English's of Brighton

Came to Brighton for a day trip. Was recommended this restaurant by a family member who had been before. Nice cosy old-school vibes. It was a sunny, warm summers day, so we sat outside. There was a range of dishes, but we went for the £27 for 2 course summer set menu, as it seemed a good value for money. I ordered raw rock oysters as starter. Got 3 fresh oysters which were fresh and juicy. Came nice and cold, with the mignonette and ponzu dressing. Delicious! Another person on the table ordered salt and pepper calamari and even though portion was small, with 3 large pieces of calamari, the taste was amazing and it was so fresh. The fish and chips were crispy and fish was flaky. Though again, could do with a few more chips. Tartare sauce was great! The mussels marinieres was exceptional. The sauce was extra creamy and goes well with chips. For the price of the set menu, its great value for money! Would highly recommend! There was bread that came to the table with delicious mackerel pate. But you will need to pay for a cover charge for this. Drinks menu was extensive. Staff were very friendly. Highly recommend. Women’s toilet was up some narrow stairs at the top of the building.

Tasty & will definitely be back. Staff were so nice. I thought it would be more expensive than it ended up being given the style of service - so that’s always a nice surprise. Fun collection of by the glass drinks inc. Ricard, dubonnet, and sherries which is a nice old school touch.

We had a lovely evening in this cozy restaurant. The food was amazing, the service was lovely and we felt very comfortable. Our Chateaubriand was amazing and complemented by delicious chimichuri. Scallops were juicy and the sea bass was fantastic. The wine list complimented the food and I was happy to see American wines on the list. Definitely will come back and highly recommend this cozy place.

It is a restaurant hidden in a small alley. Their grilled scallops are really delicious! The grilled fish is also delicious and juicy.

Beautiful food and wonderful service. We arrived early for a spot of lunch and were greeted warmly by a gentleman. We were the first there and sat by the window. Great service all round by the gentleman and the young waitress. We had no problems with food or service at all. We saw how they handled a complaint from another table very professionally (an elderly gentleman complaining about how a pie should be a pie?? and complaining again when paying the bill?), the staff had a lot of patience! We weren't there for long but saw many things.. including (nothing to do with the restaurant) a customer who had a cat in a backpack which had a little domed window. ... I wasn't sure about that.. All in all, a lovely lunch spent at English's. Food was beautiful and cooked to perfection. We had the bisque and hot seafood platter. Everything was very tasty and flavoursome. Will definitely be back when next in a Brighton!

This was our 3rd visit to English's over the last few years and although the service was impeccable and accommodating, the wait time reasonable and the wine list packed full of great choices the value for money on the food has drastically decreased. We ordered the hot platter, costing £49 per person, and were very disappointed to see how little you get for your money currently. 1 Prawn, 1 Scallop, 3 very small fish fillets, and 2 battered oysters each alongside a portion of mussels and clams. The environment is classy and comfortable, and the decor is plastered with Brightons' history. The drinks were great and we enjoyed our visit but we will not be visiting again, it's clear to see why this once great restaurant is selling up as obviously the overheads of operating a restaurant in the heart of Brighton are clearly affecting their offering. If money is no object and you're looking for great quality seafood, give it a try, but if you're seeking value for money, then you will be disappointed.

Once again in Brighton, just have to visit The English restaurant. Never had a bad word to say about this place, the food is amazing, staff are impeccable. Love the place, love the food. See you soon xxxx

The atmosphere and service was great, but three of my friends got week-long food poisoning after eating the raw oysters. I understand this could just be bad luck on our part, but I wanted to let others know at least.

I came here for My birthday 5 years ago and had an amazing Meal and experience. I came back today for my birthday again and had an equally memorable experience! The food was fabulous, the staff attentive and helpful and the whole experience was really great! So nice to be back to normal post Covid. It's not cheap but it is worth it!! Cheers

What a fantastic experience. Visited 2 days ago. From the word go was made most welcome by the Irish waiter.Didn't catch his name. Lovely man. Food magnificent. Had the hot fish platter. Could not fault it. Will be back.

Really good food and quite reasonably priced. We first had some oysters and champagne to start with. After that we shared a monk fish and scallops with black pudding...both absolutely delicious. The service was quick and flawless. I will definitely visit again when I am in Brighton

If your celebrating a special occasion or just want to treat yourself then Englishes is the place to go. Situated at the start of Brighton's famous Lanes, its a great location in the bustling summer months and cosy winter evening alike. It offers outdoor seating adjacent to the East Street square where there's often street performers and a stalls particularly at the weekend. Famous for its lobster Englishes is pricey but you get what you pay for. When dining with a large party we were given two free aperitifs each which certainly softened the blow. The Scallops St Jacques are absolutely fantastic.

The food is of an incredibly high standard and is the freshest seafood I have ever had the pleasure of eating. The food is of such high quality that I actually decided to try squid for the first time ever. Now, thanks to this restaurant, I am now a squid addict. As well as the food being great, the staff are very pleasant and attentive. The location is really great too - right in the centre of Brighton and you can people-watch from your table. I guess the one tiny negative is that it is a bit cramped.

Cannot fault it! Visited this superb establishment for a Sunday lunch with my familly. The position of the restaurant in the Lanes of Brighton set you up for a truly remarkable experience, with a good seat you can people watch and enjoy some off-the-wall freshest and nicest seafood in the city. The atmosphere of this quaint eatery is superb, the welcome warm and inviting the staff attentetive but not overly so. The food is probably some of the best seafood I believe I have ever had. Everything was just so fresh you could smell the sea in every bite. We had a truly fantastic meal and look forward to returning. The lobster was to die for as was the mixed starter. Well worth spending the extra ££

The best fish and chips I've ever had!!!way better than the ones in Palm court in pier one~(btw that restaurant has the worst fish and chips in UK... Cheese Haddock was a little too salty though~

Very expensive and pretty poor my experience was years ago a superb restaurant unfortunately the present owners need to concentrate on there menu & service.

English's of Brighton is a popular seafood restaurant in Brighton. I'm quite surprise there were no reviews about this place. They have been serving fresh seafood for over 100 years. It's situated at the Lanes district, the old town Brighton. A bit tricky to find. From the name, seafood is their specialty. I ordered fresh battered fish & chips and the thermidor lobster. The lobster was to die for. It's flamed with brandy, cooked with cheese and mustard sauce. Fresh battered fish is up to the caliber too!! While all of us were sampling different dishes. Overall, it was a good experience and the food is fresh. It's a 2 floor restaurant, during the summer time. They have an open air dining out on the square. Reservations is recommended. And yes, it's going to be pricey.

Comfortably nestled into a small nook in Brighton's fantastic Lanes area of cobbled labyrinthine alleys and squares, English's Seafood Restaurant is quaintly crammed into what was once three separate 400 year old fisherman's cottages where for the past 150 years seafood has been served to finer diners who frequent this part of the city. The decor, with its murals, red velvet and gold trim is a cry out to the Edwardian heritage of both the restaurant and Brighton itself; tattily chic with a whiff of faded grandeur in the air that gives the places its theatrical charm. The atmosphere is calm and restrained although you feel like a few can can girls wouldn't look particularly out of place either. I like to dine on the fruits of the sea and here I could do that with abandon. Wonderfully prepared dishes served by people who actually seem to care about you having an enjoyable evening and know what they are talking about. Lobster was exquisite, wines were crisp and the oysters kept on coming as we went through the evening. It was raining while we were there and through a window from the warm interior I could see out into the square where I feel many an enjoyable evening could be spent in the summer over platters of seafood and quite possibly the best chips in East Sussex. Of course English's is not a cheap restaurant but there's nothing about it that would make you think that it was or should be. I dream of being able to eat at establishments like this every day however for people like me this is a once in a while affair and if you are looking for a special place for a special occasion you can't get much better in this part of the UK. I will always be a fan of quirky, old fashioned restaurants like this and I hope that when the cottages celebrate their 500th birthday that nothing will have changed; that the chic will still be shabby and that the seafood will still be superb.

I went here on Saturday night and had a pretty lovely time. This wasn't a Yelp recommendation, my brother in law said this place was good, and he was right! It is predominantly sea related creatures on the menu, so if you're not a big fan, this wouldn't be the place for you. I had the chorizo scallop fritters to start which were fantastic. I then had the fish pie for main, which was pretty heavy but delicious too. My partner in crime for the evening had the monkfish which was super good. Portions were hefty (you probably don't need sides, even though they will encourage you to do so). Good bellinis, good house white wine, good service with friendly (but not overly invasive) staff. Missing one star for me because the atmosphere was a bit lacking - it could do with better lighting (it's very "glary" in here), and maybe some background music. We got there at 7 and were in a very empty room until a big table turned up.

Mother's Day crowds gave us a 2 hour wait at neighboring Fishy Fishy, and so my friend and I hastened to the nearest, nicest, emptiest restaurant: English's. We were seated very promptly, and not even made to wait until the other two people in our party arrived. Being visitors from London and unsure as to whether English's was actually a stodgy-looking tourist trap, we made some observations of the other diners. They seemed happy without being inordinately happy (ie the first time they've ever had the fish and the chips). Next, I did something I tend to stay away from, and ordered from the fixed menu: marinated mussels for a starter and English's fish cake with curry sauce for a main. We also ordered a lobster croquette starter, which came out a bit late (with the rest of the starters instead of before), which was fine--though the server was clearly experienced enough to have higher standards for herself, and voluntarily told us she'd leave it off the bill. I'd say the croquettes were worth the money that we didn't have to pay, so this was a nice bonus. The mussels could have been a little fresher, but were seasoned nicely. The fish cake was extremely good--perfectly crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, evading the usual trap of soggy outside and mushy inside, and there was a poached egg with a good runny yolk perched on top. I'm not sure if Fishy Fishy could have done any better than this--from serendipity came one satisfactory lunch!

Been living in Brighton for over 10 years,and this was the first time i've been here,wish i hadn't waited so long. The place reminded me of an old theatre,a little cramp inside,but full of charm and charachter. Plenty to choose from on the menu,you can spend as little and as much as you like,the 2 courses for 15 quid is pretty good value,though i ordered a couple of sides as well. And you'll never know who youre gonna see while your in there,3 ex England cricketers came in while i was there.

Loved it! It's a bunch of small room cobbled together. It's fusty and a bit musty and tattered here and there but don't let that distract you from why you're here: to eat, and well, hopefully. Seated side by side, my partner and I gazed over to the couple across the way and saw the man look up and frown at us. Subtle, that. The menu offerings are amazing, the preparation are excellent, the service flawless. Probably the best place to eat in town. Come and enjoy.

I was delighted by this restaurant as I had been told I would be. Excellent service , pristine and delicate portions. Left satisfied by not overly full. I would love to take any one from out of town here. Nice treat.

English's is the poshest meal I ever had in Brighton, its proper seafood restaurant selling all the usual pricey specialties like Lobster Themador and Oysters. The delicacies on the menu and the caliber of the chef is reflected in the price, but the cost is completely worth it. It has the feel of a converted house with narrows stair cases leading to small homely dining rooms, but it all adds to the atmosphere, they also have outside seating with heaters through out the summer.

I do get annoyed with some of the restaurants in Brighton as they can often charge high prices but deliver average plates of food. Englishs is somewhere you can guarantee you and your dinner guests are going to love. First of all, the location is fantastic - especially in the summer due to the fact you can sit outside and listen to the street performers (usually jazz or skiffle) strut their stuff. After your meal you're right on the button to start exploring the Laines. Last time I was there I had the Dover sole, it was literally melt in the mouth standard and seasoned to perfection. My favourite part of the restaurant is the oyster bar, a little more secluded than the main area and ideal if you fancy sharing a bottle of wine (the wine list is fantastic! Try the Sancerre) and some fresh, locally shellfish.

I'm coy to admit that despite being a Brighton native, and having lived in our great city for most of my life, that I have never been to this Brighton legend until last week. English's is known by many as the city's number one fish restaurant: they've been serving for more than acentury. Favoured by stars like Olivier (and others according to the menu blurb) and much praised by the cognoscenti, it's as high end as Brighton gets. But I worry it may be trading on past glories. I have no complaints about the food. Smoked Mackerel pate with bread was nice. I had potted shrimps and they were lovely too. But the portions were skimpy. And English's isn't cheap. I loved my grilled plaice and chips. In fact, the chips were divine. The meal was crisply accompanied by an excellent Italian white wine. On a clement evening it was charming to sit outside and it's a good location, in the heart of the lanes, to watch Brighton pass by. But it's a bit shabby inside. They have some dodgy wall paintings and, frankly, the toilets are a bit squalid for an establishment that wants to claim class as one of its selling points.

After watching the BBC's Blue Planet, we had a hunger for fish. Needless to say we were not disappointed - the food, service and vibes of English's was phenomenal. Easily the best plaice to eat out in Brighton!

I was tempted into English's by the appearance of potted shrimps on the menu. Inside the restaurant is fab, very traditional looking with crimson velvet banquette seating, wall murals depicting the Edwardian era and white linen table cloths. They have made clever use of a small corner by having tables for two where you sit next to your companion rather than opposite them. It's quite nice, although it does mean if there is a couple sitting on the table opposite yours it's hard not to stare right at them. We were greeted by a gentleman who offered to take out coats and then shown to a table. The waitress asked us if we would like a drink - we ordered red wine which I think first planted the seeds of doubt about us into her mind, especially seeing as the steak and kidney pudding was off the menu. There was only one other couple in there when we arrived. They were Swedish, and when the woman who was looking for the toilet accidentally headed towards the kitchen, the waitress made eye-contact with us, as if to say, 'what is that weirdo doing?' It turned out these sort of conspiratorial looks were a speciality of hers; whenever someone said something that she obviously though was funny or strange she would look at us again like 'get a load of this.' I think we disappointed her however when we ordered two starters (scallops and potted shrimps) and then side of lyonnaise potatoes and spinach. She looked at us like we were totally crazy and asked, 'perhaps you would like something cold instead? A salad maybe?' before recovering her composure and saying 'It's up to you of course, spinach, yes, great.' In spite of her inability to hide the fact that she thought everyone was totally loony, and we were the worst of all with our red wine and hot side orders, our waitress was actually very sweet. We finished with cheese and coffee, the meal came to just under £50. This is not a cheap place! But very atmospheric, and a great place to go for something a bit special.

An old established Fish restaurant at the higher end for A La Carte, but often offers set meals which are good value, don't be afraid to ask about them if they are not on show. My favourite ploy is to sit outside on a sunny Sunday, when usually a jazz band is playing nearby. Good food, efficient service, inside is a little dated. There used to be a Wheeler's nearby , which closed a couple of years ago. Can be booked.

I'd never eaten here before, despite English's reputation in Brighton for being one of the classic restaurants to go to, partly because of its heritage having been here so long. My first impressions were that it had a cosy, quintessentially British feel, which was immediately followed by noticing that everyone in the joint (lunchtime on a Wednesday) was 65 or older. We sat down, ordered Plaice and Chips and some fizzy water and bread. The service was fine, and the food arrived reasonably quickly and I thought it was nice. Tender, soft fish with yummy tartare sauce and posh mushy peas. And a reasonable cappuccino to finish up. I wouldn't say it was incredible, or even very good, but it was nice and OK. Definitely a good spot to bring clients or family that are looking for an old fashioned 'Brighton meal out' (as there are much better contemporary options) but good enough.

Excellent food, and the service was as you would expect it from such a posh restaurant. I took my parents there in the past and they enjoyed it so much that we went back there the next time they came to Brighton. The interior is a bit too old fashioned and conservative for me to feel as cosy as some of the elderly visitors probably did, but the staff certainly didn't seem to discriminate. I'd go there again if I could afford it because I thoroughly enjoyed the food, but will have to leave that either for when I become rich, or for when relatives who are financially better off than I am come for a visit.

After a fairly disappointing meal the previous evening at the London Unity curry pub we decided to head into the heart of Brighton and play it safe last Saturday night with an old school restaurant experience. We rolled up around 6pm, hungry after an afternoon spent strolling along the prom, and English's was already packing them in my advice would be to book well in advance at the weekend. We were offered the choice of a table in the ground floor dining room, there are few rooms where you can take your supper, or a table on the terrace which forms part of a busy, bustling square. Although the weather was quite nice the hordes of stag and hen do's roaming about were already getting a little noisy so we decided to dine inside. However, on a sunny afternoon the terrace would be my first choice. The downstairs dining room is very cosy and most of the tables will only accommodate a couple sitting side by side. The decor was probably quite trendy, in a French romantic type of style, when it was done in the 70's or early 80's now it's just quaint and very retro. We kicked off our meal with a nicely chilled glass of Tio Pepe and half a dozen Carlingford oysters. These were just lovely fresh, slightly creamy and a big mouthful of sea-like goodness. God's own food. After much debate we decided to go with the set menu which offers plenty of choice and great value for the centre of Brighton (during the week you get 2 courses for a tenner which is a couple of pounds less than the fish and chips in my local pub!!). B started with the lemon sole goujons and I went for the scallop with roasted squash and harissa; both were very tasty and skilfully executed. Trying to get rid of the memory of my dodgy curry from the night before I went for the fish and chips in the hope of restoring my faith in classic ""British" cooking; thankfully this was most certainly a proper job. A tasty, thin crispy batter, fresh haddock and a well fried chunky chips. B was being a little more daring with her choice of the Indian spiced sea bream, which looked and smelled very good. It lasted no more than 10 minutes on the plate which tells its own story. On the wine front there is a decent selection but you will struggle to find much worth drinking under £20 we decided on a Voignier which was fine and went well with the fish. Part of the pleasure of dining in this restaurant is the people watching and you will find plenty of folk to keep you entertained should the conversation flag. On our visit we had a bunch of highly amusing toffs on our right, an orange looking Northern lass and her lad on a weekend mini break to the left, a few coffin dodgers dotted around the room and a couple of seriously overweight, picture postcard, ladies to the fore. Blighty in all its late summer, seaside glory.

I can't understand why I am the first to review this restaurant as it is always so popular ! The restaruant is usualy packed and - in the summer - they have an overspill of tables onto the pedestrianised area outside. Whilst the food is usually very nice the atmosphere of the restaurant is stuffy and old fashioned. I would expect that this can be loved or loathed (and to be honest I am probably in the latter category). The menu is expensive. If it is a fish restaurant you want then there are far cheaper - and in my opinion, better - choices just a stone throw away. Nice place to take an elderly relative for a posh dinner !

When I'm in Brighton it's a must for me and my man to visit this lovely restaurant. We really enjoying the Guinness out of the silver cup with fresh Oysters. The Service is excellent and very friendly.

I loved the interior of this restaurant, with it's warm red walls and regency paintings. Our food was absolutely gorgeous and my husband and I argued over whose was the nicest. I would definitely recommend the southern fried cod. I'm not usually a fan of deep-fried food but the batter was light and crispy and the sort of salsa relish that comes with it matches perfectly. While the restaurant is quite posh, they have an excellent sent menu so if you're watching the pennies, you can still enjoy a three course meal for £20. The only real downside was the trek to the ladies, which was in the attic!

It would be good to rave about English's as a real Brighton institution, haunt of the rich and famous and provider of great food. And in some cases this place in the Lanes is Brighton's best restaurant. In some other senses it is a bit of a let down. The food, fish and the like, is excellent, I have never been diappointed. The mackeral pate in particular is a delight. The wine list is good, I enjoyed a light Chablis last time I was there. But it is a bit down at heel. The inside is a bit shabby and the toilets are a bit manky.

i made a reservation as i was due to head to brighton on work duties and wanted to try an establishment that served high quality seafood. We arrived on a wed evening at begining of feb and the restaurant was near enough empty apart from 2 other tables when the managment decided in there wisdom it would be a good idea to squash every one next to each other when there was a whole restaurant free i had to ask to be moved i thought the decor was outdated the manager was rude and stand offish and the place could have done with a good clean.Having said that the food was excellent i had the dover sole at £22 and the waiting staff were very courteous and polite and gave very good service.On the whole i wouldnt recommend as im sure you could find somewhere that serves just as good food at half the price

The food was amazing and the stuff really polite and willing to help. The oysters and lobster thermidor were extremelly good.

We always try to eat here on our visits to Brighton and last nights meal was as good as ever. Thank you