Kitti’s and The Kiosk opened up early summer 2025 at Marine Drive, an iconic landmark at the end of the Undercliff Walk. Formerly WhiteCliffs café, the space has been relaunched as Kitti’s – the name inspired by the local seabird, the kittiwake. Kitti’s aims to be a relaxed, all-day restaurant focused on thoughtful, seasonal food served in a calm, coastal setting.
Led by Tom Barlow and James McIlveen, the team behind The Duck Inn in Rottingdean, Kitti’s brings a renewed sense of purpose to this much-loved site. With a clear brand identity and structured service model, the space is designed to deliver consistency, warmth, and charm – from morning coffee to early evening meals.
Executive Chef James McIlveen – whose career spans some of the UK’s most respected kitchens, including Silo, Plateau, and the Michelin-starred Goring – brings precision, creativity, and a deep respect for ingredients to the heart of Kitti’s culinary identity. He’s joined by Head Chef Tom Thwaites, formerly of The Tasting Room at Rathfinny. Together, they’ve built a skilled team focused on simple cooking, strong produce, and everyday hospitality done well.
Kitti’s is built to serve both the local community and those visiting the coast. Inside, the space has been refitted with a coastal palette and natural materials suited to all-day use. The food offering is clean, seasonal, and rooted in the rhythms of the South Coast.
Alongside the restaurant, a transformed terrace space will reopen as The Kiosk Saltdean. This high-volume, takeaway-style terrace café offers soft serve, snacks, and coffee to go. With new branding and a clear service flow, it’s designed for speed and ease, open daily from 08:00 and built for life by the sea.
“Kitti’s is about bringing something thoughtful and lasting to Saltdean,” says Tom Barlow. “We’ve created a space that feels rooted in its surroundings but also raises the bar for what daytime dining on this stretch of shoreline can be.”
“The food is direct and unpretentious,” adds Executive Chef James McIlveen. “We let the ingredients speak, cook with focus, and serve it all with a quiet confidence that reflects the setting.”
