A great tasting menu can be a difficult thing to find, when everything is at the chef’s discretion, you are putting all of your trust into not just the culinary ability of the chef, but his own opinion on what works and what doesn’t, from the starters to the wine pairings.
Yes this isn’t simply about menus with food that taste good, this is about tasting menus; an exquisite dining experience that should leave you completely satisfied and provide a meal like nothing you’ve had before (unless you are coming back for a return visit).
It’s a delectable treat. I’ve always said the first few bites of a meal are the best. Instead of having 1 or two larger courses, why not have 8 smaller courses, each building into the next to a sort of culinary crescendo. Experience nothing but those glorious first few mouthfuls, over and over again. Try not to foodgasm prematurely, as some of the pictures alone might send you over the edge. Please enjoy our list of the best tasting Menus in Brighton
64 Degrees
A slew of awards to its name, 64 Degrees is a small but well regarded restaurant nestled away in The Lanes. With two time Best Chef in Brighton winner Michael Bremner at the helm you are in safe hands as for a lunch or dinner that will make all previous and future meals pale in comparison.
On top of the stunning food, I must mention the open kitchen, the centrepiece of this restaurant. 64 degrees is about the whole experience of food, and that includes the preparation. I think it’s genius, and a part of the restaurant experience too often overlooked, the building of anticipation, the sights and smells, it’s the perfect build up to each delectable course. If you fancy yourself a bit of a cook, then see if you can learn a thing or two, if you can keep up that is. Coming in at £85 for a 9 or 10 course meal, with an optional Wine flight for £70.
Website: 64degrees.co.uk
Address: 53 Meeting House Ln, Brighton BN1 1HB
Isaac At
With a focus on locally sourced fresh food, Isaac At is a display of Sussex’s finest. Each dish provides “a true taste of the South Coast” imbued with the spirit and produce of Sussex. There’s no shortage of talent amongst the staff either, with one of the UK’s top 25 Sommeliers, Alex Preston, on hand to educate and impart his wisdom of English Wines.
Isaac and Caspian in the kitchen are a force to be reckoned with, as the owner and chef work tirelessly; it seems no matter what the future may bring for Isaac, he’ll never step away from the kitchen. Good thing too, as the evolving, rotating seasonal menus here are every bit is delicious as they are local. Offered Wednesday through Saturday evenings, their tasting menu is £70, with an optional wine flight at £50, for 8 courses, with the current menu for January listed on their website.
Website: www.isaac-at.com
Address: 2 Gloucester St, Brighton BN1 4EW
Etch by Steven Edwards
Stylish, chic and decadent, Etch is MasterChef: The Professionals winner Steven Edward’s “Flagship restaurant”. Yes, this isn’t just run by a MasterChef winner, but a MasterChef winner that competed with some of the nation’s, if not the world’s best chefs, AND came out on top. It’s a privilege to have his business here in Brighton; it’s more so a privilege to eat there!
Holding a Michelin Plate, and 3 AA Rosettes, it’s quickly gained notoriety in the 5 years it’s been open. Another restaurant to feature an open kitchen, coupled with its debonair décor, it’s a gorgeous, palpable ambiance, with smells you could bottle and sell, and delight for the senses. Prices range from £70 for a 5 course meal, £90 for a 7 course meal and £110 for a 9 course meal, but for perhaps the finest haute cuisine in Brighton it’s a pretty fair deal.
Website: www.etchfood.co.uk
Address: 214-216 Church Rd, Hove BN3 2DJ
Gingerman
Fresh off the back of his tell all royal memoir, Prince Harry’s flagsh- oh… hang on, wrong ginger man. Certainly not a spare or back-up choice by any means, Gingerman are big on great tasting food. Serving beautifully created dishes, that feature a combination of exquisitely complimentary flavours, in 5 separate courses for £70.
Their mission statement is to “create uncomplicated, full-flavoured food, made from the freshest, highest quality seasonal produce.” A smaller, intimate setting, and an institution established in 1998, Gingerman feels nostalgic and comforting. There is a sense of homeliness about it, well… If your mother was an award winning chef and cooked you 5 course meals every day. But still, the atmosphere is peaceful and harkens to a simpler time. A once again ever changing menu, Gingerman is always full of surprises. Perhaps enough to write a book about…
Website: gingermanrestaurant.com
Address: 21A Norfolk Square, Brighton BN1 2PD
The Set Restaurant
The Set Restaurant is yet another award winning gastronomic enterprise, with a Bib Gourmand and Michelin plate to its name. Here inspiration is derived from the Japanese concept of ‘Umami’, entwining it with western flavours and traditions.
With just a 2 person kitchen, your dining experience here is charming and intimate, as unlike other restaurants on this list, they only serve 12-16 customers a night. Only ever available to book at 19:00pm, it’s reminiscent of a secret café from a Japanese video game, creating an air of exclusivity, without the arrogance. The experience however is just as unique as the business model, as for the next 3 hours you are brought course after to course to gorge yourself on.
Each dish is paired with an Alcoholic beverage from around the world for an extra £58 on top of the £85 the stand alone dining experience costs. While seemingly pricey, is by far the best value for money, when you consider they serve between 14-20 courses throughout the evening! Unafraid to go a slightly less health conscious route at times, the first, second, third and fourth priority is taste.
I personally would be most excited about this one, as it offers an entirely different evening to the others here, presenting a truly private tasting, with only a few other people. They sadly aren’t taking any booking till the 8th of February, but that’s all the more to get yourself a slot while you still can to experience this sooner rather than later.
Website: www.thesetrestaurant.com
Address: 50 Preston Rd, Brighton BN1 4QF
