The Best Seafood Restaurants in Brighton

The best seafood in Brighton is at the Little Fish Market in Hove, a 22-seat fish restaurant with a six-course tasting menu; English's on East Street, family run since 1945; Riddle and Finns, with one site in the Lanes and one under the arches on the beach; and The Salt Room on Kings Road, for whole fish off the charcoal grill right on the seafront. For a bit of context, the free Fishing Quarter museum under the seafront arches tells you how the fish got here in the first place. All of it was checked in October 2026. It is a seaside city: eat the fish.

The Little Fish Market, Upper Market Street, Hove

The Little Fish Market, at 10 Upper Market Street (BN3 1AS), just off Western Road, is the serious one. Chef and owner Duncan Ray cooks simple, ingredient-led fish from sustainable British suppliers for just 22 diners. It now opens on Fridays and Saturdays only, for lunch and dinner, with sittings at 1pm and 7pm. Lunch is a three-course set menu and dinner a six-course tasting menu, both with an optional cheese course, and dishes change roughly every four to six weeks. It is in the Michelin Guide, and you will need to plan ahead: with that few seats and two days a week, tables go quickly. Book through its website.

English's of Brighton, East Street

English's, at 29 to 31 East Street (BN1 1HL), has been independently owned since 1945, with three generations of the same family running it on one site in the Lanes. It is a proper old-school seafood restaurant with an oyster bar, the kind of place where you order a dozen and a glass of something cold and suddenly it is four o'clock. It came eighth in the 2026 BRAVO vote for best restaurant in the city. In summer, grab a table outside on East Street and watch the Lanes go by.

Riddle and Finns: the Lanes and the beach

Riddle and Finns has two Brighton restaurants. The original is at 12b Meeting House Lane in the Lanes (BN1 1HB); the second is right on the beach at 65 Kings Road (BN1 1NA), under the seafront arches. The theme is champagne and oysters, with fruits de mer platters, langoustines on ice or grilled with chilli and salsa verde, seared scallops, tempura monkfish, sashimi and calamari, and Riddle and Finns says its fish is sustainably sourced. Booking works differently at each: the beach site takes reservations, but only for inside tables because of the weather, while the Lanes runs mostly on walk-ins and an online waitlist. Groups of more than six should get in touch first.

The Salt Room, Kings Road

The Salt Room, at 106 Kings Road (BN1 2FU), sits right on the seafront. The focus is fish to share, with whole fish charcoal-grilled on the bone and big shellfish platters, plus oysters. It opens from noon every day and stays open until 1am on Friday and Saturday, so it works as well for a long lunch as for a late dinner. It is card only, and if you are driving, the NCP at the Brighton Centre on Russell Road is a short walk away.

The Fishing Quarter, Kings Road Arches

Not a restaurant, but it belongs on this list. The Brighton Fishing Museum, now part of the Fishing Quarter at 201 Kings Road Arches (BN1 1NB), fills two arches west of Brighton Pier. It is free and you do not need to book. It is a good half hour before or after lunch on the front. It runs a Mackerel Fayre too, so keep an eye on its calendar.

A few more ideas

Burger and Lobster on Market Street does exactly what the name promises, and does a lobster Benedict at brunch. Embers in the Lanes often has fish on the fire, such as hake with pil pil. And at Maré in Hove, the city's only Michelin-starred restaurant, an aged sea bass crudo has been a favourite. The menus move with the seasons, so ask what came in that morning.

How to eat seafood in Brighton

Go for oysters at English's or Riddle and Finns in the afternoon, when it is quieter. Save the tasting menu at the Little Fish Market for a special night and book weeks ahead. Then on a sunny day, buy chips from anywhere on the front, sit on the stones and fight the seagulls for them. They will win. They always win. Hold the chips close to your chest and keep your eyes up.