Restaurants

2024

October

• Dilsk @ Drakes (££££): fine dining on the prom... but is it as good as Furna?! (Not this time but still very nice.)
• Solera (££): went here years ago and pleased that it's still there! Solid tapas but you have to go somewhere else for dessert
• Naninella (££): first time back since they reopened! Best pizza in Brighton?

August

• Sol i LLuna, Gandia, Spain (££): very chilled paella on the beach
• L'Estibador, Valenica, Spain (£££): finer dining on yet another lovely beach

July

• La Taska Sidrería, Valencia, Spain: very nice resto in town, with fancy cider pump on the table if you like that sort of thing
• Begin: Jungla, Valenica, Spain (£££): stylish and remarkably good value

June

• No No Please, Brighton (££): second time here and they hadn't run out of beef stew, delicious!

May

• Wagamama (£££): super-consistent chain with good cocktails
• Burger bros (£): still the best in Brighton

April

• Rustico, Brighton (££): my favourite pizza restaurant at the moment! Great Neapolitan food
• Permit Room, Brighton (££): we finally get our own one! Pretty much the same as London but right in the middle of town
• No No Please, Brighton (££): the hotest new restaurant on Preston Street; bring your spicy trousers, this is going to be busy in summer

March

• Ola, Bilbao (££££): Michelin-starred food in a really curious building (never got to the bottom of what it was)
• Mina, Bilbao (££££): outstanding Michelin-starred Basque cuisine by the river
• Adador Sagarra, Bilbao (£££): cracking steak and wine in the old town
• Restaurante Aura, Bilbao (££):
• Zaharra Plaza nueva, Bilbao (££): very good pintxos
• El Callejon de Cervantes, Bilbao (£): three course lunch on an industrial estate, if you've ended up in this end of town you are far from the tourist trail!
• Côte, Brighton (££): solid French chain

February

• Bonsai Plant Kitchen, Brighton (£££): very stylish Japanese skewers, and you would not know it was vegan
• Etci, Brighton (£££): pronounced: "et-chi", best kebab in Brighton?! Posh sit-down affair, very tasty and you won't go home hungry

January

• SIX, Hove (££): slick brunch and dinner in a cool bit of Hove, pooch friendly too
• Carne, Hove (£££): solid meat specialist in Hove

2023

December

• Burnt Orange, Brighton (£££): excellent sharing plates with a Middle Eastern twist
• The New Club, Brighton (££): top notch Sunday roasts by the seaside

November

• Plateau (£££), Brighton: back to form for this French sharing plates restaurant in Brighton
• Zoilo, London (£££): perfectly good steakhouse near Selfridges
• Maison Bab, London (££): gyros style kebabs, quick and tasty.
• The Clove Club, London (£££££): two-star in Michelin in Shoreditch... I had to add another pound to my rating system for this one!
• Dishoom (King's Cross), London (£££): very slick Indian chain; quick and tasty

October

• Etch, Brighton (££££): tough call between Etch and Furna, but Etch just pips the new boy
• Furna, Brighton (££££): the newest fine dining in Brighton
• Wild Flor, Hove (££)
• Bincho, Brighton (££): it's always hard to get in here, defo book
• 64 Degrees, Brighton (££££): fine dining by acclaimed chef Michael Bremner

September

No dining? Wait... what?!

August

• Rocco, Lisbon (£££): a very slick Italian, styled much like The Ivy in the UK
• Bar da Praia, Odeceixe (££): great spot overlooking the river (was getting slightly nippy after sunset), very prompt service and some cheeky pinchos: namely the Gilda, of which I could have eaten many

2021

• Goemon (ramen)
• Aji Sushi - 27/09/21
• Halisco (Mexican) - 21/09/21
• atTEN (small plates) - 22/09/21
• Terre à Terre (long-running vegetarian restaurant) - 23/09/21
• Burnt Orange (small plates) - 27/08/21
• Coalshed (steaks) - 02/09/21
• Saltroom - 25/12/21
• The Set - 18/01/22
• Naninella (Neapolitan Pizzeria)
• Etch (fine dining by Masterchef winner)
• Bincho (Japanese Yakitori skewers)
• The Market
• The Ivy
• Little Fish Market
• Block
• Murmur (seafront fine dining, 64 Degrees' sister restaurant)
• Lucky Khao (Thai)
• Shelter Hall
• Cyan (main restaurant in The Grand)