With rainbow flags adoring its many bars, clubs and cafes, Kemptown is known for its LGBT culture and fun, party vibes. It is also a great destination for some of the best food in Brighton, which doesn’t come with an insane price-tag. Dotted along St James’s street, there is a wide range of great restaurants with Thai and Italian dominating in particular.
The great thing about most of the restaurants being along one street is that you can check out the menus and the ambiance before making your final decision, as they are clustered in a small area. However, if you are not able to visit Kemptown before making the decision, we have put together a list of our favourite food establishments in this area. Starting it all off with a well-known and much talked about pizza joint just on the edge of Kemptown, minutes away from Brighton Pier.
VIP (Very Italian Pizza) Pizza
A word-of-mouth success story, if you have been in Brighton for any period of time, it’s likely you have heard of VIP Pizza. With so many Italian and pizza restaurants in Brighton, it is impressive to stand out from the crowd – but that’s exactly what VIP manages to do. And with its superb and affordably priced pizza, it is no surprise why. Not only does VIP focus on making the tastiest pizzas out there but also using the best ingredients so their sourdough bases are easy to digest and light on the stomach.
The restaurant is a charming, Italian styled space, with room for seating both on ground level and downstairs. It is not over the top in its décor, perhaps wanting the pizza to do the talking. Unsurprisingly, the place is usually packed and it is very wise to reserve a table, considering that it can have long queues stretching outside on the weekend and during bank holidays. When a restaurant has a queue, you know it is doing something right! There is also a branch in Saltdean which shows the VIP Pizza empire is spreading.
Whilst VIP is known for its delicious pizzas, there is a wide menu that also includes pastas, salads and a selection of meat dishes. Why not start off with some street food that includes squid rings and deep-fried prawns or some antipasti such as bruschetta, carpaccio or burrata. There is also a selection of desserts that include a delicious tiramisu and other sweet delicacies for sale that you can take home and extend your experience of this very special Italian restaurant.
Address: 19 Old Steine, Brighton, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN1 1EL
Website: https://pizzavip.co.uk/
Suriya’s Thai Kitchen
There are many Thai restaurants dotted along St James Street in Kemptown, but Suriya’s Thai Kitchen is one of our favourites. This is partly due to the extremely friendly and good-natured waiting staff who immediately welcome you and evidently want customers to have the best time possible. It is also due to the generous portion sizes, reasonable prices and delicious food – making Suriya hit the spot in pretty much every single way possible.
Traditional Thai starters include dumplings, duck rolls, fishcakes and mussels with a wide range of main meals, available in vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options. There are plenty of fish dishes available here and grilled options include Volcanic Chicken, Weeping Tiger and Tamarind Duck. However, if you want to stick to the traditional and familiar Pad Thai and Green and Red curries, they also have these available and trust us they are absolutely scrumptious.
There is a small selection of desserts that include Glouay Bouad Chee (Thai banana dessert), Kao-Tom Rice Sticky Dessert (lightly sweetened Thai sticky rice with banana filling) and Lingee Kao Niaew (Thai lychees cooked with sticky rice). Chang Beer and a range of soft drinks are available to drink, but there is no other alcohol on the menu, so if you’re up for cocktails and wines, you’ll have to leave that to later – although you are in the right part of town for that.
Address: 77 St George’s Rd, Brighton, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN2 1EF
Website: https://suriyasthaikitchen.com/
Yelken Mediterranean Kitchen
With almost near perfect scores on Google, this is a great option if you are planning a special evening with loved ones or friends. It is also a strong option for the indecisive with a short and manageable menu that is still packed full of delicious meze and main course options, such as halloumi salad, vine leaves, rib-eye steak, lemon and garlic chicken and fresh fish.
The focus is put on fresh ingredients and it is another restaurant that provides generous portions for reasonable prices. Staff are friendly and efficient, and the restaurant has a clean, light décor with a Mediterranean, escapist feel.
There is also the option of enjoying a large Mediterranean breakfast if you fancy a change from the traditional British fry up. Whilst the traditional Baklava is particularly revered here, there is also an extremely naughty and decedent red velvet cheesecake for those who fancy a more chocolatey treat.
Turkish tea, well-presented cocktails and a range of soft drinks are on offer. This is the sort of restaurant where you will not want to rush off in a hurry due to the friendly staff, ambience and the perfect music choices played at the right volume. Few places in Kemptown, or in fact Brighton, can offer such excellence at every level of their businesses. It is likely somewhere you will return to again and again.
Address: 109 St James’s St, Brighton, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN2 1TH
Website: http://www.yelken.co.uk/
Longrain Brighton
Despite there being several Thai restaurants to choose from in this area, the Asian fusion cooking of Longrain places it near the top of the pile. Longrain is another highly ranked restaurant on Google, with mostly five-star review from its past happy customers. Part of Longrain’s charm and success comes from the fact it is a family-run restaurant that works hard to create modern, colourful and fresh Pan Asian cuisine.
As much work is put into creating a cosy, intimate and friendly environment with customers enjoying the food as well as the whole experience. There is a fun green and turquoise décor which suits the trendiness and alternative scene of Kemptown, as well as Thai influences such as exotic plants and buddha statues.
Each one of Longrain’s dishes perfectly balances the four elements of flavour: hot, sweet, salty and sour, with around 85% of the menu vegan and gluten-free, with other dishes allowing for different dietary preferences.
The menu changes every season to bring customers variety and the dishes include curries, laksa, pad thai, nasi goreng and sambal. For dessert there is a choice of black rice pudding, chocolate pudding, Thai sticky rice and ice-cream.
Not only does Longrain excel with the food but also the drinks on the menu. There is a selection of delicious cocktails including Escobar Island (Tequila, passion fruit, chilli, ginger & mint) and Matahari (Jack Daniels, espresso & chocolate). The drinks menu also has a selection of wines that are all vegan friendly and a range of soft drinks.
A wider selection of starters includes salt & pepper squid, satay, tempura, Tom Yum soup, vegetable gyoza and a list of other tasty delicacies. If you are looking for a small, authentic restaurant that has service as good as the food then this is another great option in Kemptown.
Address: 111 St James’s St, Brighton, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN2 1TH
Website: https://www.longrainbrighton.com/menu
Bayleaf Indian Restaurant
If you are up for something a little spicier than St James’s Street also provides an Indian option in the Bayleaf. This establishment offers a variety of authentic dishes from all regions of India to suit individual requirements. The menu specialises in Tandoori, Khorai and fish and all dishes are used sourcing fresh ingredients and cooked by chefs with decades of experience in the Indian food industry.
The menu is extensive with traditional dishes as well as Bayleaf specials that include paneer, fish and chicken dishes. Starters are considerately split into vegetarian and non-vegetarian options, and you can also have any vegetarian side dish made up into a main meal if you so choose. There are nine different kinds of rice which include keema, lemon and mushroom and a choice of five naans. All dishes are made with rapeseed oil, and Bayleaf use 100% chicken breast.
A private function room is available for private parties or conferences for up to 30 people, if you want to celebrate a birthday or big occasion in style. The bright décor of the restaurant creates a lively and fun atmosphere, which is perfect to get you into the right mood before hitting the bars and pubs of Kemptown.
Address: 48 St James’s St, Brighton, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN2 1RG
Website: http://www.brightonbayleaf.co.uk/
