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Last Updated on 29 April 2026 by Dave King
The right restaurant in Brighton depends entirely on what you’re after. If you’re searching for the best restaurants in Brighton, this guide is built to help you choose rather than just scroll through a general list. Here are my honest picks by occasion, whether you want a date night, a family meal, a budget-friendly dinner, a proper seafood lunch or somewhere that feels worth dressing up for.
Brighton Dining at a Glance
| Restaurant | Area | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burnt Orange | City centre, near The Lanes | £30 to £45 a head | Date nights, stylish small plates |
| The Flint House | Hanningtons Lane | £25 to £40 a head | Date nights, small plates, special occasions |
| The Salt Room | Seafront | £19 lunch, roughly £30 to £45 for dinner | Seafood, sea views, weekday deals |
| Donatello | The Lanes | £17 to £25 a head | Families, easy Italian, budget-friendly meals |
| Food for Friends | The Lanes | £15 to £25 a head | Vegetarian and vegan groups, family meals |
| Bill’s Brighton | North Road | £18 to £25 a head | Families, central all-rounder |
| La Choza | North Laine | £14 to £18 a head | Under £20, casual Mexican |
| Terre à Terre | East Street, near The Lanes | £25 to £35 a head | Vegetarian and vegan date nights |
| Purezza | Kemptown | £14 to £20 a head | Vegan comfort food |
| Riddle & Finns | The Lanes and seafront | £30 to £50 a head | Seafood, celebrations |
| English’s of Brighton | The Lanes | £25 lunch, £30 to £45 or more for dinner | Classic seafood |
| etch. | Hove | £55 to £80 a head | Special occasions |
The prices above are rough guides based on current official menus, lunch offers or live booking information, so they are useful for choosing a category rather than treating as a fixed promise.
Best Restaurants in Brighton for a Date Night
Burnt Orange, city centre near The Lanes, roughly £30 to £45 a head.
Best if you want a stylish sharing-plates date night that feels lively and grown-up without tipping into anything too formal. Burnt Orange describes itself as a neighbourhood restaurant and late-night bar just a few streets from the historic Lanes, and its current experience menu is £39 per person.
The Flint House, Hanningtons Lane, roughly £25 to £40 a head.
Best if you want something a little tucked away and a bit more polished. The Flint House is one of those places that works especially well when you want great food and a setting that still feels relaxed rather than stiff.
The Salt Room, seafront, roughly £30 to £45 a head for dinner.
Best if sea views matter as much as the food. It is the one I would pick when the setting is part of the point, especially if you want seafood and a more obviously “Brighton” kind of evening.
Best Restaurants in Brighton for Families
Donatello, The Lanes, roughly £17 to £25 a head for adults.
Best if you want a low-fuss family meal in the centre without spending a fortune. Donatello is still one of the safest family picks because it has a proper bambini menu and a fixed-price menu that keeps the bill sensible.
Bill’s Brighton, North Road, roughly £18 to £25 a head.
Best if you want a central all-rounder that is easy with children. Bill’s has a clear kids and family menu, and the Brighton branch also runs a weekday lunch set menu that helps if you are feeding a group without going overboard.
Food for Friends, The Lanes, roughly £15 to £25 a head.
Best if your group includes vegetarians, vegans and children and you still want somewhere that feels like a proper restaurant rather than a fallback option. Food for Friends has a kids menu and an all-day menu built around vegetarian and vegan cooking.
Best Restaurants in Brighton Under £20 a Head
Donatello, The Lanes, from £16.95 for two courses.
Best if you want a sit-down restaurant meal that still feels generous for the money. The fixed-price menu is the big selling point here, and it is one of the clearest budget-friendly restaurant deals in central Brighton.
La Choza, North Laine, roughly £14 to £16 a head for a main.
Best if you want something casual, fast-moving and full of flavour. Burrito bowls and mains on the current menu mostly sit around the mid-teens, so it is an easy one to recommend if you want to eat well without creeping into special-occasion territory.
The Salt Room, seafront, £19 for two courses at weekday lunch.
Best if you want to eat somewhere that feels more expensive than it is, as long as you go at the right time. I would only put it in this budget section because the set lunch is genuinely good value. Order freely in the evening and it stops being a budget pick very quickly.
Best Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurants in Brighton
Terre à Terre, East Street, roughly £25 to £35 a head.
Best if you want one of Brighton’s classic vegetarian restaurants and still want the meal to feel like an occasion. Terre à Terre has been serving vegetarian and vegan food in the heart of the Lanes since 1993, and it remains one of the city’s best-known meat-free names for good reason.
Food for Friends, The Lanes, roughly £15 to £25 a head.
Best if you want something more flexible and group-friendly. The menu is built around vegetarian and vegan cooking, and it is a good choice when not everyone wants the same kind of plant-based meal.
Purezza, Kemptown, roughly £14 to £20 a head.
Best if you want vegan food that still feels easy, comforting and not remotely worthy. Purezza’s Brighton site is on St James’s Street, and current menu prices for pizzas sit comfortably in the mid to high teens.
Best Seafood Restaurants in Brighton
The Salt Room, seafront, roughly £30 to £45 a head for dinner.
Best if you want seafood with a view and a more polished feel. The restaurant calls itself Brighton’s best seafood restaurant, and it is still one of the strongest picks if you want modern seafood right by the sea.
Riddle & Finns, The Lanes or the seafront, roughly £30 to £50 a head.
Best if you want shellfish, Champagne and something that feels properly Brighton. The seafood menus make it pretty clear what you are here for, and the seafront site in particular works well when you want the meal to feel like part of a day by the coast.
English’s of Brighton, The Lanes, roughly £25 for lunch and more if you go à la carte.
Best if you want classic seafood rather than a more modern grill-room style. English’s calls itself Brighton’s oldest seafood restaurant, and it is still a very good choice if you want something traditional in the middle of the Lanes.
Best for a Special Occasion
etch., Hove, £55 to £80 a head.
Best if the whole point is the meal itself. etch. keeps things focused and tasting-menu led, so it is the one I would choose when you want the restaurant to feel like the event rather than just somewhere to eat.
The Flint House, Hanningtons Lane, roughly £25 to £40 a head.
Best if you want something stylish and celebratory without committing to a full tasting-menu evening. It still feels special, but it is easier and more flexible than the very top-end options.
Burnt Orange, city centre, roughly £30 to £45 a head.
Best if you want a special meal that still feels fun rather than hushed. The sharing format makes it a good celebration choice for couples or small groups who want something a bit more social.
Final thoughts
The best restaurants in Brighton really do depend on what kind of meal you want. For a date night, I would start with Burnt Orange or The Flint House. For families, Donatello is still one of the easiest picks. For value, La Choza and Donatello are hard to argue with. For seafood, it is The Salt Room, Riddle & Finns or English’s depending on whether you want views, shellfish or tradition. And if it is a proper special occasion, etch. is the one I would look at first.
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