10 Best Local Restaurants in Brighton

Thewitchez Restaurant is the brainchild of two local graphic designers who decided to create their own café-cum-eatery to work from. It's located just a few steps from the Brighton seafront, in a studio diner space on the salt-washed Marine Parade.

The theme is photography, photography, and more photography. The ceilings are dotted with more framed photos than you can shake your latte at. They even offer a passport photo-taking service – talk about quirky, eh? The menu is eclectic, putting hearty British stews next to smoked Polish cheeses and Austrian schnitzels.

Petit Pois is a go-to spot for a touch of that fancy French dining. It's sat on the south side of the gastronomy hub that is The Lanes, but still close enough to Brighton Beach to hear the winds whistling down the promenades.

The establishment is pint-sized and cozy, with a blue-painted exterior that's adorned with blooming flowers. The inside channels one part Parisian bistro, one part rustic French country kitchen. The food does the same – think bouillabaisse and mussels, charcuterie boards and duck breast. There's an excellent wine list of Loire and Bordeaux labels to go with the food.

Burnt Orange is about two things – wood-fired foods and fantastic cocktails. The spot has a prime place that's almost equidistance from the buzzy food quarter of The Lanes and the wave-lapped seafront, and it's walking distance from both. You're looking for the come-sit-in-me bistro under the copper sign.

The menu here is sure to get the taste buds watering. It brings elements of the east – zaatar-topped butter flatbreads and smoked harissa – and matches them with all-British mains – think stone bass crudo and fire-roasted monkfish. Stick around until later to sink cocktails in the lounge space before heading out.

Kindling Restaurant channels the eco credentials of Brighton to offer up one of the country's first seriously ecological restaurants. Wedged between the shops, pubs, and bars of East Street, it's easy to access but a touch hard to find – the place has an unassuming, stripped-down exterior that leads to an inside clad in natural woods and colored in neutral tones of musk and beige.

The menu is anything but beige, though. It changes regularly to offer seasonal, sustainable ingredients. Chilled borscht with pickled cucumber, salt-baked kohlrabi with beef, and pan-fried squash with ricotta are the sorts of dishes you can look forward to.

Chamuyo is surely up there with the top-rated Argentinian eateries in the whole of Brighton. It clings to one side of Middle Street, which is one of the main entry points to The Lanes dining quarter, but also just a few short steps off the Brighton Seafront. In other words – it's not a hard bistro to find.

You'll get a whiff of rustic South America from the outside – check the lumber signage and the Wild West lettering. That comes through on the menu, too, which lists off steaks, steaks, and more steaks, from rib-eye to rump to fillet. There's not much for veggies, but there is a fantastic wine menu that offers fine Argentine labels like San Telmo Reserve and more.

Olive Grove is a taste of southern Europe in the thick of the Brighton Lanes. It's gotten a terracotta-tiled terrace and a small outdoor seating area that sprouts – you guessed it – olive trees. This is all wedged into Meeting House Lane, about a 5-minute walk back from the seafront.

The spot is well regarded by vegetarians, with one whole section of the menu purely plant-based or dairy. There are sharing platters combining feta cheese and filo pastry spanakopita, halloumi plates with smoked chili chutney, and chickpeas and baked eggs. You can also get fish dishes like octopus and classic lamb moussakas.

Munchies' Craft is a local legend amid the happening Lanes area of Brighton. It's been offering a hip hangout for students and young professionals for some years, found smack dab in the middle of vibrant Market Street in the heart of the downtown.

In the summer, the space spills out onto the street, where vintage sofas and colorful Pride signs start things rolling. Go in and you're greeted with a kitschy mix of neon lights and Pop Art. The food is a fun medley of shakshukas, breakfast plates, and blue-tinged pancake stacks. Later on, craft cocktails take over.

Baqueano stands out from the crowd of restaurants that string down Western Road through the heart of the Brighton City Center, mainly due to its offering of some of the most sought-after and celebrated steaks in town. It's easy to reach on foot in 15 minutes from the train station and just 5 from the seafront.

Run by Argentine natives Adriana and Jorge from Cordoba, the joint is Latin America through and through. They serve the highest quality meat from the La Pampa region of the country, but also traditional empanadas, mollejas sweetbreads, and cold cut platters. The wine list does its best to showcase the crème-de-la-crème of the Mendoza Valley.

Ephesus is about one thing and one thing only – bringing a taste of Türkiye to the salty streets of Brighton. They're centrally located for diners who come off the main seafront promenade – it's less than a 30-second walk from there. And the spot can be accessed in under 15 minutes from The Lanes or Brighton train station.

What awaits is a mezze platter's worth of treats from the Eastern Mediterranean. The menu rolls off lawn bowling of smoky baba ghanoush, eggplant salads, stuffed vine leaves, and olive-feta tasters. For something more filling, try the combo kebabs, which put a whole load of marinated chicken shish with salad and chilis.

Donatello has been serving up authentic Italian dishes to the people of Brighton for over three decades now. Its place in the midst of The Lanes ensures there's a steady flow of through traffic, even despite the 400-plus covers they can manage between their indoor-outdoor space and conservatory area.

The menu is unashamedly Italian from start to finish. Taster plates mean stacks of bianchetti alla diavola – whitebait with capsicum – and cozze marinara – white wine-doused mussels. There's a whole range of first plates of pasta, from simple cheese spaghetti to tuna and anchovy mixes. Pizza is there, too, along with tasty desserts, like the in-house tiramisu.