Dines Out: Brighton’s Best Top 20 restaurant awards

64 Degrees chef owner Michael Bremner and head chef Sam Lambert with awards cofounders Patrick McGuigan, Euan Macdonald. Credit: Roarke Pearce

Brighton’s Best Top 20 restaurant awards offer a very different perspective on the city’s culinary scene, voted for by a panel of 150 judges that include food writers, chefs and restaurant critics. I was delighted to see so many of my own favourites in there and especially to see that Bincho Yakitori, the hugely popular Japanese grill restaurant had leapt eleven places to take the number two placing. Fine dining certainly figured high this year with Isaac@ moving from 20 to 14 and former Fat Duck chef Duncan Ray’s Little Fish Market entering the top five for the first time at number four.

Michael Bremner of 64 Degrees accepted two awards, both the number one slot and the city’s best chef; “I’m totally blown away, I really didn’t expect it again because Brighton has so many good chefs and restaurants. We eat out in this town all the time and we’re constantly impressed with what everyone else is doing.”

A different perspective on the city’s culinary scene

“We’re delighted that the new Top 20 reflects Brighton’s dynamic and fast moving restaurant scene,” said Andy Lynes, who, along with fellow Brighton-based food journalist Patrick McGuigan and 60 Second Reviews supremo Euan MacDonald co-founded and organised the awards. “It confirms Brighton as one of the best dining destinations outside London, and one that can stand side by side with cities like Bristol and Edinburgh.”

The Top 20, in order, are as follows:
1) 64 Degrees 2) Bincho Yakitori
3) The Chilli Pickle 4) The Little Fish Market
5) The Set 6) Cin Cin
7) Plateau 8) The Salt Room
9) Silo 10) Semolina
11) The Gingerman 12) Terre a Terre
13) Curry Leaf Cafe 14) Isaac@
15) The Ginger Pig 16) Fatto a Mano
17) The Urchin 18) The Coal Shed
19) Riddle & Finns 20) Fourth & Church

Category winners:
Best Chef, sponsored by Nisbets
Michael Bremner, 64 Degrees
Best Barkeep, sponsored by Brighton Gin
Matt Ottley, The Salt Room
Best Welcome, sponsored by DesignLSM
David Toscano, Cin Cin
Best Roast, sponsored by Barfields Butchers
Dizzy Gull at the Brighton Beer Dispensary
Rising Star, sponsored by Enotria&Coe
Bincho Yakitori
Highest New Entry, sponsored by Bibendum
Cin Cin
Best OctoberBEST Dish, sponsored by L&S Printing
Crispy Pork Knuckle Vindaloo, The Chilli Pickle