Brighton, Fish & Seafood Restaurant Guide

“Great seafood” has long made this Lanes institution – one of the UK’s truly venerable restaurants, dating from the 1890s and run by the Leigh-Jones family since 1945 – something of a “Brighton favourite”. “If you can bag a table outside in the sun on the Lanes, with the hustle and bustle of the town around you and your partner opposite, the world will be good”.

This “wonderful little venue” in Brighton’s Lanes (with an offshoot near the seafront) scores highly for its “incredibly fresh fish and seafood”. There’s a “real buzzy atmosphere”, too, that sometimes makes it “a bit of a madhouse” – a small price to pay for somewhere that “performs this well in a tourist hot-spot”.

“A palpable hit” – “now in its new home with glorious sea views”, this “buzzy” spin-off from a well-established Lanes oyster bar (relocated to this new site in 2021) “continues to set the standard for seafood”, while “staff add a warm and professional vibe”. Top Menu Tip – “Malaysian crab and any of the mussel dishes are highlights”.

“A window table gives a good view of the sunset on a sunny evening” at this “excellent seafront restaurant”: a seafood brasserie near the old West Pier that’s again one of the city’s commented-on destinations in town in our annual diners’ poll. Fans say it’s “hard to get into, and not cheap, but everything about it’s good” in particular its “great fish-based menu” (“it’s a great place to share a whole fish at market price”). “The scale of the restaurant can make the service a little frenetic” though and the food can “try too hard to be interesting and only sometimes succeed”. On most accounts, though, it’s “still knocking it out of the park and a great place for a treat”.

“An old favourite for traditional fish ’n’ chips”, this “vibrant and very lively restaurant” has been a fixture of the Brighton seafront for 90 odd years. It remains “consistent”, “excellent value”, and is “great for families”.

“Blessed with a sensational location” – under the arches on the seafront – Great British Menu winner Michael Bremner’s casual venue makes a “lovely” spot for “reliable food, particularly the fish”. But it is “much less adventurous than 64 Degrees” (his acclaimed Lanes flagship).

“For an exceptional foodie experience”, this “absolute gem of a restaurant tucked away in a residential area of Hove” is “hard to beat”. Chef Duncan Ray (part of Heston B’s original launch team at the Fat Duck) is “fêted among restaurant owners and foodies” for his “fish-based 8-course menu, which invariably delights” – and has earned increasing recognition in his 10 years here. There are just 20 guests per sitting, and “everyone eats at the same time – like being at a dinner party”. The “good wine list” is from the people behind Noble Rot.

“Great seafood at reasonable prices”, washed down by craft beer brewed on site, makes this corner venue one of Brighton’s best-known pubs. “Perhaps the menu could change more frequently, but what the Urchin does, it does very well”: “mainly shellfish” , some of it “wonderfully spicy”. Top Menu Tip – “the mussels are delicious”.