Etch
On the site of a former curry house – apparently the ticket machine was still spewing out takeaway orders the day chef-patron Steven Edwards got the keys – Etch is an ambitious tasting menu-only restaurant and one of the leading lights of Brighton & Hove’s increasingly vaunted food and drink scene. The Church Road restaurant - which is on Restaurant by BigHospitality’s list of the top 100 places to eat in the UK - was expanded and overhauled last year. Expect smart, modern cookery and a top-notch wine list that’s big on English sparkling wine.
The Flint House
Part of Ben and Pamela McKellar’s respected Gingerman Restaurants Group, The Flint House occupies a handsome new-build site in Brighton’s South Lanes. Few know the city’s hospitality landscape better than this husband and wife duo, who launched fine dining restaurant The Gingerman way back in 1998 and have since opened a string of Ginger-branded pubs. The Flint House is the first restaurant not to carry any Ginger branding, reflecting that the venture is quite different to anything the group has done previously. Expect a succession of eclectic tapas-style dishes, great cocktails and an expansive selection of wines from local producer Ridgeview.
Burnt Orange
Burnt Orange blurs the lines between restaurant and bar to create a ‘grown-up, late-night hangout’ with high quality food and drink and a music programme curated by superstar DJ (and Hove resident) Norman Cook. In common with Black Rock Group’s other places (which include The Salt Room and The Coal Shed) Burnt Orange focuses on high quality seasonal ingredients cooked mainly over fire. The menu is designed to encourage sharing, kicking off with raw and cured dishes and plates designed to be eaten without a knife and fork before moving onto more substantial dishes cooked in a wood-fired oven. Expect small plates that pack a punch and laid-back vibes.
Restaurant by BigHospitality's latest Eats Out event was sponsored by leading restaurant supplier Woods Foodservice.