Haywards Heath, International Restaurant Guide

2021 Review: “High-quality ingredients are cooked well and provided by welcoming staff” at this West Sussex gastropub, run for six years by the family team of Mark Dennis, a food-loving former accountant, and his son Simon, a professional chef.

2023 Review: “If you are happy with a food hall for your meal, then this is a good (but very popular) option” – this year-old venue has a “great location” on the seafront and features seven street-food concepts at a time. In her July 2022 visit, The Guardian’s Grace Dent was also wowed: “The food, with each delivery by a chipper server, continued to be far better than a food hall ever tends to be… we left Shelter Hall jubilant, £60 down for lunch for three people with drinks”.

“My new favourite restaurant!” – well-known to diners at Brighton’s Coal Shed, Gingerman and Salt Room, chef David Mothersill makes his debut as patron with this highly ambitious, tasting-menu-focused newcomer near the Pavilion, which is hailed by early guests for some “incredible food and wine” (in the evenings, from a six-course menu) and an “all-round great experience” – “hope they get the recognition they deserve”. (Initial feedback this year was relatively thin on the ground, and we’ve rated it relatively conservatively – you could argue for full marks here!)