Gimme Shelter
In her 2022 review for The Guardian, legendary restaurant critic Grace Dent described Shelter Hall as an “entirely new concept in dining: a pleasurable food-hall experience”, noting how the Brighton seafront venue was “far better” than anything else she’d seen like it. And as she so often does, Dent really managed to hit the nail on the head.
Here we have a food hall where the staff give every single diner a proper restaurant experience, with genuinely mind-blowing food spanning just about every style of cuisine across the globe, plus an array of drink options to accommodate all tastes. The building itself dates back to the 1880s, when it was built to provide shelter and refreshments to local fishermen and beachgoers. After some serious restoration, it opened as Shelter Hall and has since become a seafront institution.
What You’ll Love
- Seven independent kitchens under one roof
- Restaurant-quality service in a relaxed food hall setting
- Cocktails, craft beer and sea views
- One of Brighton’s best terraces for sunset
- Live music, events and rotating kitchens throughout the year
Pride of Brighton
Inside you’ll find seven rotating kitchens, two bars, a sea-facing terrace and various balconies from which to enjoy the stunning views. Have a bunch of friends visiting from out of town with different dietary preferences or requirements? This is the spot to bring them. Celebrating your birthday or another special occasion? You can book areas and private spaces to make it extra memorable.
And there’s a lot more going on than just food and drink – such as the Brighton Pride Weekend celebrations at the end of this month (Friday 31 July – Sunday 2 August), with Drag Music Bingo, late-night DJs and bottomless drinks packages. Sometimes you’ll find gigs happening in the secret bar or live music on the terrace, while in winter you can book one of the festive igloos to stay cosy outside.
As they rightly point out on their website, Shelter Hall is the kind of place where you “come for the food and stay for everything else” – from Oktoberfest and Day of the Dead to festive celebrations and New Year’s Eve.
Happy Hour
Whether you like craft beer, classic lager, wine, cocktails, juices or alcohol-free drinks, this bar has you covered. Right now there’s a two-for-£20 promotion on the hot honey margaritas – and while we’re big fans of the espresso martinis and old fashioneds served up here, the tequila-driven party potions could very well be the ultimate summer drink on the menu.
Grab a sunny spot on the terrace or one of the balconies, and you’ll see precisely what we mean. And if it’s hot drinks you’re after, White Cloud Coffee has no shortage of teas, coffees and pastries to warm the heart and soul.
Life’s a Beach
Some might say the hardest thing about any visit to Shelter Hall is choosing what to order, because the selection here is truly phenomenal.
All of the kitchens are successful restaurants and businesses in their own right – think of them as thriving pop-ups conveniently situated under one roof.
Take VIP Pizza, for example, who have their main restaurant on Old Steine right by the pier and another branch in Saltdean. It’s a family-run enterprise spanning five generations, where all of the ingredients come from their own farm near Naples. If burgers are more your thing, then the Sussex Wagyu beef patties reared on Trenchmore Farm for 3Bros Burgers will do plenty to amaze, as will the burgers, tenders and wings from Shelter Hall OGs Lost Boys Chicken, founded by local legend Tom Samandi.
Newest addition Churrasco – started by the team behind The Salt Shed – arrived back in February, bringing the sumptuous barbecued flavours of Portugal to our local beach in a celebration of all things fire-cooked. Then there’s the mind-blowing tacos and quesadillas from Worthing heroes Saltio, mouth-watering noodles and curries from Thai Angle, and a whole smorgasbord of baos, sushi and gyozas from Temaki Bros, who also have several locations in London.
Small Plate Heaven
Sometimes you might just want to go all in on your favourite dish, whether it’s a pizza or a curry, but anyone looking for a breathtaking feast of small plates to take them around the world one bite at a time will find themselves in foodie heaven at Shelter Hall.
We started with the elote street corn from Saltio: charred corn on the cob served with garlic aioli, feta, house seasoning and lime. It’s the kind of street food that transports you straight to Mexico City, thanks to its perfect storm of zest and burn.
The chicken satay skewers from Thai Angle came next and completely flipped the script in terms of flavour profile, introducing darker, more umami-driven notes. Then it was time for the half-grilled piri chicken from Churrasco – spatchcocked chicken grilled over fire and basted in piri oil before being served with lemon.
We haven’t even got to the mains, and it already feels like we’ve travelled halfway around the world.
Happiness Comes in Waves
It’s no secret that we’re spoiled for choice when it comes to Neapolitan pizza in Brighton, though VIP really know how to put their own spin on it. Their creations are more rectangular or oval than circular and feel noticeably bigger than your usual twelve-incher.
We ordered a margherita with fresh chillies and it was an absolute soft and crunchy masterpiece, even by their own extremely high standards.
And though everyone in Brighton knows that Lost Boys are masters of all things chicken (you can also find them at The Joker in Preston Circus), their meat-free offerings deserve just as much praise. We went for their Korean kimchi vegan burger, with some added heat coming from their signature Rufio hot sauce.
After some truffle parmesan fries from 3Bros and another round of hot honey margaritas, we’d been on quite the epic journey.
Let The Sea Set You Free
Facing the ruins of the West Pier, Shelter Hall offers some of the most stunning views you’ll find anywhere along this stretch of the south coast. If you’re lucky enough to catch a sunset from the balcony, it’s the kind of memory that etches itself deep into the mind.
The food and drink game is absolutely stupendous, offering so much choice at such a consistently high standard. Previous kitchens have included a 12-week residency by celebrity ramen chef Ivan Orkin, fresh and vibrant flavours from Zest/Hanoi Kitchen and Indian street food specialists Kolkati. So whatever you order at Shelter Hall, given how carefully these kitchens are curated, it’s almost guaranteed to be exceptional.
Then there are all the events held throughout the year, building on that soul-nourishing sense of community that Brighton rightfully prides itself on.
We’re now at a point where Shelter Hall has become part of the very fabric of our city – a place to celebrate with friends, unwind with the kids or simply soak up more sunshine after a glorious swim.
There’s just nowhere else quite like it.
