Brighton restaurants Archives - opentable.co.uk blog

10 of the best places to dine al fresco in Brighton

OpenTable July 13, 2018

With the warm weather set to continue, there’s never been a better time to escape to the seaside. If you’re planning a beach break in Brighton this summer, here are 10 of the best places to dine al fresco.

The Salt Room
Situated opposite Brighton’s West Pier, this modern British seafood restaurant boasts uninterrupted views of the seafront. Grab a table on the shaded terrace and enjoy dishes like coal roasted crab claws, salt baked bream, and turbot with peas and baby gem. They serve excellent sharing roasts on Sundays – be sure to book ahead.

BLOCK.
This Kemptown gem has a gorgeous sun-trap garden that’s perfect for long lunches and leisurely summer suppers. Throw in locally sourced ingredients, sweet staff, and interesting wines and you’re already on to a winner.

Murmur
Sister to the award-winning 64 Degrees, Murmur is a relaxed all-day eatery situated in the recently revamped arches on Brighton beach. With space for 40 on the terrace, it’s a top spot for an al fresco breakfast or low-key dinner. Expect dishes like grilled prawns with smoked chilli aioli and roast cod with brown shrimp butter.Continue Reading

National Vegetarian Week: 7 mouth-watering dishes from around the UK

OpenTable May 15, 2017

It wasn’t that long ago that vegetarian food was fairly uninspiring. Veggie options at restaurants were often predictable and uninteresting, consistently failing to make the heart sing; the taste buds tingle. Now, things are very different. As it’s National Vegetarian Week, we thought we’d give seven delicious reasons why.

Oyster mushrooms in vegan XO sauce, wasabi pea coulis, and herb tofu at Grain Store, King’s Cross, London

Vegetarians are used to seeing their ‘shrooms stuffed or sautéed, but Grain Store’s approach is way more daring. It may be a hearty dish, even on the eyes, but that’s not all there is to it – the spiciness in the sauce and the richness in the mushrooms lends an otherwise simple mushroom dish a depth you didn’t know it could have.

Parmesan and chive croquettes at New Moon Café, Bristol

Vegetarians are rarely well catered for at tapas joints, but New Moon Café is a welcome exception. Dishes, like their croquettes (with a melted brie centre and mango jalapeno salsa, it’s worth noting), tend to be either grilled, sautéed or deep fried – a refreshingly unctuous approach to traditional vegetarian dining.Continue Reading

The winners of the British Curry Awards 2016

OpenTable November 29, 2016

Last night saw the 12^th annual British Curry Awards take place at London’s Battersea Evolution. Hosted by comedian Alistair McGowan, the prestigious awards, held in association with kukd.com, recognised the best curry restaurants across the UK for their hard work and innovative menus, from Dishoom in London to Blue Tiffin in Oldham.

The awards ceremony was started by Enam Ali in 2005 and since then has drawn a host of celebrities to the annual event, from the former Prime Minister David Cameron to celebrated chef Heston Blumenthal. And this year was no different, with the likes of Chris Grayling MP, Bake Off star Chetna Makan and TV presenter Saira Khan in attendance. And Heston made it back again, too.

Here is the list of winners in full:

Best casual dining restaurant: Dishoom, Covent Garden, London
Best newcomer: Darbaar, Shoreditch, London
Best delivery service: The Chilli Pickle, Brighton
Best in the North West: Blue Tiffin, Royton, Oldham
Best in Wales: Sheesh Mahal, Llanelli
Best in the Midlands: Asha’s, Birmingham
Best of South East: Maliks, Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire
Best in Scotland: Karma, Whitburn, Bathgate
Best in London Central and City: The Cinnamon Club, Westminster, London
Best in the North East: Aakash, Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire
Best in London Suburbs: Shampan Welling, Bexley
Best in the South West: Prithvi, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

The late Lord Gulam Noon, who was known as the “curry king”, was named as the recipient of this year’s Special Recognition Award. Sir Gulam helped to popularise Bombay Mix and chicken tikka masala in the UK as part of his many business achievements during his lifetime.

Members of the public nominated the restaurants for the awards and a panel of judges chose the final winners. Now all we have to do is visit them all before next years’ ceremony!

This is a guest post from London-based journalist, Loulla-Mae Eleftheriou-Smith, who has written for The Independent and the Evening Standard, as well as our Open for Business blog.

News bites: What we’re reading

OpenTable September 30, 2016

From cronut queues to the best late-night restaurants, here’s what we’ve been reading about this week.
Pan-Asian precision at Pan Chai Harrods in Knightsbridge – The Foodaholic
London’s best late-night restaurants and cafés – The Guardian
Cronut bakery finally opens in UK, Londoners queue from 5am to try it – Huffington Post
How restaurant blogs redefined dining forever – Grub Street
L’Enclume’s Simon Rogan takes Chef of the Year at the AA Hospitality Awards – Homemade
Lobos Meat and Tapas is bringing all the Iberico pork to Soho – Hot Dinners
10 of the best restaurants in Brighton – Delicious Magazine
Got some food news or a restaurant review we should check out? Get in touch via twitter.