighton. We got five mini rolls for just £4!

Earl’s

I joked in one of my Substack newsletters that a banh mi sandwich from Earl’s was reason enough to book a trip to Brighton. But I’m not sure I was joking! This banh mi is really that good.

Earl’s is a cute little shop that serves up Vietnamese sandwiches (banh mis) and salads, as well as bao buns on Fridays. There’s one bar-height table and some outdoor seating, but most people get their sandwiches to go.

On my first visit, I ordered the char siu pork banh mi and was blown away by the size of this thing. It was giant, like a football in my hands, and absolutely filled with pork, pickled vegetables and sauces.

The bread was also perfectly crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside!

On my next visit I got the mixed meat and kimchi banh mi, which had chicken, pork and mortadella. Honestly, I preferred the pork char siu on its own, but once again this banh mi was giant and packed full.

I’ve also tried the baos from Earl’s, as both of my visits happened to be on Fridays. They were delicious; I really enjoyed the hoisin pork belly and soft bao bread.

Plus these baos are XL size, so one bao could be an entire meal (whereas a banh mi is so big it could be two meals!). Oh and their Vietnamese iced coffee is also incredible.

MEATliquor

Note: Unfortunately, as of March 2026, the Brighton location of MEATliquor has closed. You can still visit their other locations in London!

Colin visited MEATliquor, a funky bar and restaurant with a very cool interior, to get his fries and burger fix. And this place totally delivered!

He came home with the Die Hippies Burger, a delicious beef burger loaded with two patties and cheese (though I’d argue it needed a bit more sauce). He also ordered garlic fries, which were very tasty with garlic sauce and herbs on top.

My dad also went to MEATliquor while he was visiting us in Brighton and gave it his seal of approval too!

Fountainhead Pub

While researching where to eat in Brighton, I read that Fountainhead Pub has the best burgers in the city. So of course, we had to give them a try!

We ordered the Sweet but Psycho (double patty, chilli jam, jalapeno mayo), Yes Mama (smash burger patty, cheese, burger sauce), and Gully’s Revenge (beer battered local fish burger). We also got a side of the parmesan, garlic and truffle fries.

I really loved the Sweet but Psycho burger, as a sweet and spicy flavour combination always works for me. The fish burger was good too with very tasty fish, but a little heavy on the tartar sauce.

And the fries were amazing – super flavourful and with toppings that reached every fry (not just the first layer). I’m usually not a fry person but these ones were great.

Were they the best burgers in Brighton? I’m not sure. Personally, I prefer a thick burger over a smash burger. But they were very tasty, so definitely still get a recommendation from me!

PS: Fountainhead also gets bonus points for their cool gender-neutral bathrooms and for having both a baby high chair and a change table – rare for pubs!

Crunch & Co

While I got a banh mi from Earl’s, Colin went next door to Crunch & Co to get a toastie – a grilled sandwich with cheese and all the fix-ins.

His first order was the chicken and chorizo melt. He said (and I confirmed with the few bites he let me have) that the flavour was great, the sandwich was a good size, and there was lots of meat and cheese.

He didn’t add the onion jam they offered, but I would’ve gone for it!

The next week, he ordered a crispy chicken and bacon sandwich, which was another winner. We really liked the chipotle mayo and tons of bacon, but thought they were a little light on the chicken.

They had quite a few sandwich filling options, including some vegan and vegetarian ones, so definitely visit Crunch & Co if you love a good toastie!

Best Thai & Vietnamese places to eat in Brighton

The Eagle

This might surprise you, but the best Thai food we had during our two months in Brighton was at a pub. The Eagle, which appears to be a traditional English pub when you walk in, actually serves a complete Thai menu. No burgers or fries here!

We first came for lunch when my mother-in-law was visiting us in Brighton. She got an udon noodle, Colin got chicken on rice, and I ordered Khao Soi, a northern Thai curry with egg noodle. We also got an order of garlic greens and fried squid for the table.

Each one of our dishes was so tasty! The garlic greens were a huge hit – even Baby C was choosing the vegetables over anything else on her plate. The fried squid was perfectly cooked – not rubbery at all with a nice, light breading.

I was also so blown away by my Khao Soi. It’s hard to find Khao Soi, as most Thai restaurants outside of Northern Thailand don’t serve it.

So not only was I excited to see it on the menu, but I was so impressed by the taste. Spicy, rich, tons of chicken and almost as good as the bowls I had in Chiang Mai!

Two weeks later I was back for more. I went with my favourites from our first meal at The Eagle, Khao Soi and garlic greens, for takeaway lunch. Both were just as good the second time!

Red Snapper

Red Snapper is a Thai restaurant in the Seven Dials neighbourhood of Brighton. The place itself is very cute and homey. Our server was super friendly and it felt like we were locals enjoying a lunch out.

We ordered the soy glazed crispy chicken with coconut rice, which was delicious. The sauce was my favourite! We also got the pad see ew noodles, which I didn’t like as much, but they were loaded with lots of vegetables and prawns.

Our server even came by with some complimentary shrimp crackers, which Baby C gobbled up!

Red Snapper is BYOB (with corkage charges) and can get quite busy for dinner. It was near empty during our lunch (just us and one other table) but the phone was constantly ringing with people making dinner reservations.

Giggling Squid

Giggling Squid is a UK chain of Thai restaurants. We ate at the Brighton Lanes restaurant location, which is housed in a charming, multi-level, narrow building with fun wallpaper and decor.

I really liked the look of the restaurant and the food was delicious too. We ordered the street food appetizer platter that came with spring rolls, fried squid, chicken wings and skewers – all super tasty!

We also got the chilli and lime sea bass and stir fry noodles with duck. We skipped the drinks this time, but they did have an extensive drink list with both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options.

The only downside to our visit? The person who sat us was not in a good mood. He acted like it was a huge inconvenience that we were there and continually shot us dirty looks during our meal.

Luckily the server who did end up waiting on us was very kind and enchanted by Baby C!

Milk No Sugar

Milk No Sugar is a Vietnamese restaurant in Brighton that was just a block or so down the street from where we lived. When we popped in for lunch, it felt like a casual place that was busy with regulars.

We ordered a few things and, to be perfectly honest, there were hits and misses. The hits: my Vietnamese iced coffee and the salt and pepper fried squid. Baby C was a big fan of the squid!

Unfortunately my banh mi was not good. The bread was drenched in a sauce from the meat that made it soggy and there was almost no pork inside to speak on. Colin’s chicken on rice was fine, but not the most flavourful.

I wish we had tried one of their pho or curry dishes, as those seemed more popular with the other people dining around us.

We did give Milk No Sugar one more try, ordering a few things for takeaway a couple weeks later. We went with the fried squid again and tried to order chicken wings, but they were out. So we ordered duck spring rolls instead that were small and didn’t taste like duck.

So I guess my final recommendation: Order the fried squid, skip the banh mi, and maybe try a pho or curry!

Best pubs in Brighton

The Basketmakers Arms 

The Basketmakers Arms was one of our local pubs in North Laine and definitely has that neighbourhood feel. There are tins on the walls (many with hidden notes in them!) and the place seems to fill up with regulars throughout the day.

I ordered a turkey roast, as it was just before Christmas, and was impressed by how much they packed on one plate. Not only was there a generous portion of both dark and white meat turkey, big potatoes and an even bigger Yorkshire pudding, but there were also a ton of vegetables!

I particularly loved all of the green veg (brussel sprouts, peas, snow peas and cabbage), plus the root vegetables and red cabbage slaw. They even threw in a “pig in blanket” (a sausage wrapped in bacon), scoop of cranberry sauce, and doused it all in gravy.

Colin went for the fish and chips and also received a ginormous portion. We easily could’ve shared just one of our mains. The fish was nice and flaky and the chips were thick cut.

They didn’t have any high chairs, but Baby C happily munched off both of our plates from her stroller.

Unfortunately, we were too full for dessert but they had a whole menu full of winter puddings that they serve with homemade gelato. So when you go, save room for dessert because it sounds amazing!

The Walrus

We first tried to visit The Walrus for Sunday roast but they were completely booked. So we came back on a weekday for dinner with my dad.

The bar area of The Walrus was totally packed. It felt like a big work event as everyone seemed to know each other. We were seated in one of the little rooms that’s tucked away down a hallway.

When I took Baby C on a walk around the restaurant later, I learned there were even more spaces to eat and drink in The Walrus – a hidden mezzanine, large upper floor dining room and even a rooftop garden bar!

We ordered fish and chips, a Korean fried chicken burger, and bangers and mash. Colin’s fish and chips were the favourite. They were gluten-free but we all loved the taste of the batter.

My fried chicken burger was just all right – the Korean flavours were lacking and the chicken was a bit thin, but the side salad was delicious. And my dad’s bangers and mash were quite good, though not something I’d personally order.

We also split a sticky toffee pudding and treacle tart for dessert. The sticky toffee pudding was large with a nice, smoky flavour to it. The treacle tart was extremely sweet and fun for us to try, as we had never had one before.

All in all, it was a very good UK pub meal. I wouldn’t say it’s the best food in Brighton, but it’s a solid choice. I’d love to come back and try their Sunday roast.

The White Rabbit

For Colin’s mom’s first meal in the UK, we took her out to a pub for some traditional English food. We landed at The White Rabbit, a pub in North Laine that has an Alice in Wonderland theme.

The pub itself is on the smaller side and very casual. They have tables around a central bar, plus some covered outdoor seating in their back garden. The Alice in Wonderland decor is nice but not overdone.

I ordered the winter salad and was impressed by the variety of vegetables in it, like squash, beets and arugula. Plus it only cost £2 to add chicken, which is a steal!

Colin ordered the maple bacon burger and his mom, Margie, got the fish and chips. Both reported that their meals were tasty, though not the best burger or fish and chips in Brighton.

The Lord Nelson Inn 

We lived right next door to The Lord Nelson Inn during our two months in Brighton and I’m disappointed that we didn’t visit more often. Because it was a really cool place!

The building dates back to 1848 and started serving beer as The Lord Nelson pub in 1854. It always blows my mind when something as simple as a neighbourhood pub is older than my country (Canada was “founded” in 1867).

Walking through the pub, you’ll notice there are lots of little rooms and sections, rather than one big space. This is because the pub used to have a smoking room, a public bar and a private bar, which was the style back in the day.

Over the years, rooms have been added on, giving The Lord Nelson the eclectic and homey feel it has today. I actually thought it felt like we were drinking on a boat, as some of the rooms have a nautical theme and lots of wood panelling.

Colin and I headed to The Lord Nelson for a little date night while his mom stayed with Baby C. He tried a local beer and we split a sticky toffee pudding, which was delicious. A few weeks later, my dad also stopped by The Lord Nelson for dinner.

We didn’t get a chance to try much from this pub, but they actually have an extensive menu. There are local gins on tap, a separate tapas menu, a full burger menu, Sunday roasts and a buffet.

Best Mexican food in Brighton

La Choza

I can’t say I’m an expert on Mexican cuisine but in my research I kept seeing La Choza listed as the best Mexican food in Brighton. And since it was just down the block from us in North Laine, we had to give it a try!

Spoiler alert: We loved it! I can’t even count how many times we ate at or got takeaway from La Choza. It quickly became one of our favourite restaurants in Brighton. Inside it’s small but packed with fun and bright decor.

The first time we went to La Choza, our friends Holly and Ollie were visiting us from Folkestone. We got a feast with fruity non-alcoholic coolers, calamari and wings to start, and tacos, burritos and nachos as our mains.

I really loved my pork belly tacos with cranberry and pickled red onions. The sauce was delicious and they were packed with meat. The slaw on the side was very tasty. The roast duck burrito our table ordered was also a favourite.

We decided to order a kid’s meal for Baby C and it ended up being an incredible deal. For just £7 she got a baby burrito (about 2/3 the size of a regular burrito), slaw, tortilla chips and a drink.

It was more than enough for Baby C’s lunch and dinner (plus for mom and dad to sneak some bites).

Over our next few orders we tried duck tacos, crispy prawn tacos, a chicken burrito, a pork burrito, and a chicken and chorizo quesadilla. We also got the kid’s meal each time, as Baby C loved it and we couldn’t pass up such a good deal.

Everything we ordered from La Choza was delicious, but I’d still say my first pork belly tacos with cranberry were my favourite. That, or the kid’s meal chicken burrito!

Best Italian & Greek restaurants in Brighton

Tutto

We went to Tutto with my mom for a New Year’s Eve lunch and had such a lovely meal. If you’re looking for a nice place to eat in Brighton that serves delicious Italian food and is upscale but not too stuffy, check out Tutto.

As soon as we walked in, we were welcomed by the lovely service team. Every single staff member we interacted with was so kind, and the whole place felt very family-friendly (lots of tables had babies with them that day!).

We started with a beer for Colin and some fruity non-alcoholic cocktails for my mom and me. To eat, we decided to try the tasting menu with a few additions.

We feasted on buffalo mozzarella, tuna crudo, suppli, prawns, pizza, sausage pasta, chicken Milanese, crab and lemon spaghetti, broccolini, and potatoes. The entire table was filled as plate after plate came out of the kitchen.

Everything was delicious (except for the broccolini, which was a bit sour). My favourites were the sausage pasta, crab and lemon spaghetti, and the prawns.

I couldn’t recommend Tutto highly enough for their delicious food, warm and welcoming atmosphere, and beautiful, modern decor. It seemed like a great place for a family meal, but I think it would make a nice date spot too.

Kouzina

Kouzina is a Greek restaurant inside Brighton Open Market. It’s a really cozy spot and quite popular – we were lucky to snag one of their covered outdoor tables.

If you’re looking for a cheap place to eat in Brighton with delicious homestyle cooking, visit Kouzina.

To order, you’ll line up at the counter and consult the menu on the wall. If you’ve managed to get a table, the staff will bring your food to you when it’s ready.

Colin got the Lemonado plate with roast chicken, potatoes, Greek salad and bread all with a lemon flavour. It was really tasty!

I went for the Kouzina wrap with chicken, garlic sauce, pomegranate sauce and halloumi. Mine was tasty too, but I wanted more pomegranate or maybe some cucumber to break up the salty/garlicky flavour.

Overall, I’d definitely recommend Kouzina! It felt like we were eating in someone’s home kitchen and all of the plates were very affordable. They also had lots of vegan and vegetarian options.

Parthenon Gyros 

On a rainy evening in Brighton, my mother-in-law and I went to pick up takeout from Parthenon Gyros. Greek is one of our go-to comfort cuisines, especially on cold and rainy nights, and this one totally delivered!

Colin and I got souvlaki plates that came with three skewers each (lamb and pork), a full pita, salad, rice for me and fries for Colin. Margie, my mother-in-law, got a Greek salad.

As you can tell from the photos above, the portions were massive! We got so much food for a really affordable price. We all had more than enough for lunch the next day.

In fact, Margie had so many tomatoes in her salad that we actually made a spaghetti sauce from her leftovers!

Fatto a Mano

Fatto a Mano is a pizzeria chain with restaurants in London, Brighton and Hove.

We ordered three pizzas for takeaway: the Diavola (spicy salami, chilli), the Burrata & Parma (white sauce, burrata cheese, parma ham), and one more with pancetta, porcini and gorgonzola.

All of the pizzas were delicious with tons of toppings. Colin’s Diavola was quite spicy and my mom’s gorgonzola cheese was very strong. I liked my Burrata & Parma, though usually prefer buffalo mozzarella instead of burrata.

The dough on the pizzas was really tasty with a nice chew to it. I usually don’t eat my pizza crusts (Colin happily takes them off me) but this dough was so good I didn’t let him take my crusts.

We got our pizzas from Fatto a Mano’s North Laine location in Brighton, as it was just a couple of blocks from us. It’s right in the heart of the pedestrianized part of North Laine and was always bustling with diners when we walked by.

Topolino

For our last Italian meal in Brighton, we actually went to Hove which makes up the other half of the city. (Brighton’s full city name is “Brighton & Hove,” with Hove being to the west of Brighton.)

I wanted to visit the famous Hove Beach Huts so Colin found us a place for lunch just a couple of blocks up from the water. Topolino is a nice Italian restaurant that was very empty for lunch on a Wednesday in winter – it was just us the whole time.

We ordered a prosciutto and rocket pizza, monkfish and seafood linguine, and a kids meal of Milanese chicken and fries for Baby C.

The pizza had a nice chew to it and the pasta had a good amount of seafood. I liked the prawns in the pasta a lot but found the sauce a bit thick and the monkfish very bland. Maybe it’s just not my type of fish!

The music at Topolino was accidentally hilarious. A Celine Dion song was on repeat for most of our meal. I thought it was funny and kept singing along to the passionate chorus.

When the server finally noticed, he switched off Celine and turned on what I think he assumed would be a good YouTube playlist. But it ended up being a weird stream of TikTok videos with annoying AI sounds. Bring back Celine!

Best Chinese & other Asian restaurants in Brighton

The Pond

I love when traditional English pubs don’t serve traditional English pub food. That’s what we found at North Laine’s The Pond, a little pub that specializes in Asian baos.

Colin, Baby C and I ordered a few baos to share – pork belly, duck, miso salmon and gochujang fried chicken – plus a side of chicken satay. Everything was delicious and super flavourful. I loved the crunch on the fried chicken and the flavourful hoisin pork belly.

I did think The Pond was slightly overpriced. While the food was tasty, the portions were a bit small. Each bun was £7-8 each, and you’d probably want three buns per person to be full. The chicken satay was also £7 and only came with two skewers.

But I’m glad we went and I’d still recommend it, as the baos were delicious and the vibes were great. I also ordered the cider they had on tap and it went great with the buns!

Noodle Street

If you’re looking for cheap and cheerful Chinese food in Brighton, head to Noodle Street on London Road. This is a great place to grab a quick bite of lunch or get some takeaway.

I ordered the BBQ pork with stewed egg noodles and really enjoyed it. There was a good amount of meat and some vegetables too, which was a nice surprise.

I also ordered two dim sum plates, ha gao and siu mai. They were tasty but perhaps not worth £5 each as the portions were very small. So unless you’re really craving dim sum, I’d stick to the noodle and rice dishes.

It’s also important to note that Noodle Street is cash only! I found this out the hard way when I placed my order, pulled out my credit card, and then had to make a mad dash across the street to an ATM.

I ran into quite a few problems at this ATM and actually had to get my bank to reverse a charge (the ATM charged my bank but the transaction didn’t go through and I didn’t receive the money). But I did manage to get some cash in the end!

Of course, none of that was Noodle Street’s fault. Just remember to bring cash if you come here and don’t go to the ATM inside the Co-op across the street!

Dishoom

Dishoom is a chain of “Bombay comfort food” restaurants throughout the UK. I could wax poetic about Dishoom for years; I have yet to meet someone who’s tried Dishoom and disliked it.

I’ve been to a few of Dishoom’s London locations and we ate many meals at Dishoom’s Brighton Lanes restaurant. This one is known as Dishoom Permit Room, meaning there’s a very cool and extensive drinks menu available.

Like every Dishoom I’ve been to, the vibes inside the Permit Room are incredible. The decor is homey and colourful, with lots of what appear to be family photos and old posters on the walls.

We went to the Dishoom in Brighton at least three times and loved it every time. We actually brought our parents on each of their visits to Brighton, and they all loved it too. Even Baby C at a year old was a big fan!

We’ve tried a bit of everything at Dishoom: lamb samosas, aloo tikka chaat, chicken pick-me-ups, spinach chaat, charred sweet potato, prawn moilee curry, chicken cranberry biryani, ruby chicken, and, of course, tons of garlic naan.

Everything is delicious! My favourites were the spinach chaat, charred sweet potato and ruby chicken. But truly, it’s all so good. I’ve never disliked anything from Dishoom. They even serve breakfast (which I’ll tell you more about later).

My go-to drinks at Dishoom are the chocolate chai (perfectly spiced, chocolatey and bottomless!) and the mango lassi (great mango flavour, not overly sweet, and a favourite of Baby C’s). We’ve also tried some of the beers, cocktails and wines.

Lucky Star

Lucky Star on Trafalgar Street in Brighton was our local Chinese restaurant, as it was just down the road from where we were staying.

To be honest, we didn’t have a great first experience at Lucky Star. We sat in for lunch on a late December day and the restaurant was very cold. Unfortunately the service was pretty cold too.

And I don’t think we ordered well. We got a pepper beef udon that was a bit too spicy, a satay chicken where the chicken was dry, and some green beans, that also tasted a bit dry.

Everything was tasty enough, just not as good as I was expecting. It was all very affordable though, with most lunch menu items costing just £10/plate.

We decided to give Lucky Star another try for takeaway when my dad was visiting us in Brighton. This time, we stuck to some classics, rather than ordering udon and satay, which aren’t really Chinese dishes.

Luckily, our second shot at Lucky Star was much more star-worthy. Our fried noodles with vegetables had a good flavour and lots of vegetables, the pork dumplings were delicious, and we liked the green beans and broccoli we ordered.

There were still some issues (flavourless rice, tough beef, salty pork) but overall, we were happy. And for £58 we fed three adults and a baby dinner with enough for leftover lunch for everyone the next day!

I wouldn’t say Lucky Star is the best Chinese food in Brighton, but it does hit the spot and the price is right.

Bali

We went out for lunch to Bali, a Southeast Asian restaurant at the end of Trafalgar Street, on a chilly winter day that was perfect for a warm bowl of curry.

Inside, the restaurant is small but nicely decorated. The person serving us was very sweet and made us feel so welcomed.

We ordered a delicious chicken satay with a nice peanut sauce, a fish curry that was a little light in flavour but still very tasty, and a beef rendang which Colin loved, but I wasn’t as big a fan of.

We had hoped to try their mango sticky rice for dessert, but unfortunately they were all out. Oh well, next time!

Where to get a Sunday roast in Brighton

The Geese

In researching where to get a Sunday roast in Brighton, The Geese popped up as a popular, award-winning option. So Colin, Baby C and I trekked up the hill to The Geese one Sunday to give it a try.

But we failed to make a reservation and every single table in the pub was booked from noon until dinnertime. So if you want to come to The Geese, you need to book in advance!

We came back the next Sunday, this time with a reservation, and ordered their beef sirloin and pork belly roasts, as well as a side of pigs in a blanket.

The meat for both of our roasts was super tender. The beef wasn’t tough at all and the pork was moist and flavourful. I really liked the carrots and greens that were served with the roasts too.

I thought the beetroot and Yorkshire pudding were just okay. I wasn’t a fan of the potatoes, but I find most roasts come with potatoes that are too crunchy on the outside and undercooked on the inside, so this wasn’t just a Geese issue.

Overall, I was super happy with our lunch. I would agree that The Geese has the best Sunday roast in Brighton – at least of all of the ones we tried. I even liked the gravy, and I’m usually not a gravy fan!

The Hop Poles

After striking out at The Walrus, we headed to The Hop Poles and managed to snag a table for their Sunday roast. This pub is cozy and casual with nice booths and stool seating.

Once again, Colin and I ordered a beef sirloin roast and a pork belly roast. Both were yummy, but I did find the beef a bit overdone and the fat on the pork belly wasn’t rendered well enough.

I did really enjoy everything else on the plate though: green vegetables, parsnips, carrots, roast potatoes, sweet potato mash, cabbage and Yorkshire pudding. And they didn’t drown the plate in gravy, which I appreciated.

We washed it all down with a cider for me and Czech beer for Colin. Baby C also ate happily in her stroller (sadly, high chairs are harder to come by at pubs).

The Dorset

We actually went to The Dorset for our Christmas Eve meal and ended up getting their Sunday roast plates for dinner. As it was the holidays, the pub was busy and everyone was in a merry mood!

This time we got the roast beef and turkey roast. I enjoyed both meats and really liked the carrots and cabbage. However, I thought there was too much gravy and didn’t like the taste of the leek mash potatoes.

The portions were also huge. We almost had enough left over for all of us for lunch the next day.

If you’re at The Dorset but not in the mood for a roast, my mom ordered their fish and sweet potatoes, which were quite tasty! We also tried their shrimp cocktail appetizer and enjoyed it.

The Eagle

A Sunday roast from a pub that only serves Thai food? Yup! You read that right.

I already mentioned The Eagle above under my favourite Thai restaurants in Brighton, but I had to give them another shout out for their Sunday roast.

We stopped by The Eagle on a Sunday and were surprised to see that they serve Sunday roast and only Sunday roasts on Sunday. I know a lot of pubs do this, but I wasn’t expecting it from The Eagle since they’re really a Thai restaurant.

Despite their Thai menu, the Sunday roasts were quite traditional. We got the pork belly and beef sirloin, both served with greens, potatoes, carrots, parsnip, Yorkshire pudding and gravy.

While the meats were a bit tough, I really loved the carrots, parsnips and greens. The potatoes were also perfectly cooked, which is rare for Sunday roasts, though the Yorkshire pudding was a bit small and sad.

But my favourite part was the gravy. Because The Eagle is a Thai restaurant, you could choose to go for a satay sauce instead of traditional gravy. I did and it tasted exactly like the Khao Soi broth I love from The Eagle.

So I drenched my entire plate and ate my Sunday roast like a curry. It was delicious!

Best seafood restaurants in Brighton

Riddle & Finns 

If you’re looking for a nice place to eat in Brighton, consider Riddle & Finns, a slightly upscale seafood restaurant. They have two locations, one by Brighton Beach and one in the Lanes.

We went to their Lanes location as the one by the beach was fully booked. But even without a view of the water, it was still atmospheric inside with the high top marble tables and large candelabras.

We ordered the Brighton scallops, tempura tiger shrimp, seafood risotto and a kid’s meal for Baby C. The Brighton scallops were delicious, but £15 for three felt way overpriced. The tempura shrimp were a much better deal and super succulent!

I enjoyed the seafood risotto and they did pack a lot of seafood into it. It seemed to have a cheese sauce and I’m never sure about cheese and seafood together. But it did taste good!

The kid’s meal was adorable and a great deal. For £10 Baby C got an espresso cup full of seafood chowder, a piece of fish, fries, green vegetables and ice cream. Of course, her parents helped her finish it all!

PS: If you’re going to Riddle & Finns with a baby, they do have high chairs. They’re the lobster style ones that attach to the table. This works out since all of the tables are bar height and a standard high chair would be too short.

Bardsley’s Fish Restaurant

My research on where to eat in Brighton told me that Bardsley’s was the best fish and chips in the city. And I’d have to agree, it was pretty dang good!

Inside, you’ll find Max Miller paraphernalia lining the restaurant’s the walls. Max Miller, aka the Cheeky Chappie, was a comedian from Brighton who found fame in the 1920s.

I’m not quite sure what his connection was to Bardsley’s, but clearly they’re big fans of his!

We ordered a platter that included one piece of cod and one piece of haddock. The fish was really good! The pieces were thick and flavourful, and the batter was crispy without being too heavy.

The chips – aka fries – were delicious too. They were thick cut and well fried. I’m not the biggest chip person, but these ones were perfectly acceptable.

The only place where they lost me was their tartar sauce, but that’s down to personal preference. It had too much dill for my liking. But it did seem homemade, which was a nice touch.

The Regency Restaurant

The Regency Restaurant is an iconic institution on the Brighton Beach seafront. Once a stately home, the building was converted into a restaurant in the 1930s and has always been famous for serving fresh, local seafood.

Because The Regency Restaurant is well-known and well-located, it does have a slightly higher price tag. If you can snag one of the coveted window seats, you might feel the view justifies the prices.

But even without the view, the atmosphere inside is nice and we found the wait staff to be really friendly.

Colin ordered the fish and chips and I got the seafood spaghetti. Colin’s fish was good with delicious batter and a nice tartar sauce. I loved that my spaghetti was packed with seafood, but I found the sauce too heavy.

While we were dining, an older couple came in and were seated in the corner window seat. They ordered a huge seafood platter and a bottle of champagne. They were clearly celebrating and The Regency Restaurant seems like a great place to do so!

Fish & Chips

Yes, this fish and chips joint is literally called Fish & Chips. While I admire their commitment to simplicity, I’ll go ahead and give you the Google Maps link because it’ll be impossible to find if you just search “Brighton fish & chips.”

This is a small place in North Laine that feels very local and casual. It quickly became a favourite for Colin and a go-to for takeaway after Baby C’s swim lessons.

They serve up huge portions of fish and chips for a very good price. The fish, while not my favourite in Brighton, was tasty enough. And the chips were nice and thick.

The only downside? They charge extra for tartar sauce. But since the portion is so big and the base price is so low, it’s not that bad to spend a few extra pounds on tartar sauce.

Kito Kito  

If, like me, you prefer raw fish to fried fish, check out Kito Kito for poke bowls in Brighton’s North Laine. We got takeaway from Kito Kito a few times and it always hit the spot!

I’m a big fan of poke bowls and am used to customizing my own bowls with fresh fish and lots of ingredients at the poke chains in Vancouver. I’ve also sampled the authentic bowls in Kauai and Honolulu.

I wouldn’t say Kito Kito quite lives up to the poke bowls in Vancouver or Hawaii, but they are good. They’re affordable, ready quickly and a good size. There are a few sides that come included and three sauce options.

After having some disappointing raw fish sushi elsewhere in Brighton, I was pleasantly surprised that the fish at Kito Kito tasted fresh and authentic. It’s definitely a good option if you’re looking for a healthy, quick lunch in Brighton!

Best breakfast in Brighton

Moksha Cafe

Moksha Cafe is a popular breakfast and brunch spot in Brighton. They don’t take reservations, so prepare to line up if you come on the weekend.

We showed up on a Saturday around 11:45am and miraculously were seated in just a few minutes. As we had already eaten breakfast, we leaned towards their lunch-ier options and ordered a cheeseburger, dirty bacon burger and a kid’s burger.

The dirty bacon burger, one of their famous brunch burgers, was the clear winner. It came with bacon, chilli jam, a fried egg and hash browns. All of the burgers were served on thick challah buns which were delicious, but almost too much bread for the amount of fillings inside.

Surprisingly, the kid’s burger was about the same size as the regular menu cheeseburger. Only it was £6 cheaper and came with fries! So if you have a kid with you, order off the kid’s menu.

We also ordered a cappuccino and a fresh squeezed apple juice. The juice was tart and a bit pricy, but definitely freshly squeezed. See how lime green it is in the photo above!

PS: We found Moksha Cafe to be super family-friendly! Not only do they have a kid’s menu and crayons, but they have a huge stack of high chairs. There were so many kids dining when we were there that they also had an impromptu stroller parking lot at the back!

Mange Tout

Mange Tout is a French-style brunch restaurant in North Laine. While they specialize in breakfast and brunch, they’re also open for dinner and dessert a few nights per week with a limited menu.

We actually never made it to Mange Tout for breakfast, but walked by many times and everyone dining inside looked very happy. We did, however, go for late night dessert while my dad watched Baby C.

I loved the French bistro vibes and big chalkboard menu. The bread and butter pudding was moist with good flavour and had a yummy ice cream and berry coulis on top. Colin’s brownie was rich and chocolatey, also served with ice cream and coulis.

I’m sad we didn’t make it to Mange Tout for breakfast but definitely have it on my list of Brighton restaurants to try when we go back!

Dishoom

I’ve already sung Dishoom’s praises for lunch and dinner. But my favourite meal at Dishoom is actually breakfast.

Dishoom has a full breakfast menu with platters, porridges, drinks and, my go-to, naan rolls. If you haven’t had one of these for breakfast, you haven’t lived!

As Dishoom explains, “Each naan is freshly baked – by hand, and to order – in the tandoor. It is then graced with a little cream cheese, tomato-chilli jam and fresh coriander leaves, and wrapped around one of these first-rate fillings.”

My favourite is the Wrestler Naan, filled with bacon, sausage and egg. It’s incredibly filling and flavourful. The chilli jam is such a perfect compliment to the savoury meat and eggs.

And it pairs perfectly with a cup of their bottomless chocolate chai!

Best afternoon tea in Brighton

The Grand

We made a tradition of going for afternoon tea at The Grand Hotel in Brighton each time one of our parents visited. And it was a very delicious tradition to keep up!

We first went with my mom on Christmas Eve to celebrate the holiday. We had such a nice experience sitting in green velvet chairs in the beautiful front room with sea views and wall tapestries.

For £40 – so not the cheapest afternoon tea around but very reasonable compared to some prices I saw in London – we had unlimited hot drinks, a three tier platter of savoury sandwiches, petit fours and fresh scones, and a slice of cake.

I started with a hot chocolate, which was rich and indulgent, then moved onto one of the loose leaf teas, selected from an extensive menu. After three visits, the Blue Lady (an earl grey/darjeeling type of tea) was my definitive favourite.

The teas were served in a metal teapot with metal strainer, which felt very fancy. The only downside was that the teapots got very hot and took up a lot of room on the table, as each person gets their own.

Our savoury tier had three mini sandwiches, a mini quiche and a mini sausage roll. For our Christmas Eve tea, one of the sandwiches was turkey cranberry. Then when we came back with my mother-in-law in January and my dad in February, the turkey was swapped out for coronation chicken.

The sweet tier of petit fours included a pineapple pana cotta, passion fruit meringue tart, chocolate profiterole and berry cheesecake. For the Christmas tea, they also added a mince pie and little holiday chocolates on top.

All of that was delicious, but the scones were my favourite. We each got one plain and one sultana scone. They were incredibly thick and so tasty.

We were always too full to finish them so would take our extra scones home and heat them up for breakfast the next morning. They might’ve been even better the next day!

We also ended up taking home the slice of cake, because there was no way we had room for it after the sandwiches and dessert. The Victorian sponge cake we got served the first two times was nice enough but the chocolate banana cake we got on our third visit was incredible!

Each time we went for tea at The Grand, we had such a lovely experience. The staff were always so kind, warmly welcoming us and interacting with Baby C. In fact, one of the managers gave Baby C a rubber ducky dressed in a Grand Hotel uniform as a keepsake!

I’ve always thought afternoon tea was such a fun British tradition. I’m so glad we got to share in that tradition with our parents and that they all had such a great time with us at The Grand.

If you’re looking for a nice place for afternoon tea in Brighton, I couldn’t recommend The Grand more highly!

Where else to eat in Brighton, UK

Even though we ate at more than 40 different restaurants in Brighton, there are still more I wish we had gotten to try! Here are the Brighton restaurants at the top of my list to try when we go back:

• Brighton Smokehouse
• Mowgli
• The Chilli Pickle
• The Coal Shed
• Burnt Orange
• Casazul
• MOGUMOGU
• Shelter Hall

Plus, I’d love to try Cin Cin, Audrey’s Chocolate Shop and Palmito in Hove!

If you’ve been to any of these restaurants, drop some thoughts in the comments below so we can gather even more reviews and help people plan out their foodie path through Brighton.

Wrapping up: My top 5 best restaurants in Brighton

As you can tell from all of my rave reviews above, we ate incredibly well in Brighton! It’s definitely the kind of city that suits walking around and eating as much as you can.

But if I had to narrow it down, here are my top five favourite restaurants in Brighton that I’d highly recommend you add to your itinerary:

1. Bincho Yakitori for Japanese tapas
2. Earl’s for banh mi sandwiches
3. The Eagle for Thai food
4. The Grand for afternoon tea
5. La Choza for Mexican food

In between eating at the best Brighton restaurants, don’t forget to pop into some of Brighton’s best cafes, wander the streets of North Laine, head up the Brighton i360 for a view, and enjoy everything else there is to do in Brighton (itinerary coming soon!).

I’d love to know: Which Brighton restaurant would you want to visit first? Hopefully my list has you drooling and saving lots of options on Google Maps for your next trip!