Restaurant Brighton's guide to

Wine bars in Brighton

Our top picks

Wine Bar Brighton Recommendations

Not technically a Brighton wine bar, but offering a wine list that equals the best in the city, DaddyLonglegs has an exceptional range of natural, organic and biodynamic wines. The wines hail from both celebrated local producers such as Albourne Estate and Henners Estate and international gems like Australian Gentle Folk and the Italian leading family brand Cossetti. To name but a few.

The offering is versatile with a fantastic selection of by the glass wines that balance value and quality. So, if you’re looking for seriously good wines in a relaxed environment then head to Kemptown seafront to swill, sniff, and quaff your way through their exciting selection.

The team at Restaurants Brighton recommends the Coppa Club if you are in the market for a relaxing glass of expertly chosen wine in comfort. Ample seating areas make this the perfect place for a quiet catch up with friends, an evening work session made better by a glass of Italian Sauvignon Blanc or a work meeting over a bottle of New Zeland Pinot Noir. Their all-season Brighton igloos are the perfect accessory to wine, friends and good-times. 

Burnt Orange mixes excellent quality food and drink with seamless service and stylish design. It’s a hangout for grownups serving seasonal small plates cooked on fire. You can book a late night table exclusively for drinks form Thursday – Saturday although booking for that is highly recommended. The rest of the week, late night walk-ins for drinks only is fine. Like everything else at Burnt Orange the wine list is created with attention to detail and quality. In the summer, a seat in the jasmine strewn courtyard with a crisp cool bottle of white is bliss. Voted the best restaurant in Brighton in the 2022 Brighton Restaurant Awards

Situated at the top of the North Laine, Mange Tout is a small French bistro in Brighton with big windows and an open, social feel. The menu is ingredient-led and the same is very much true of the wine list, which is organic and low intervention. Focussing on the quality of the grape and traditional techniques rather than the yield. Mange Tout is the casual, social sort of space where you will finish off your day in the North Laine, with wine, nibbles and people watching.

Tutto has brought an impressive offering to Brighton’s wine scene and the elegant restaurant offers the perfect chic backdrop for enjoying a tipple or two with friends. Not only is the hand-picked selection of Italian wines extensive, its regional breakdown is informative, so if you’re not an expert lover of wine, but more of an enthusiastic wine drinker, you’ll have the guidance you need to pick the perfect bottle for pairing and sharing. Food at Tutto comes as simply prepared small plates, which lend themselves exquisitely well to grazing or feasting on alongside a well-paired bottle of vino.

Whether you’re seeking a cosy spot for catching up over a drink and some Japanese small plates or looking for the perfect destination for those much-anticipated Friday night after-work drinks, Blossoms Brighton has you covered. Indulge in their fantastic wine and sake list, featuring carefully curated selections from around the world. From crisp whites to robust reds, their wine offerings complement their Japanese-inspired dishes perfectly. For sake enthusiasts, they also provide a sake flight, allowing you to sample a variety of flavours and send your taste buds on an adventure. 

Hotel Du Vin, meaning “Hotel of Wine,” is more than a well-stocked cellar. Housed in a Gothic building near Brighton’s seafront, it was a wine merchant’s store in the turn of last century. With 49 rooms named after wine producers and wine themes running through the elegant decor, it’s the city’s most authentic wine destination. The extensive list of over 600 bottles, including local English sparkling, is served to you by a passionate and unpretentious team. They make choosing wine enjoyable, matching it to food, mood, and budget. For wine connoisseurs, the Wine Locker service lets you buy and store exclusive vintages at near cost price until your next visit. A true haven for wine lovers!

Permit Room Brighton’s wine list prioritises the environment. Choose from a 175ml glass or 750ml carafe of organic, natural, or minimally intervened wines. Pair a glass with their fantastic Indian small plates for a perfect afternoon escape or a celebratory moment with friends. On Thursdays, a live DJ sets the perfect soundtrack for your evening at the Permit Room.

Vios Cafe goes beyond being just a cafe by taking their wine selection seriously. Hand-picked Greek wines beautifully complement their freshly made meze. Indulge in specialty spirits like ouzo or tsipouro, to be sipped and savoured. All their wines and spirits are available for purchase by the bottle, allowing you to extend your Vios experience at home or gift it to someone special. Discover a taste of Greece with Vios Cafe’s curated selection of wine and spirits.

Wine Bars in Hove

Fourth and Church is a Hove restaurant, wine bar and off-license. You’re welcome to stop by at the bar and sample your way through some carefully selected low-yield and non-certified organic wines with a few carefully prepared bar snacks. Stay for a meal and some expertly paired wine choices. Or simply stop by for advice on what bottle will match your mood. Wine tastings and educational evenings are a frequent part of the Fourth and Church calendar and are always worth keeping an eye on. 

The wine bar at Carne offers a sleek and stylish cocktail lounge with cushioned leather sofas and armchairs where you can enjoy your favourite wine. The wine list has been created to showcase the best wine from British vineyards. From small-scale producers to well-known names and a few exciting exclusives. Steve Pineau, of L’Atelier Du Vin, is behind the wine offering along with the excellent cocktails. Work your way through the wines with the help of Carne’s knowledgeable sommeliers. They’ll be on hand to give you recommendations and delight you as they expertly pair wine with your food. Carne has been elegantly designed with some modern interiors, in particular the stunning quartz feature piece at the bar and large Chesterfield sofas where you can unwind with your glass of wine.

Cin Cin offers an excellent wine list to complement your authentic Italian dining experience at the award-winning Hove restaurant. Take a seat at one of the stools around the counter in the main dining room and don’t hesitate to ask one of the Cin Cin staff for wine recommendations or pairings with your food – they’ll be more than happy to assist. Keep an eye out for their wine tasting evenings at the restaurant along with their guided wine tasting events, hosted by Cin Cin founder David Toscano, with tasting notes and artisan Italian nibbles – these can be hosted at your offices or another venue of your choice. £25pp with a minimum of 15 guests.

Cases Club on Western Road, Hove, is an exceedingly well-stocked wine bar and bottle shop from the locally famed L’Atelier du Vin. Here you’ll find a wine selection that’s possibly the largest in the city, covering every price point, occasion and taste. The bottle-lined walls aren’t just for display, there’s genuinely a lot of choice here, and experts are on hand to guide you to your perfect bottle. Make a meal of your visit by sampling some of the artisan British made cheese and charcuterie available in the deli half of the shop from Curds and Whey.

LatinoAmerica in Hove is a Malbec specialist, although they stock a range of red, white, orange, rosé and sparkling wine from Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and Brazil. The restaurant also has a selection of ‘owner’s selection’ wines, should you wish your authentic South American meal be extra special. If you’re just looking to drink a drop of good quality South American wines without food, or fancy picking up a bottle to take home, then pop next door to sister venue, Cafe Malbec. 

Market is a popular and lively Spanish restaurant on Western Road. The open kitchen provides an element of theatre and is perfect for an informal spot of socialising, with or without some excellent sharing plates. The wine list is almost entirely Iberian with a few Sussex sparkling wines thrown in. Cava, which is made using the same method as Champagne, predominates over prosecco and they’ve got a bit of a thing about sherry.

The impressive multi-venue Rockwater is enviably located on Hove’s stunning seafront. There is no shortage of options to choose from here, and all of them serve an impressive selection of quality wines. In The Lodge, you’ll find a comfortable, cafe-style atmosphere, which is perfect for enjoying wines with friends. The Bar and Kitchen, Rockwater’s nod to a pub, features cosy and stylish interiors. We’re sure you and your friends will feel at home here with a bottle of red. And finally, right up at the top you’ll find The Roof Terrace restaurant, a  beautiful and chic space with its epic sea facing terrace that lends itself impeccably to a glass of fizz while you watch the sunset.

Paris Wine Bar in Hove, is what its name suggests. The extensive wine menu features plenty of European wines with English and New World wines also making an appearance. The menu is accessible, being divided into tasting notes, so you can explore grapes you don’t know based on your preferences. Many are available by the glass and the price range will suit all budgets. Wine tasting events, hosted by a professional sommelier, are available for groups of 5-30 and include tapas and nibbles. 

Wild Flor’s wine list mirrors its menu in quality and value. They have selected the finest examples from the most renowned regions so you can enjoy an extensive section of wine from around the world. Among the mix, you’ll find some more unusual wines, but allow the expert team of Wild Flor to guide you on a journey of discovery and you won’t be disappointed. The accompanying menu is simple but expertly prepared. This Hove restaurant is really about a leisurely experience of fine things.

Further afield

Experience history in the making with a tour of the Mannings Heath Wine Estate, the 72,000 vines currently under cultivation will be producing a new English Sparkling wine. In the meantime, you can enjoy a tasting session from the Benguela Cove Estate. Numerous tastings and experiences are available including a self-drive buggy tour, tutored wine tasting and Sabrage demonstrations (opening sparkling wine with a sabre, as favoured by Napoleon).

Where better to find good quality wine than at an award winning vineyard? The Tasting Room at Albourne Estate is open every weekend from 11-5pm from April to October. It’s just 8 miles out of Brighton and easy to reach on public transport, but the experience is a thousand miles away. The tasting rooms sit on a mezzanine level at the rear of the winery with a decking area overlooking the South Downs and the estate. The last Friday of every month is Supper Club, where local food vendors set up for an evening of chilled grown-up festival vibes.

There’s a host on offer at the Rathfinny Wine Estate. Dine at their Michelin starred Tasting Rooms or enjoy the rustic charms of a night’s stay at The Flint Barns. Take a guided or self-guided tour or the beautiful Cradle Valley vineyard. Or pop in for an impromptu wine tasting at the Cellar Door wine shop. A summer evening sipping Sussex sparkling in the grounds or on the Sussex restaurant balcony with its spectacular views is the stuff dreams are made of.