Restaurant Brighton's guide to
Gastro Pubs in Brighton, Hove and Sussex
Our top picks
The Best Food Pubs in Brighton, Hove and Sussex: A Guide by Area
When a pub takes its food as seriously as its beer, it earns a place on this list. Our gastro pubs guide rounds up the kitchens doing something a little different, from elevated pub classics and seasonal small plates to Sunday roasts worth booking ahead for. Expect proper cooking, thoughtful sourcing and menus built around what is in season, alongside a well kept pint or a decent glass of wine.
Brighton Gastro Pubs
Located directly opposite the Royal Pavilion, The North Star is a modern Brighton gastro pub featuring a stunning alfresco terrace overlooking the palace entrance.
Perfect for groups or a casual drop-in, it promises a warm welcome and exceptional dining. Highlights include the signature North Star Burger and legendary Brighton Sunday Roasts—featuring a show-stopping sharing Leg of Lamb—making this the ultimate central destination for food lovers.
The Cleveland Arms takes its kitchen as seriously as its cellar. Expect a blended menu where elevated pub classics, built from quality local produce, sit alongside small plates that lean bold and inventive. Sunday brings one of the area’s most talked about roasts, worth booking ahead for. The wine list has been chosen with care, and the beer selection favours Sussex breweries throughout. Whether you fancy a quick plate of something inventive or a full Sunday spread, the food here rarely disappoints.
The Chimney House prides itself on proper family friendly food, with a dedicated kids’ menu alongside mouthwatering Sunday roasts. The kitchen proudly supports local suppliers such as The Brighton Sausage Company and Flour Pot Bakery, and their Cured and Smoked Fish Pie has become something of a signature dish, best enjoyed with a glass of wine or a local ale. There is also a good range of burgers, including vegan and vegetarian options, rounding out a menu built for every appetite.
The Cricketers’ kitchen is run by Phil Bartley, who focuses on honest pub food classics made with the best quality, locally sourced ingredients. The menu ranges from ciabatta sandwiches to locally landed fish and chips and hearty pies, plus a variety of juicy burgers with a vegan option, all served with chunky chips. The Greene Room upstairs is available for private hire with buffet catering, making this as good a choice for a group meal as for a casual pint and plate.
The Dorset’s menu reads like a love letter to proper pub grub done well. Recent dishes have included pie of the day with mash, fillet of cod with artichokes, and a sausage and mash that regulars swear by, alongside a moules mariniere that has been a fixture on the menu for years. Everything is built for sharing a table with good company rather than fine dining formality, making it an easy, satisfying stop whether you fancy a light bite or a full meal.
Hove Gastro Pubs
The Better Half is a traditional pub with a modern twist. One of the oldest pubs in the city, it has recently been revamped in a way that respects its history whilst bringing it bang up to date. The food is a celebration of simplicity, focussing on classic dishes and hearty wholesome food. This is a proper local pub, with a warm friendly welcome and superb home-cooked dishes.
This little hidden gem of a pub is easily missed. Situated on First Avenue, this bistro pub features a stylish interior and a wonderful heated garden for those summer days. When it comes to the food, you can choose from the menu which serves pub classics with a modern flare or, if you fancy trying the popular Deli Boards, these are perfect for sharing. The Sunday roasts are not to be missed and best to book in advance. Sleek, stylish and very Hove this is a venue for those looking for something a little more polished.
Uniquely positioning itself as a venue which specialises in shellfish, The Urchin celebrates the fruits of the sea from our Brighton shores. With regular supplies from Brighton and Newhaven Fish Sales, The Urchin has some of the freshest seafood available in the city. With a superb range of craft beers on offer, including those from their own onsite microbrewery, The Urchin is a local pub with a nationally acclaimed reputation for its food.
The Ginger Pig
The Ginger Pig is a key part of Hove’s food scene and a proper food destination in every sense of the word. Awarded ‘Best Food Pub’ in the Brighton and Hove Food Awards 3 years running, they serve traditional classics with a modern touch. The menu of locally sourced and seasonal dishes never fails to disappoint, and their wine list is superb. They are currently adding accommodation so you can even stay the night.
Sussex gastro Pubs
The New Inn in Hurstpierpoint is a beautiful Grade II listed pub that has been lovingly and thoughtfully modernised. A seasonal and local menu is available for lunch and dinner six days a week with Sunday’s given over to the classic roast. The New Inn has a commitment to local; sourcing much of their meat, fish and produce from within Sussex, as well as having their own kitchen garden. The Josper oven is a stand out feature for the menu, where Trenchmore wagyu is cooked with the respect it deserves.
Situated in the historic coastal village of Rottingdean, The Plough is a traditional village pub that acts as the beating heart of the local community. The menu was created by head chef Phil Bartley, and offers a modern take on pub classics along with his famous Deli Boards. Unmissable ‘Bartley Roasts’ are served on Sundays. This venue caters for everybody from kids to couples and walkers to your everyday regular. Close enough to Brighton as a spot to reward yourself on a Sunday stroll, The Plough Inn is a fabulous pub to while away a Sunday afternoon with a roast and local ale.
The Jolly Sportsman in East Chiltington is cemented as one of Sussex’s finest destination pubs after winning Best Sussex Pub at the 2025 BRAVO Awards. Well-known for its exceptional food, the menu focuses on seasonal, modern British gastropub classics. Diners can expect carefully sourced, high-quality ingredients, often featuring fresh game, robust Sunday roasts, and innovative daily specials. This combination of culinary excellence and a welcoming atmosphere makes it a celebrated favourite among locals and visitors alike.
The Crabtree is located in the beautiful Sussex countryside south of Horsham. They pride themselves in serving great local, seasonal food, organic wines and fabulous real ales in warm and welcoming surroundings. The frequently changing menu uses only the freshest available products including foraged ingredients, so no two visits are ever alike. Sunday lunches are very popular in this beautiful country pub and are well worth a trip out of town for – just make sure you book ahead!
This beautiful pub dates back to the 16th Century, and so as you would expect comes with all the hallmarks of it age. With a mix of ancient flagstones, oak floorboards and inglenook fireplaces you can happily spend an afternoon snug inside this pub. The proper hearty pub food, “cask marque” ales and interesting wine list has got the food and drink covered. With a pleasant garden, gluten free and kids menu available this pleasant country pub should keep everyone happy.
Nestled not far from the Devils Dyke, the Ginger Fox is the country cousin of Brighton’s other Ginger group restaurants. A lovely pub and restaurant to get away from it all, it cuts an impressive sight with its thatched roof and beer garden with child friendly play area and treasure trail. Bordering on fine dining, but in a relaxed setting, the modern European menu utilises the best quality ingredients available. With local ales and wines you will be spoilt for choice.
Pub Food Classics Done Well in Brighton
There is a reason the great British pub classic endures. Fish and chips, pie and mash, a well-made burger, moules marinières, a cured fish board; these are the dishes that people return to again and again, and when they are made with quality ingredients and genuine care, they are as satisfying as anything on a tasting menu. The Cricketers in the Lanes is the clearest example of this philosophy in action; locally landed fish and chips, hearty pies, ciabatta sandwiches and juicy burgers with chunky chips, all made with the best available local ingredients and served in a Victorian pub steeped in extraordinary history.
The Dorset in North Laine takes the same approach with equal commitment; pie of the day with mash, fillet of cod with artichokes, sausage and mash and the famous moules marinières that has been drawing locals back since the very beginning. The Plough Inn in Rottingdean and The Fountain Inn in Ashurst carry this tradition into the Sussex countryside, with hearty pub food menus that celebrate classic cooking with real honesty and seasonal produce. These are the pubs that remind you why British pub food, at its best, needs no apology and no reinvention; it simply needs to be done properly.
Elevated Pub Food in Brighton and Hove
Beyond the classics, a number of food pubs in Brighton and Hove have taken their kitchens in a more ambitious direction, producing food that sits comfortably alongside standalone restaurants in terms of quality, creativity and sourcing. This is what the term gastropub was originally coined to describe, and in Brighton and Hove the standard is genuinely impressive.
The Ginger Pig in Hove is the benchmark in this category, a three-time winner of Best Food Pub in the Brighton and Hove Food Awards with a menu of locally sourced, seasonal dishes, a wine list of real quality and, now that rooms have been added, one of the most complete pub experiences in the area. The Ginger Fox near Henfield in West Sussex, its countryside cousin, takes the same high-quality approach to a thatched roof setting with South Downs views; bordering on fine dining in its ambition, but remaining entirely relaxed in its delivery. The Jolly Sportsman in East Chiltington goes furthest of all, a destination pub of serious repute that took the Best Sussex Pub crown at the 2025 BRAVO Awards. Seasonal modern British cooking, carefully sourced game, robust Sunday roasts and innovative daily specials make this one of the most impressive food pubs in Sussex regardless of the category you place it in.
City Centre Food Pubs in Brighton
Brighton city centre has a strong cluster of food pubs that serve the busiest footfall in the city without compromising on quality. The North Star, positioned directly opposite the Royal Pavilion, is one of the most versatile and welcoming food pubs in central Brighton; the North Star Burger has become a local point of reference, and the sharing Leg of Lamb Sunday roast is the kind of dish that prompts advance bookings and return visits in equal measure. The outdoor terrace overlooking the Pavilion Gardens is among the finest alfresco dining spots in the city centre.
The Cricketers in the heart of the Lanes remains one of the most famous food pubs in Brighton, with a kitchen overseen by Phil Bartley producing outstanding pub classics in a space that comes with genuine historical weight; Graham Greene drank here, Jack the Ripper allegedly plotted here, and modern Brightonians simply eat here very well. The Dorset on the corner of North Road provides the same quality within the North Laine setting, a rustic, honest pub that does everything well and has the alfresco seating that makes it irresistible on a warm Brighton afternoon.
Neighbourhood Food Pubs in Brighton
Some of the best food pubs in Brighton are found not in the city centre but in the neighbourhoods that surround it, where kitchens serve the community rather than the tourist trail and the quality is all the more impressive for it.
The Cleveland Arms in Fiveways is a prime example; a stylish, family-run community pub overlooking Blakers Park with a blended menu that moves from elevated pub classics to creative small plates with real confidence. The award-winning Sunday roast is the jewel in its crown, and the suntrap outdoor seating in summer and open fireplace in winter give it a rhythm through the seasons that keeps locals returning year-round. Children and dogs are both genuinely welcome, making it one of the most complete neighbourhood pubs in the city.
The Chimney House in Seven Dials brings the same warmth to a slightly different neighbourhood; the cured and smoked fish pie has become something of a local institution, the Sunday roasts are a weekend highlight and the kitchen’s commitment to local suppliers including Brighton Sausage Company and Flour Pot Bakery gives the menu a genuine sense of place.
Boysterous Burgers at The Fountain Head in North Laine adds another strong option to the neighbourhood food pub scene, with smash burgers, fresh oysters and Sunday roasts served in a cosy setting with open fires.
Food Pubs in Hove
Hove’s food pub scene is spread across a wide geographic area, from the seafront to the residential streets further inland, and the quality is consistently high across all of it.
On the seafront, The Better Half is one of the oldest pubs in the city, recently revamped with respect for its history and a renewed focus on classic, hearty, home-cooked dishes that sit perfectly alongside the traditional pub atmosphere. It is a proper local with a warm welcome and the kind of cooking that feels genuinely made rather than assembled.
The Ginger Pig on Sachville Road is Hove’s most celebrated food pub, a venue that has set the standard for the gastropub format in this part of the city for many years. The seasonal menu of locally sourced dishes, the exceptional wine list and the recently added rooms make it a destination in its own right, well worth a visit from across the city. Hove Place on First Avenue is a stylish bistro pub that rewards those who find it; the deli boards are excellent for sharing, the Sunday roasts are not to be missed, the heated garden is one of Hove’s most enjoyable outdoor dining spaces and the whole atmosphere has the polished, unhurried feel that suits the area well. It also has Hove’s biggest beer garden, making it the natural choice when the weather is with you.
Further into Hove, The Urchin occupies a genuinely unique position in the Brighton and Hove pub food landscape. Its specialism in shellfish and seafood, with regular supplies from Brighton and Newhaven Fish Sales and its own onsite microbrewery providing outstanding craft beer to accompany the food, has earned it a national reputation that extends well beyond the immediate neighbourhood. It is a local pub at heart, but one operating at a level that draws food lovers from across the county.
Food Pubs in Sussex by Area
Sussex has an extraordinary breadth of food pub options spread across its towns, villages and countryside, and the best of them are genuinely worth travelling for.
In East Sussex, The Jolly Sportsman in East Chiltington near Lewes stands apart as the most decorated and celebrated food pub in the county, its BRAVO Best Sussex Pub award in 2025 confirming what local food lovers have known for years. The drive through the East Sussex countryside to reach it is part of the experience, and the seasonal modern British menu that awaits justifies every mile. The Plough Inn in Rottingdean serves the coastal village community with the same Phil Bartley kitchen that drives several other excellent pubs in this guide, producing Bartley Roasts on Sundays that are worth the walk from Brighton along the clifftop path.
In West Sussex, The Ginger Fox near Henfield sits on the edge of the South Downs with a thatched roof, a children’s play area and a menu of modern European cooking that comfortably elevates it beyond the category of country pub into something approaching a destination restaurant in a pub setting. The New Inn in Hurstpierpoint is a beautifully modernised Grade II listed pub with a commitment to hyperlocal sourcing, a kitchen garden of its own and a Josper oven producing Trenchmore wagyu with the respect that ingredient demands. Mid Sussex is increasingly recognised as one of the best areas in the county for food pubs, and the New Inn is central to that reputation.
The Crabtree, south of Horsham in the beautiful Sussex countryside near Beeding, brings a different kind of philosophy to the food pub; a frequently changing menu built on foraged ingredients, organic wines and fabulous real ales in a setting that makes every visit feel like a proper escape from the city. The Fountain Inn in Ashurst dates to the 16th century and carries that history in its ancient flagstones, oak floorboards and inglenook fireplaces, pairing it with hearty, honest pub food and cask marque ales that make it one of West Sussex’s most satisfying country pubs.
The Best Food Pubs in Brighton, Hove and Sussex: What They Share
Looking across this collection of food pubs from the Brighton city centre to the East Sussex Downs to the West Sussex countryside, what unites all of them is a refusal to treat the food as secondary to the drink. Every kitchen on this list sources with care, cooks with commitment and produces menus that reflect the extraordinary quality of local Sussex produce available to them. The Sunday roast remains the great test of a food pub, and several on this list have built their reputations almost entirely on the strength of theirs. But beyond the Sunday sitting, these are pubs that reward a visit on any day of the week, for any occasion, in any season. Whether you are looking for a food pub in Brighton, a gastropub in Hove or a destination country pub somewhere in the Sussex landscape, this guide covers the full range. Every recommendation is one we would make with confidence.
