#Veganuary: Brighton’s Best Plant-Based Restaurants
A recent festive survey by the Vegan Society revealed that one in five Brits incorporated vegan dishes and desserts into their Christmas dinner this year.
So with Veganuary in full swing right now, we’ve put together a list of the five best Brighton-based restaurants in offering plant-based and vegan food. There is something to love about each one, which will you head to first?
Terre e Terre is a vegetarian restaurant with plenty of vegan and plant based offerings. A stone’s throw from the famous Brighton Lanes and seafront, it is a big venue with a warm and inviting environment, appealing to all the senses with great natural light, delicious smells and a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. The food and service are Michelin star quality, yet with the feeling like you are visiting a friend’s house. This is mainly thanks to the staff who are friendly, helpful and approachable, as well as being very knowledgeable about the menu.
The starter of Better Batter was an interesting take on traditional British Fish and Chips, because it comes with a Greek twist. It was a dish of halloumi soaked in buttermilk, which was very soft and tasty to bite into, melt-in-the mouth delicious and certainly not rubbery, it had an authentic “fish and chip” crust, and was served with a tangy relish fused with capers and vodka spiked preserved cherry tomatoes, which all complemented the subtle flavour of the halloumi perfectly. The Barberry Biryani & Kholombo Dal was a delight in its presentation – it arrived served in several compartments, bringing many different flavours and intrigue. The biryani and dal were packed with spices and flavour, and may be too spicy for those who are not a fan hot spicy foods. A very exciting dish for diners who want to awaken their palette, it came served with a fresh watercress salad to balance out the flavours nicely.
The vegan version of the ‘Rosti Revisited’ was a plate of delicious crispy fried potatoes in a creamy spinach sauce, layered with marinated tofu and dressed with fresh watercress.
The Vegan Churros were light, fluffy and had just the right amount of sweetnes and they came served with vegan chocolate sauce and an irresistible salted caramel sauce (sadly they don’t sell it, we asked).
The Chocolate Mousse Mandarin & Yuzu Lush was absolutely divine. A rich vegan chocolate mouse, served with mandarin sorbet and berries, this desert was perfection.
Terre e Terre is a fantastic place for a special occasion or for regular dining, it offers an upscale dining experience without breaking the bank.
Terre e Terre, 71 East St, Brighton BN1 1HQ
Located in the buzzing Brighton Lanes, Erpingham House offered plant based and vegetarian food sourced locally and responsibly. Sadly this venue has closed since we visited but there are still branches in branches in Norwich, Edinburgh, and London with similar menus, and the Brighton head chef has relocated to the London branch.
The Smokehouse Burger was delicious, with lots of flavour in the chorizo and chilly jam, hints of smoky flavour in the cheese, that brought out a lot of tasty contrasts; such a delicious dish. The texture of the burger patty was very nice, making it a good meat substitute, but the gluten-free bun was too dense and could have been a bit lighter.
The rosemary chips were perfectly cooked, salty and addictive and served with irresistible garlic aioli. If you like truffles, then the Mushroom and Truffle Pasta is an absolute must. Beautiful fresh pappardelle with mushrooms in rich but not overpowering cream and truffle sauce.
The Berry Pavlova was a dream. The berries were fresh with a delicious tartness to them and the meringue was a better substitute using chickpea water, not too sweet and complementing the berry compote well. The cream was light and fluffy and had the perfect amount of texture with the crushed pistachio topping. Overall Erpingham House is great place to meet a friend or to have a date… for a casual experience and a delicious meal.
If you are after some comfort food and sausage and mash are your go to in this cold weather, then look no further than The Geese. This quaint and cosy pub in a neighbourhood of Hanover is well worth the schlep through hilly Brighton.
The famous bangers and mash menu is rich in offering, catering for meat-eaters, vegetarians and vegans alike, with different potato options and gravy to choose from, most of which can be made vegan on request.
The Mushroom and Garlic vegan sausages with Pesto mash and Caramelised Onion gravy were delicious and arrived steaming hot. With a generous portion of three sausages, the right amount of mash and plenty of gravy, you will not leave hungry. Luckily for us, the journey back was down hill.
As well as pies and sandwiches and some other traditional staples, you can feast on the Award-winning roast on Sundays. The Geese is one of Brighton’s hidden gems!
The Geese, 16 Southover St, Brighton BN2 9UA
A roomy restaurant sitting on a busy Western Road between Brighton and Hove, adjacent to Wolfox Coffee and with a Yoga studio upstairs, SIX is a welcoming and buzzy place, with attentive and friendly service. The menu is a rich variety of traditional dishes with a modern twist, healthy bowls and juices, where omnivores, vegetarians, pescatarians and vegans alike will not go hungry.
The Farmers Breakfast was as you’d expect – a very generous offering of all the breakfast staples. The Vegan Breakfast arrived beautifully presented, with mushrooms, hash browns, baked beans, cherry tomatoes and avocado, all on a toasted slice of Brodwolf bread, as well as pea and carrot falafel and beetroot hummus, which was an interesting twist on otherwise traditional breakfast. All flavours complemented each other beautifully.
If you are after something sweet, the Homemade Organic Pancakes (they are also plant-based and gluten free) are a must.
The pancakes were thick yet fluffy, with slightly tart berry compote and fresh berries, and complemented nicely with sweet maple syrup. SIX was a wonderful all round experience and I’ll definitely be going back.
SIX, 102 Western Rd, Hove BN3 1FA
Another local gem, a small café in the famous Seven Dials area of central Brighton, could be easily missed. With just a handful of tables inside and some more seats outside, this friendly neighbourhood joint has a mouth-watering menu of vegetarian and plant-based foods, as well some gluten-free options.
The vegan New York Deli brioche sandwich was loaded with pastrami cooked in vegan beef broth, sauerkraut, pickles, cheese, mustard and salad, was delicious, be prepared to eat it shamelessly and make sure to have a few napkins handy. Their Roasted Mushrooms on Granary bread was also very tasty, and was served with cashew curd, which was delicious.
Rumour has it that the Raspberry and Pistachio friands could turn anyone into a vegan.
Everything is homemade, locally sourced and delicious!
Portions were very generous and service was very friendly, and there’s also a free wifi – perfect place to bring your laptop for some remote working.
T @ The Dials, 109c Dyke Rd, Brighton BN1 3JE
