ETCH has been named the best restaurant in Brighton and Hove.

Run by former MasterChef champion Steven Edwards, Etch has just celebrated two years in the city and has become a favourite among locals and visitors since opening.

It was named number one in the Bravo awards.

Steven said: “To win the Bravo award for the best restaurant is not only a massive honour but also a testament to the hard work the team has put in over the last two years.

“To be recognised as the best restaurant in Brighton shows how we have improved since opening and to sit on the list with 19 other amazing restaurants, that represent the strength of the Brighton restaurant scene, is an incredible honour.”

The awards, now in their third year, were decided by a public vote which ran for six weeks from January 28.

Nearly 30,000 public votes were received and more than 450 restaurants in Brighton, Hove and Sussex took part in the vote.

Bravo founder Nick Harvey said: “We’ve been incredibly happy with the results, the level of engagement from venues and passion for our local food scene by the public has been fantastic.

“What we are seeing in the results is there is a real trend in favour of quality and integrity of ingredients and concept.

“People want honesty and simplicity not flashy overly complicated processes.

“It’s also incredibly heartening to see the public support small, independent and new businesses with their votes.

“It shows how creative and dynamic our food scene is.”

Etch was not the only big winner in the awards, with honours handed out in categories such as best brunch, best welcome, child friendly, plant champions and many more.

A sustainable eats awards was introduced this year and the winner was Japanese hotspot Moshimo.

Restaurant co-owner Nicholas Rohl, said: “We eliminated single-use plastic bottles from the restaurant before David Attenborough brought the issue of plastics to light.

“We’ve been offering plant-based menus before the word ‘vegan’ ever crossed Beyoncé’s lips.

“We do what we do because it’s the right thing, but we are incredibly grateful to the Brighton and Hove community for supporting us and really this is a big thank you to them for choosing to eat in a way that better serves this planet.”

The full list of winners is:

Best restaurant

Etch by Steven Edwards, Church Road, Hove

Sussex finest

The Ginger Fox, Henfield

Best brunch

Moksha Cafe, York Place, Brighton

Plant champions

Terre A Terre, East Street, Brighton

Best cocktails

Plateau, Bartholomews, Brighton

Child friendly

Nuposto, West Street, Brighton

Best pub grub

The Joker (Lost Boys Chicken), Preston Road, Brighton

Best welcome

Indian Summer, East Street, Brighton

Cafe culture

Starfish and Coffee, Egremont Place, Brighton

Afternoon tea

The Grand hotel and GB1 Restaurant, King’s Road, Brighton

Best roast

The Geese, Southover Street, Brighton

Best wine list

Ten Green Bottles, Jubilee Street, Brighton

International cuisine

Kujira, Preston Street, Brighton

Sustainable eats

Moshimo, Bartholomew Square, Brighton

Eat well for less

The Real Junk Food Project, Brighton

Best pub

The Robin Hood, Norfolk Place, Brighton