BRIGHTON is known for many things - and its amazing cuisine is certainly one of them.
From our fresh seafood to local beef and everything in between, we are not short of exceptional dining experiences.
And restaurants need our support now more than ever follow months closed.
While we wait for the latest round of Good Food Guide results, we've had a look back at last year's entries in The Good Food Guide to give you some suggestions.
Waitrose publishes the annual guide which outlines its foodie front runners across the British Isles.
Featured restaurants are nominated by the public then verified by a team of respected editors who then visit the most voted for to verify the results and give a final score of between one and ten.
Scores represent the entire restaurant experience including both the quality of the cooking and the wider dining experience.
Here are the top restaurants in our city according to the guide*:
Terre à Terre, 71 East Street, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 1HQ
What the guide said: "It's less of a maverick these days, but Terre à Terre still deals in global assemblages: how about soft buttermilk-soaked halloumi dipped in chip-shop batter, with vodka-spiked preserved tomatoes, a 'sea salad tartare' and lemony Yemeni relish?
"Elsewhere, their take on KFC involves sesame-coated Korean-fried cauliflower, kimchi and umeboshi chestnut purée, while 'how's your vada' is a twisted reboot of the Indian street-food snack zhuzhed-up with paneer tikka, mango purée, cavolo nero, fennel-seed coconut butter and carrot-top pesto.
"Desserts don't let the side down – try the boozy 'rum tum' tarte tatin with tamarind and sticky date ice cream. To drink, organic and biodynamic wines, vegan beers, nectars and zany cocktails tick all the boxes."
Average price: £40
Etch, 216 Church Road, Hove, East Sussex BN3 2DJ
What the guide said: "Dishes look original, even startling, with strange shapes and vivid colours abounding, each founded, however, on the defiant simplicity of a partnering of two essential components – turbot and lettuce, scallop and cucumber, veal and turnip.
"Textures and temperatures are thoroughly investigated for the depth they can bring, and even a juxtaposition like manjari chocolate with pearl barley at dessert makes sense in the eating."
Average price: £55
Wild Flor, 42 Church Road, Hove, East Sussex BN3 2FN
What the guide said: "The antithesis of style over substance, this newcomer on Hove's main drag has dodged passing bandwagons to deliver a repertoire inspired by the classics that's set to go the distance. The room is pleasant enough, with its neutral colour scheme and pub-style tables and chairs. If the menu isn't exactly a racy read, it sure delivers on flavour.
"A blackboard lists daily specials such as rack of lamb, served properly pink with earthy girolles, and a pretty much perfect lemon tart. The best bistro traditions of France combine with British and Spanish influences to deliver the likes of roasted quail with cherry purée and Ibérico pig's cheek to start, followed by gloriously fatty glazed beef brisket or fillet of brill with a spider crab bisque that is punchy enough to stand on its own."
Average price: £30
64 Degrees, 53 Meeting House Lane, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 1HB
What the guide said: "Tucked in at the end of one of the Lanes, Michael Bremner's original Brighton venue (see also Murmur) has the kind of unhassled cosiness you expect from a backstreet joint in Lisbon, with low ceilings and a small counter around a busy kitchen adding to the infectious intimacy of it all.
"The small(ish) plates menu divides neatly into plant, marine and meat items, and there's hardly a dish that isn't bursting with clever counterpoints of intensity. Agnolotti pasta filled with potato and creamy Baron Bigod cheese come dressed in Parmesan and olive oil, with shavings of black truffle adding an umami punch, while a bowl of squid with nobbles of glorious chorizo and chickpeas is full of arresting richness. Even the lighter dishes – monkfish ceviche with pink grapefruit and marcona almonds, say – register strong and true, while tacos of short rib rolled with mushroom ketchup and beetroot salsa signal the kitchen's inventive flair."
Average price: £40
The Set, Artist Residence, 33 Regency Square, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 2GG
What the guide said: "Having recently embraced the flexibility of an à la carte format, The Set is no longer a slave to the set menu (but don't worry, there is still a 10-course 'chef's table' option for keenos). They've also incorporated a rudderless area at the front of the building, effectively doubling the size of the restaurant. Counter stools provide ringside seats at the tiny open kitchen, while the interior remains sublimely bohemian.
"The backbone of the menu is local ingredients, and they arrive in inspired combinations. Wee snacks include a brik pastry with salsify and harissa, before starters proper such as herring pickled in rhubarb with lettuce emulsion, or Marmite-glazed ox tongue atop a crumpet (with pickled cockles and turnip). Then feast on pork with smoked trotter samosa or two can share a whole lobster. An inspired vegetarian main course might be gnudi with hispi bolognese. Finish with rhubarb and custard éclair. The wine list opens at £21, and the cocktail bar, The Fix, is worth a pre- or post-prandial visit (or both)."
Average price: £28
The Gingerman, 21a Norfolk Square, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 2PD
What the guide said: "He's known as 'the ginger chef', so it was only natural that Ben McKellar should name his flagship restaurant (and his Brighton-based mini-empire) after himself. Gingerman's bijou dining room looks and feels more casual than it did when it opened in 1998, but the food has lost none of its impact. You can drop by for just one course at lunchtime, although it pays to invest in the full works if you want to explore the kitchen's impressive repertoire.
"Seafood from the south coast boats is always a good call (perhaps monkfish with parsley purée and caper-studded dauphinois), but uncomplicated worldly wise ideas come thick and fast – from an Anglo-Asian mix of cauliflower bhajia, roasted cauliflower purée, cashews and coriander oil to a classically Gallic dish of duck breast and crispy leg with stuffed cabbage, Roscoff onion and fondant potato. For afters, coffee crème brûlée and white chocolate délice await. The appealing drinks list roams from Sussex fizz and reasonably priced European wines to swanky Coravin selections and classic cocktails."
Average price: £45
The Little Fish Market, 10 Upper Market Street, Hove, East Sussex BN3 1AS
What the guide said: "With its bold artworks, red quarry tiles, Ikea chairs and enamel light shades, this remarkable little restaurant trades on dressed-down simplicity. It's open for dinner only and there's a no-choice six-course tasting menu – but who cares when you can savour the finest local seafood cooked with real passion? Chef Duncan Ray works fastidiously in the tiny basement kitchen, while Rob Smith takes care of the 20-cover dining room.
"Blackboard menus are dictated by the catch and they're intended as a showcase for different cooking techniques (rather like a Japanese kaiseki banquet): 'raw' might mean mackerel with rhubarb, cucumber and mustard, 'grilled' could be sea bream in bouillabaisse, and the 'pan-fried' option could see cod matched with lardo, prawns and parsnip. Most dishes are innately straightforward – but make no mistake, this is seriously refined food notable for its clarity, freshness and balance. Occasionally there's a bit of meat, too, while dessert might be chocolate and cherry vacherin. The short, modern wine list naturally majors in fish-friendly whites, mostly from the Old World."
Average price: £69
The Salt Room, 106 King's Road , Brighton, East Sussex BN1 2FN
What the guide said: "One of the more universally admired additions to the city's seafront, The Salt Room is a handsome devil, with its terrace attached limpet-like to one side of the Hilton Metropole Hotel. Its dapper interior, with exposed brickwork and echoes of Art Deco sophistication, is watched over by a well-drilled team.
"Seafood is the mainstay of the modern menu, with the blackboard revealing the market fish of the day: hake, sea bass, halibut, say, all cooked over charcoal, for two to share. Opening salvos such as 'sweet, soft octopus' in a rich ragoût with white beans and seaweed gremolata, and pollock ceviche with passion fruit and chilli impress with their attention to detail.
"Mains could include roast monkish spiced up with cumin, joined by a few red meat and vegetarian alternatives (coal-roasted aubergine pastilla, perhaps). Finish with jazzed-up versions of peach Melba or Arctic roll. A persuasive list of wines by the glass encourages exploration, and cool cocktails seem just the thing in this setting."
Average price: £45
The Ginger Pig, 3 Hove Street, Hove, East Sussex BN3 2TR
What the guide said: "It's now a pig of generous proportions: the savvy addition of 11 en suite bedrooms and a revamp of the bar and dining area have porked up Ben McKellar's seaside pub and brought a dose of boutique swagger to west Hove. Its leather banquettes and fashionably dark tones make for a suitably cognisant setting for some cracking contemporary food.
"A focus on European ideas sees smoked almond croquettes arriving in full-flavoured partnership with pickled pear and Cashel Blue, while some broader Asian and Middle Eastern flavours pop up too: the titular pig's head, nicely crisped, might come with peanut crackling, carrot, gochujang and golden raisin purée, or fillet of bream with couscous, confit fennel and crab bisque – all done with style in the delivery.
"A top-drawer burger and a souped-up pie – chicken and chorizo with smoked chilli gravy, say – are crowd-pleasing favourites. Finish with honey and almond cake with yoghurt parfait. Classic cocktails support the well-chosen wine list."
Average price: £35
Murmur, 91-96 King's Road Arches, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 2FN
What the guide said: "From its prime location in revamped arches opposite the i360, diners can witness a murmuration of starlings – the inspiration for this all-day eatery's name – above the relic of the West Pier at dusk. Michael Bremner’s second restaurant after 64 Degrees (see entry) is ‘clearly a class act’.
"It's casual and contemporary in looks and outlook, with a heated terrace and a kitchen that hitchhikes around the globe for ideas, picking up everything from grilled squid with kimchi and black sesame seeds to jerk squash (with coconut labneh, black bean curry, crispy shallots and puffed rice). Elsewhere, a starter of fish soup stuffed with the locally landed catch might be followed by cod fillet with a rosemary and butter bean casserole, fennel cream and smoked paprika crumb. If it’s meat you're after, slow-roast pork belly with crispy skin, anise carrots and charred purple sprouting broccoli is a sure-fire winner. Apple millefeuille with Calvados crème fraîche is one of several satisfying desserts. Wines from £20."
Average price: £30
Isaac At, 2 Gloucester Street, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 4EW
What the guide said: "On one of the quieter residential streets of the city's most self-consciously boho district, Isaac Bartlett-Copeland's venue is done in soberly neutral hue, both without and within. The approach is very much in the now, with Sussex produce transformed into a four- or seven-course tasting menu, with a pre-theatre deal and vegetarian and vegan offerings too.
"There is a pleasing informality to the presentations, the fashionable thrown-together look benefiting tripartite dishes such as celeriac, egg yolk and apple, haddock, cauliflower and parsley, or lamb, Brussels sprouts and shallots. Fresh, concentrated flavours and pinpoint seasonings characterise the cooking, with pear, cobnut and lemon thyme to close the show. A commendable all-British drinks list extends to local ales and ciders, wines embracing the crown jewels of the Sussex fizz scene, as well as regional Pinots and biodynamic blends, and a shrewd pick of English gins."
Average price: £40
*All of the restaurants scored three and above in the guide
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