Polpo Brighton – An Award Winning Venetian Restaurant
Polpo Brighton is a bàcaro. This is a Venetian word to describe a humble restaurant serving simple food and good, young Italian wines.
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“A fun and lively Venetian bàcaro, with a stripped-down, faux-industrial look. The small plates, from arancini and prosciutto to fritto misto and Cotechino sausage, are so well priced that waiting for a table is worth it.”
Michelin Guide 2016
Polpo Brighton – Rustic and Stripped Back
Located on a pretty pedestrianised street in the centre of Brighton, the restaurant is near to the famous Brighton Dome and the Theatre Royal. Polpo restaurant is modelled on the casual wine bars of Venice and feels urban, rustic and stripped back.
Polpo Brighton – Antique Venice
Guests enter through a heavy red velvet curtain to find a zinc-topped bar and linen-draped lamps. The interiors feature a reclaimed timber floor, rusted tin ceiling and a huge 3-metre skylight that floods the restaurant with light. POLPO’s trademark deep red leather banquettes line the walls alongside old chemistry lab tables, classic bentwood chairs and antique maps of Venice.
Bacaro dining
Open all day, signatures on the menu are cicheti, or ‘snacks’, with a seasonally changing menu the ingredients reflect fresh, cured and preserved produce. Small plates are ideal for sharing with more of the emphasis on the Venetian spirit of social dining.
Larger plates include sharing boards of the charcuterie style, pizzette and wonderfully flavoured meat dishes, all meaning you can go in for a little bite to eat or the full Italian style dining with seemingly endless courses and flavours.
Exclusively Italian Wine List
POLPO would not be complete without a spritz, and served with both Aperol and Campari, alongside Negronis and Bellinis. There’s also an exclusive All English Martini made with Blackdown’s Vermouth & Gin (both made in Sussex) and garnished with a bay leaf.
They run Aperitivo Time daily from 3pm – 6pm which includes a house cocktail and nibbles to help get the appetite and conversation kicking in, in true Italian style . The exclusively Italian wine list begins with POLPO’s own label Garganega, Corvina and Prosecco, all reasonably priced.
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Reviews
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We decided to book somewhere close to the Royal Pavilion as we were seeing a comedian there. Polpo had been on our radar to try for sometime and we finally got round to popping in. We didn’t book so like everyone else having the same idea to grab a bite to eat before seeing a show we were sat at the bar while a table came free. My wife was provided with her own gluten free menu which was helpful. We chose about 7 small dishes and this was ample for us. Topped with a couple of glasses of wine, we had an enjoyable pre-show meal.
Staff were attentive and the service was perfect. The venue it’s self was warm, cosy and the lighting was dimmed to give it that romantic feeling in the evening.
Would happily return and bring the kids in the day as they love Italian tapas.
Really enjoyed my meal at Polpo, all the small dishes were delicious – especially the squid! The rustic decor adds a different element too.
Exceeded my expectations by a long way. Innovative dining, small plates ( and more for you to try!) and an impressive back drop. Really superb food, mini octopus was tender, sweet and we’ll definitely be back to Polpo!