Where and what to eat in Brighton

I love Brighton. I’ve only ever been for work, but I have always made the most of my time there. I love to check out the plentiful food offerings. And here are my top tips on where and what to eat in Brighton.

If you’re exploring places further afield, check out my guide on what to eat in Thailand.

Brighton Smokehouse

This place has to be one of my all-time favourite finds. Ever. Housed under the arches of the boardwalk, this charming place serves a delectable range of fish dishes. Think homemade fish soup, fresh pots of shellfish, and hot smoked fish sandwiches. I tried both the mackerel and the kipper rolls. My personal preference was the mackerel, but they were both fantastic.

 I also tucked into a tray of fresh anchovies, which were an amazing discovery for me. I’ve only ever had tinned ones before. While I think they’re pleasant, I don’t find them anything special. However these fresh anchovies were unbelievably tasty. Just a hint of that salty flavour, and so meaty despite how small they are. I would drive to Brighton just for a tray of these (maybe that’s excessive but I really did love them!).

The nicest touch about this place is that the lovely couple who own it smoke all of their own fish at their smokehouse opposite the shop. There’s no hint of pretension, it’s simply about great food, so you can see why locals adore it. Both times we went people were queuing up – don’t let this put you off, it’s definitely worth it.

Chamuyo

I was so excited to discover this Argentine steakhouse. Mainly because it does the best ceviche I’ve ever tasted. It was punchy, packed with flavour and oh so fresh.

I didn’t have steak, I had their delicious chimichurri chicken. It is heavenly although very garlicky, so maybe not great for date night! You can find Chamuyo on Middle Street.

Pho

As a lover of Asian food, I was very excited to give this Vietnamese restaurant a try. I was very impressed with the choice and quality of food. So I wanted to include it on the list of where and what to eat in Brighton.

The name of the restaurant is taken from the Vietnamese noodle soup, which I understand is a popular street food in the country. While this is their speciality, there are plenty of other dishes to take your fancy if you’re not in the mood for the soup.

Having been twice in just a matter of weeks I wanted to try different things on each occasion. Being more of a savoury person I opted for starter and main rather than a dessert, and I can highly recommend what I had. The squid starter was fantastic, perfectly cooked and with a spicy, tangy dipping sauce.

On my second visit I had the spring rolls, which although deep fried were very light and not greasy. I also found it fascinating that you are recommended to wrap the spring roll in the accompanying lettuce leaves, which I have to say was very tasty.

For main courses I tried both the Pho and one of their stir fries from the wider menu. I felt the Pho was better, and I enjoyed being able to make it to taste. It’s served with your choice of meat, fish or veg in the soup, and then you add herbs and spices to create the flavours you want. A simple but effective idea. Sadly I don’t have a photo of it as I tucked in too quickly!

Where and what to eat in Brighton – other recommendations

Sabai Brighton, Princes Place – I’m a huge fan of Thai food and this unassuming restaurant offers delicious, plentiful portions at a great price.

Bagelman – For a quick lunchtime pit stop, this place was super. I had a reuben bagel, which is based on an American classic and is loaded with pastrami, swiss cheese, gherkin, tomato and mustard mayo. Very yummy.

The Regency Restaurant, Brighton seafront – this seafood restaurant was packed, and I could see why, as it offered fresh, tasty fish at an unbelievably reasonable price. I had a mixed grilled platter which included a selection of  4 different fish – I can’t remember all of them but I do recall a chunky piece of hake which was fantastic.

If you’re heading to Brighton, you can find some great ideas for fun things to do here.