Worthing, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

In a “great situation on the beach” and in an even greater, Heatherwick Studio-designed building – comprising long, undulating ribbons of raw steel that are akin to driftwood – this is “more of a hybrid” than your standard seaside caff: whether you want a snack or a three-course meal, “the menu always has something for everyone, with delicious fish dishes” a feature.

“A dependable favourite ever since it opened” – this “elevated pub” near Hove seafront is part of a hugely popular four-strong local chain; with its “upmarket take on sausages and mash with kale or a lovely slow-cooked beef pie”, it’s “more akin to a restaurant (with a nice bar attached)” than a boozer, and a “buzzy atmosphere” is guaranteed. Top Tip – stay over in their “quirky rooms” (in either the main building or self-catering mews houses); one reporter who did so “could not think of eating anywhere else” after the first night (resulting in “six meals, including terrific breakfasts, in three days!”).

2021 Review: “Utterly consistent and fabulous” – chef Lee Williams “never lets you down” at his restaurant-with-rooms in a Regency house looking out over Arundel Castle. Its talking-point is the “beautiful gold-leaf ceiling” in the dining room, which was made in Florence in the sixteenth century. Local seafood is the star on a “delicious” menu (“especially when fresh lobster is in season”).

“Slightly hidden away from the main shopping drag in Arundel”, this “calming, understated yet stylish” indie (est. 2015) inspires a large amount of highly positive feedback in our annual diners’ poll. Chef Lee Parsons is behind the “enjoyable, original and delectable” bistro-style cooking (noted for particularly “exceptional fish cookery” and a “great-value set lunch”), while “lovely” FOH wife Liz – whom he met while the duo were working at Claridge’s decades back – “really looks after you” too.

“The attention to detail is amazing, with top-notch food and wine pairings” say fans of this “favourite destination restaurant” – Stephen Edwards’s conversion of a former bank arguably “feels like a converted pub”, but “is so unexpected and elevated it fits well with the vibe of Hove”. Choose from either a five-course menu for £50 per person, or a seven-course menu for £75 per person: “flavours are fun and refreshing, from seasonal and playful tasting plates” – “truly spectacular cooking and would be three times the price in a central London restaurant”. Many local diners report their gastronomic highlight of the year here. Top Menu Tip – “the marmite bread is to die for (if only the whole meal could’ve been made of that!)”

Eat “surrounded by bottles in this friendly and informal bistro”, which also doubles as a wine bar and shop. Reporters love the “inventive small-plates food and excellent wine list” – especially the set menu, which is “full of more adventurous things you might not normally order à la carte”.

This “amazing neighbourhood restaurant will have you coming back for more” of its “brilliant modern British cooking in a relaxed bistro setting”. Founded five years ago by a trio of local hospitality veterans, Rob Maynard and James & Faye Thompson, it is “very much in tune with modern Hove, but in a very unprepossessing location” – and with “very sensible prices”, including a £22 per person set menu that runs alongside the à la carte. Many diners recommend the wines here (“one of the rare restaurants which do not force you to ‘kill’ red wine too young, offering good mature reds for fair prices”).

This seemingly medieval venue actually first saw the light in 1927, when it was designed by antiquarian and architect Amyas Phillips for a member of the Guinness brewing clan. Feedback on the tapestry-hung dining room was limited and slightly up-and-down this year (mostly about the fact that they are “sadly no longer doing £15 weekday lunches”), but all agree on the “impressive” setting – a 30-acre plot hosting a hotel, spa and 39 bedrooms set in cottages and houses leading down to the Climping coast.

Chef Ben and his wife Pamela McKellar’s flagship restaurant (est. 1998) is a “cosy side-street gem” that has “maintained its high standards through all its years, and against a rising tide of local competition”. In fact, some think it has “upped its game again on quality and imagination, although that has come at a (literal) price”. Top Menu Tips – “the bread and the soufflés remain things that cannot be passed over”.

This “lovely thatched country boozer” with a pretty beer garden and great views of the South Downs is highly popular in our annual diners’ poll as an “absolute go-to place for the most excellent, innovative and delicious pub food”, in “a lovely quiet spot”. It’s the country cousin of the high-quality Gingerman group in Brighton, seven miles away – and does a roaring Sunday lunch trade.

“A bustling destination, with a nice view of rolling sea and big horizon” – this “very buzzy seafront room” sits within sight of the skeletal remains of the West Pier and remains one of the most popular dining options in the city. On the downside, there is a view that “the best aspect are the vistas over the water, with food that’s reliable rather than sensational and too expensive”. Most of the many reports, though, are more positive, saying, “if you particularly enjoyfFresh, beautifully cooked fish, this is the place”.

“When you walk through the portcullis into the castle it’s like entering another world” at this luxury hotel, which sits in “well-manicured grounds” and looks straight out of a Disney movie. The dining room itself is “situated upstairs” in a modestly sized barrel-vaulted space. Not everyone is wowed by the straightforward modern British cuisine but even doubters say the surroundings “make up for it”.

Opened in 2011 by restaurateur Razak Helalat, this “brilliant” steakhouse (with London spin-off) was the first venture for the ever-expanding Black Rock group, whose latest siblings include Italian restaurant Tutto and boundary-blurring bar/restaurant Burnt Orange (see also). In September 2024, it made a bold and long-planned move into a swish (and big for Brighton) 142-cover location in a (“deservedly”) prominent Lanes setting. In addition to an expanded bar-operation, the NY steakhouse-style venue will morph its cooking-over-fire philosophy into a less meat-heavy approach, with somewhat more emphasis on fish and veg. Ratings have been maintained from the old location, but this could be a major step-up for the business.

“Another wonderful small-plates restaurant in Brighton” – this three-year-old hit from the Black Rock group wins nothing but praise for its “wonderful service”, “fun interior and super food” (much wood-fired, and sometimes same-y, but with some “truly memorable” standouts). The stable now spans The Salt Room and The Coal Shed (the latter exported to London) plus a newer Italian, Tutto.

“Exceptional seafood, ultra-fresh off the boat” is the order of the day at this classic oyster bar down “one of the cutest winding alleys in the Lanes” – “every Brightonian has either been in this place or stared longingly through the window” since it opened almost 20 years ago, and it’s “definitely a must-stop for visitors to the town”. “The USP is that you can choose your fish from a board showing the day’s catches. When it’s gone, it’s gone (but it’s annoying when the board isn’t kept up-to-date – we missed out on the Dover sole!)”. There’s a newer branch in the Rotunda on the Promenade (see also). Top Menu Tip – “the seafood risotto”.

The “perfect place for a celebratory meal” – a decade-old Lanes favourite by GBM winner Michael Bremner where “it’s great sitting at the pass watching the chefs at work”, though half the seating is also allocated elsewhere if that’s too much drama; you can choose to make a meal of the small plates, or sample more of the “interesting” and “flavourful” dishes on the “amazing tasting menu” (“where as much attention is paid to the vegetarian options as the meat and fish”). As feedback on the venue was thin and included (unusually) the odd off-report this year, we‘ve left it unrated.

“Brighton’s most popular restaurant” (our survey agrees – it’s the most commented-on in town): “small plates rule – and the choices are definitely out-of-the-ordinary” – at Pamela & Ben McKellar’s venue in the Lanes, where “most of the seating is counter-style, which is great but arguably limits its appeal (you have to be very lucky to get one of the tables if you want a six, for example)”. For £50 per person, you can avoid having to choose and go for the chef’s short tasting menu, which is “really good, and a good representation of the kitchen”. Notwithstanding its popularity and virtues, though, ratings overall here are only in the middle ground and one or two more sceptical reporters “expected more given its reputation… I’m not sure exactly what it is attempting”.

2021 Review: “A shabby-chic bistro with pleasant staff and interesting small plates” – fish-centric – plus “natural wines to complement the seasonal organic food”.