The Restaurants Brighton Guide to
Graduation Day in Brighton
Our top picks
Where to Celebrate for your Graduation Dinner
This is our graduation day cheat sheet for planning the best possible family dinner at one of Brighton’s best restaurants.
Months of revising, late-night essay writing, energy drinks (and energy drink induced hysteria), study group sessions (and study group session induced hysteria) have finally, finally paid off, and graduation day in Brighton should be the big slap on the back every student deserves. But there’s one more test – finding a venue for that graduation family meal!
Whether you are from Sussex Uni or Brighton Uni, there is plenty to choose from: seafront restaurants, award winning restaurants, swish cocktail bars, and much more. Aunt June’s gone gluten free, granddad can’t stand spicy, Sue and Pete are on the vegan bus, little Harry won’t eat anything green. It makes the degree look easy, but don’t worry, we’re the best study buddy ever – here’s your cheat sheet for graduation Brighton style (just remember to book in advance!)
Graduation offers
Keeping it close
Most summer graduation ceremonies for Brighton University and all for The University of Sussex will take place at The Brighton Centre on Kings Road. If you’ve got a gaggle of out of towners in tow then it makes sense to stay local. You don’t want to be losing family members to the twittens of the Lanes.
Our guide to Brighton seafront restaurants covers great spots along Kings Road and the Kings Road Arches. Where you’ll be able to enjoy top-quality local venues and show off our spectacular sea views.
If your graduation ceremony is at The Brighton Dome, you’ll want a restaurant in the North Laine where we have plenty of recommendations.
Pictured: Cocktails at Cyan at The Grand
Something Special
Graduating is worth celebrating, and what better way to do so than with some of your fellow winners in the game of life. These BRAVO top-20 best restaurant winners have all received the local seal of approval from this year’s Brighton Restaurant Awards
Winner winner graduation dinner.
See the BRAVO top 20 Brighton restaurants
Picture: Terre à Terre who were voted Brighton’s second best restaurant in 2025
Choose Your Destination
Summer holiday flight prices are enough to put anyone off jetting overseas for a post-graduation holiday. Do not panic. Brighton has masses on offer for those looking for a taste of vacation celebration while not clocking up air miles or wasting time in border control. From Italian to Indian, international restaurants are thriving right now. Here’s a list of the best international restaurants in Brighton, as voted for by you in this year’s BRAVO awards.
You may also like our guide to Mediterranean restaurants, French, Spanish, Greek or Middle Eastern.
Pictured: Nostos Greek restaurant
For Larger Groups
If a sit-down meal with the whole family is your idea of a nightmare, these private dining options might be something to look into. Venues tend to offer more flexibility under a private dining booking, and often a buffet choice is provided to slash the price tag of what can be a pricey affair.
For convenience, we divide our private dining page into two sections. ‘Private dining’ refers to venues that can provide exclusive use of their restaurant or have a separate dining room. While ‘private hire’ refers to restaurants that section off part of their venue to cater for large bookings. Some venues can do both.
Private dining and private hire in Brighton
Pictured: etch. private dining area in Hove.
Afternoon Tea
If decadent interior, finger sandwiches, cheesy scones, bite-sized cakes and stunning crockery is more your cup of tea, why not opt for Afternoon Tea after the graduation ceremony. Brighton has plenty to offer for all tastes, from the traditional to distinctly Brighton.
Pictured: Malmaison in Brighton Marina
Just for Drinks
If you’re after something more drinky than foody, Brighton boasts a vast array of choice, almost overwhelmingly so. Our guide to bars in Brighton covers all sorts of watering establishments, from cocktail bars to wine bars to karaoke bars and just good old bar bars.
They’re all here in one handy place because before you can ask ‘what are you drinking?’ you have to establish ‘where are we drinking?’
See our Bars in Brighton guide
Pictured: Bar Valentino on New Road
Let’s go to the pub!
If you’re in the mood for a good old-fashioned pub, check out our pubs guide for Brighton. Many are located centrally, but if you’re heading further afield, we also have a pub guide for Hove. You might even venture into the Sussex countryside, where you can find incredible Sussex pubs to visit just 15 minutes outside Brighton, with plenty of free parking.
Whether you’re looking for a cosy corner in the city or a charming country pub, our Brighton graduation guide has got you covered.
Pictured: The Cricketers on Black Lion Street
