Vegetarian restaurants in Brighton

A staple on the Brighton foodie scene for a while now, Curry Leaf Cafe focuses on Indian street food and is one of the most colourful spots in the Brighton Lanes. Although it does serve meat, Curry Leaf Cafe is extremely proud of its vegan and vegetarian options and they’re a huge part of the menu. At least half their dishes are veggie or vegan, and the spicy curries are so filling you almost don’t want dessert. (Almost. You obviously have to try their pal payasam, a rice and raisin delight.) We’re not trying to curry favour but it really is one of the best vegetarian restaurants in Brighton.

If you’re a Brighton foodie, there’s no way you haven’t heard of Matt Gillan. He was a Great British Menu finalist and even held a Michelin Star at The Pass restaurant in Horsham for five years. Another place that serves both meat and vegetarian dishes, it’s also another Brighton restaurant that doesn’t consider the veggie options second fiddle to the carnivore ones. There’s beetroot tartare on the small plate dishes, a genius take on your standard tartare, alongside mushroom pergola and main choices that include pumpkin tart and salt-baked celeriac. Stop pining, get your butt down here, and eat some grub by that guy off the telly.

Anywhere with a main containing a pistachio crumb has got to be worth a try in our book and Semolina has that and so much more. “Obsessive about making everything from scratch” there are absolutely no hidden ingredients in their dishes. That means if you’re a long-time veggie or a Veganuary vegan, you know you’re getting exactly what the menu says. One of the best vegetarian restaurants in Brighton, there’s a delicious bistro menu with brilliant vegetarian options and also a set lunch menu that comes in at just £12. To top it all off, the cocktail list is something else and uses seasonal ingredients to really round off your feast in style.

In India, one in five people are vegetarian and meat-eating is much less common than for us Brits. Therefore, it’s no surprise that Indian restaurants serve up some of the best veggie dishes in the country. And Indian Summer is no exception. There’s lots of filling lentils and tasty paneer on offer here, with bhel puri (a mix of puffed rice, vegetables, and spices, served with chutneys and sauces) an all-time veggie favourite. If your bank balance is looking a little thin, they do some great early-evening thalis with a Royal Vegetarian option available for just £13.95.

Italians may be renowned for amazing meats, but that doesn’t mean they don’t do the veggie stuff well too. One of the best vegetarian restaurants in Brighton for a feast is Very Italian Pizza with their huge selection of fresh pizzas. You can either pick something off the menu, created by their talented chefs, or switch it up and pick your own toppings. If you’re not a pizza fan (they walk among us), there are also pastas and risottos in veggie-friendly flavours to keep you sweet. Aaaaand, if you’re a bit too lazy to put clothes on to eat pizza, they even do delivery. Bellissimo!