What: An upmarket grill restaurant that majors on steak and seafood on Brighton seafront. Close to the i360 – although perhaps not for long given that it recently filed for administration – and the ruins of the West Pier, Pearly Cow Brighton joins the original Pearly Cow in York and Pearly Cow Margate.
Who: Pearly Cow is the in-house restaurant of upmarket hotel group GuestHouse. The company was launched in 2021 by brothers Tristan, James and Tom Guest and now operates a total of four sites (GuestHouse Bath does not have a restaurant). Pearly Cow’s executive chef is Andrew MacKenzie, who grew up in Brighton and has a cooking CV that includes Nico Ladenis, Paul Heathcote Gleneagles and Soho House. The cocktail list at Pearly Cow Brighton is overseen by Josh Williams, who joins from The Ivy Collection.
The food: Presumably intended to appeal to fans of Gaucho, Hawksmoor and well-established local competitors The Salt Room (which is practically next door) and The Coal Shed, Pearly Cow Brighton’s menu kicks off with a selection of tacos and oysters before moving onto starters, which include a chilled red mullet terrine with an escabeche-inspired dressing; scallop cured in yuzu and cucumber; and the restaurant’s eponymous The Pearly Cow tartare, which sees 45-day aged beef fillet paired with caviar, oyster cream and charred sourdough. Mains are broken down into fully plated dishes including skate with suckling pork belly and sprout tops; and slow-braised short rib of Sussex wagyu with pommes mousseline and steaks and sharing dishes. Starters and small plates cost between £12 and £20 with meat and fish mains starting at about £30. A set menu is available Monday to Thursday between 5pm and 6pm (plus Friday lunchtimes) offering two courses for £28 and three courses for £32.
To drink: Pearly Cow Brighton has an extensive drinks list that has a local slant in places, its selection of sparkling wines in particular which has several listings from Ridgeview and Everflyht, which are located fewer than 10 miles to the north. Starting at £32 a bottle, the wine list has a little over 50 listings in total and includes a fair few premium options.
The vibe: Just across from the promenade on Kings Road, Pearly Cow Brighton is spread across the basement level of four Georgian and Regency townhouses. The design references the heritage of the buildings with design features including wooden panelling painted in grey-green tones, floral displays, dark wooden tables and chairs and cloth-covered light fittings. No.124 by GuestHouse has 32-bedrooms (including three suites) plus lounges, a games room, a winter garden, a vinyl library, a terrace and a small spa.
And another thing: Pearly Cow is not to be confused with Tom Brown’s East London restaurant Pearly Queen.
123 Kings Road, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 2FY
