If there’s one thing guaranteed to lift your spirits, it’s some nice food. Even more so if you haven’t had to cook anything. So, we’ve bitten into some of the very best restaurant offerings in Brighton & Hove, in a bid to find the best comfort food out there. Which one is the best? We couldn’t possibly call that, so it’s up to you to decide!
BOK SHOP
3-4 East Street, Brighton, GB BN1 1HP
Now in their third year, this immensely popular kitchen is going from strength to strength, a fresh take on the classic chicken shop menu. The extra hungry might want to check out the fiercely competitive Hadouken Burger Combo, where you can choose any burger, any side and drink at a knockdown price. The hot star attraction might be their Buffalo Tenders – O.G Bok tenders coated in their homemade buffalo sauce with fresh ginger, celery and a side of blue cheese dip. Sides-wise, you probably won’t get better than their incredible (and vegan!) Katsu-Katsu Fries – a very special interpretation of chips and curry sauce, lovingly smothered with katsu sauce, radishes, green chilli. This place’s food has got to be eaten to be believed. They clearly know what they’re doing.
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CARLITO BURRITO
12 York Pl, Brighton BN1 4GU
The clue, as they say, is very much in the title. Burritos is the big deal here, but there’s plenty of other tasty surprise lying in wait for you at this popular London Road restaurant. Upfront is their 10″ Medium Burrito, which comes with a side of the totopos – homemade corn chips, with ranchera salsa dip and pico de gallo salsa). They’ll even throw in a 330ml soft drink as well. Like any honest Mexican place, they do a tremendous line in tacos as well. Another popular dish is their sublime Vegan ‘fish’ Tacos, which bring together Banana blossom marinade, beer-battered fillets, chipotle relish, vegan aioli, pico de gallo and pickled cabbage. But… their Taco Kit Special includes 1/2kg of Chicken Tinga with tomato and chipotle 1/2kg of beef barbacoa, refried beans, pico de gallo, salsa verde, salsa ranchera, 30 Tortillas, pickled onions, coriander and limes and five Mexican beers. That is not messing around, by any stretch of the imagination. Delicious.
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BOOM BIRD
119 St James’s Street, Brighton BN2 1TH
Boom indeed! Kemptown’s finest gets on our list. Burgers, wings and fantastic sides – No fuss, no stress. This is where it’s at if you find yourself along St James St and feeling ravenous. Lemon Garlic and Parmesan Wings? That will do nicely. If your inner caveman is taking control, their Beef Stack Burger is going to sort you right out. But, even the most ardent of meat-eaters should check out this place’s Beyond Meat Burger though. Your taste buds are going to love it. We would be negligent if we didn’t give some love for their Mac’n’Cheese Bites, Dirty Chips and Halloumi Sticks as well. Serious comfort food for fun-loving people.
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BRIGHTON BIER
www.brightonbier.com
Not really food, but great beer can bring you comfort (in moderation and in the company of a responsible adult). If you’re not quite ready to strive for a 1m exclusion zone in your local pub, but do want beverages more refined than supermarket offerings, these guys will get you set. You can grab yourself a couple of pints of their lovely South Coast 5.0% IPA at a competitive price without having to leave your house. They’ll even do you some deals on multiple casks, including Clearwater Revival, Interstate Daydream and West Pier. There might be finer things in life, but I’m sure I can handle the joy. Beer to your door? I love living in the future. Let’s drink to that.
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CHIKINI
3 George St, England BN2 1RX
While most other Pacific Rim cuisine has been popular in Brighton & Hove for a while, we’ve been slow to appreciate Korean dishes. Kemptown’s Chikini is showing us what we’ve been missing out on with some simple and delicious offerings. Largely based around chicken, they’re putting a tasty spin on a familiar favourite. You should at least check out their Boneless Baby popcorn chicken bites. For the larger appetite, they can serve up a Party Box containing 20 wings and a further thigh or drumstick 20 pcs. It’s not a problem, if you’ve given up meat, as their BBQ Vegan Set, packed with six BBQ vegan nuggets (plus fries and a side!) is just as tasty. Those sides elevate this place even higher. You can choose from Moo, a perfect palate cleanser made from pickled radish, Seoul Chicken Rice or Kimchi Fried Rice. This is the perfect Korean comfort food.
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HAPPY MAKI
8 Pool Valley, Brighton BN1 1PN
With a healthy, funky take on a Japanese staple, Happy Maki can often be found at the better festivals around the country. Their restaurant tucked away in Poole Valley is a firm favourite with locals wowed by their vegan sushi burritos, bowls and a generous array of gluten-free options. We have to give some love for their Hoisin Duck – lush and crispy mock duck, roasted sesame seeds, avocado, cucumber, red pepper, spring onions and sticky hoisin sauce. Quirky as always, they also make their own version of a Bounty. Bounty Bliss is creamy, chewy and hand-dipped in dark chocolate. Before we rush to desserts, you should sample the Satay Loaded Tofu Pockets, packed with the usual sushi rice, with cucumber and peanuts, these are drenched in their homemade satay sauce. There’s also an exquisite Crispy Cod Tartar, which incorporates mock cod, parsley, sugar snap peas, cucumber, avocado, roasted sesame seeds, punchy tartar sauce and soy sauce. Throw in a thirst-quenching selection Kombucha drink, and you’ve got yourself an old classic with a new twist.
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MARTIN’S BURGERS
8 East St, Brighton BN1 1HP
We don’t know if it’s owned by a ‘Martin’, but this place certainly does way more than burgers. Their Bratwurst Sausage with Fries (two bratwurst sausages with large fries and one dip) can stand up to anything you’d find on the continent, and the Germans know a few things about comfort food. We should talk about their tremendous burgers though. There are some succulent takes on your favourites and mere feet from the seafront! Their might Bacon Burger packs a handsome patty into a brioche bun with mayo, onion, tomato, lettuce, cheese and (obvs!) bacon. But… it’s Martin’s Tower Burger which will get you envious looks from the girls and get the guys swooning. Here you’ll be clambering over your choice of patty, and lavish helpings of relish, onion, lettuce, bacon, cheese, fried egg. In the unlikely event you need something on the side, they do a fine line in Sharing Platter, with chicken nuggets, mozzarella sticks, camembert bites, onion rings, fries, and FIVE homemade sauce dips. Yum, oh yum.
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PIZZA 500
83 Preston Rd, Brighton BN1 4QG
A big favourite at BN1, particularly when there’s a deadline and everyone has forgotten to get any lunch. With good reason, because hidden away by Preston Circus, these people are creating some wonderful pizzas and Italian dishes. Amongst their finest baked discoidal creations is the Granducato Pizza, drenched in lovely tomato sauce, mozzarella, homemade sausage, porcini mushrooms, garlic, and mascarpone. We also love the Quattro Stagioni Pizza, which combines tomato sauce, mozzarella, artichoke, olives, ham, and mushrooms. Elsewhere on the menu, they conjure up some of my favourites. It’s tough to get Arancino in Brighton, but Pizza 500 serve a great version of these fried rice ball filled with Bolognese sauce, mozzarella, and peas. They also do a good line in Calzone – small baked folded pizza with ham and mozzarella. We also can’t resist their Suppli (fried rice tubes filled with mozzarella) or Parmiggiana (Sliced aubergines, tomato salsa, cheese, egg, and spicy salami). Feeling hungry now…
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YEFSIS OF GREECE
57 London Rd, Brighton BN1 4JE
Another BN1 favourite, not just due to its proximity to our office, but because of the outstanding food. You’d probably guess they offer Greek cuisine, and you’d be correct. There’s loads of amazing comfort food amongst the delicacies on offer; we’re big fans of the Hortopitakia (filo pastry parcels filled with spinach), Dolmades (handmade stuffed vine leaves) and Bourekia (filo pastry rolls filled with cheese). The platters at Yefsis are tough to beat though. The Athenian comes with two pork souvlaki (a marinated meat skewer), two chicken souvlaki, two bifteki burgers and loukaniko, all served with chips, salad, dips, and pita. That’s a lot of lovely food. If you just want to grab a quick bite, there’s a large range of filled pittas – a big attraction is the Chicken Souvlaki Wrap, which is loaded with grilled chicken fillet, onions, tomatoes, chips and the spread of your choice. In my humble opinion, the best dish they offer is their Kafteri – feta cheese sauce with a touch of chilli flakes for a bit of heat. While travel restrictions are stopping us going abroad, this is the next best thing to actually sitting beside the blue waters of the Ionian. Divine.
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ORIENTHAI
51 Lewes Rd, Brighton BN2 3HW
Squeezing this one in, as it’s a personal favourite… Not least for their awesome portions and lovely Vegetable Tempura. Although they draw influences from a large area, it’s all beautifully presented and tasty. A big favourite is the Crispy Roasted Duck, which comes with home-made tamarind sauce, fried shallots and coriander. Orienthai also has a strong range of noodles, including Pad Thai – traditional stir-fried rice noodles with egg, bean sprout and peanuts in a tamarind sauce. There are also some rather splendid starters available as well. You can’t beat the homemade Oriental Veggie Mixed Starter, which comes with grilled mushroom satay, veggie tempura sweet corn cake, veggie spring roll, and deep-fried tofu. Coming close behind is the Gyoza Japanese Style Prawn Dumplings though! One measure of anywhere offering Chines food is the quality of their Stir Fry Black Bean Sauce, and these guys do not disappoint. We also can’t get enough of their Stir Fry Chillies Hut Basil (which comes with green beans, red and green pepper, onion, carrot and spring onion), Singapore Noodles (with stir-fried eggs, onions, bell peppers and bean sprouts) or Garlic Fried Rice (stir-fried in a wok and mixed with garlic goodness)
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WANT TO TRY ONE OUT? WE’VE A SPECIAL OFFER FOR YOU!
Order food off the Uber Eats app and new customers can get a fantastic £10 OFF your first order if you spend over £15! Just put UBERBN1 code at the checkout. It’s a huge saving and helps support local restaurants during these tricky times. FULL TERMS
