Giggling Squid in Brighton and Hove

We was visiting Brighton for a show and wanted Thai food and found this little gem of a restaurant. It does get busy so would recommend booking a table but we risked it and wow the food was amazing !! Everything was fresh and full of flavors if you are in the town pop in and try it.

Food was great, but the service made the experience EXCELLENT!!!! Gary was amazing and really looked after us - thank you🥰🥰!!

Excellent food Excellent, delicious food. Fast preparation. Portion sizes not too bad. Value for money not too bad either. Overall, great.

Love this place. Our 2nd visit, after first visiting about 14-15 months ago, & it didn’t disappoint this time either. Excellent welcome, service, food, & drinks. It’s certainly our ‘Go To’ place, when in Brighton. Only slight, & I mean VERY slight negative, was being sat right near the window in the main reception/bar area, there was quite a draft by that window.

Stunning food. Having tried a few other Gigging Squid outlets, this was the latest addition to our list and the best so far. Immensely enjoyable dishes served with big smiles. So many great dishes, so little time…!

Absolutely delicious food - not as fiery as genuine Thai but all the better for that. Beautiful presentation, generous portions, good wine list, helpful and efficient service. Great location in the Lanes.

Tasty food and a great cosy atmosphere.

The food quality was really good Having a nice environment and a relaxing place Reasonable price and good portion! Would recommend!

Pear and Gary were very attentive and friendly to our table! Great veggie/vegan options here too

Very disappointing food. There were 8 of us and half of our meals were ok and half had oily, bland food. Good service. Drinks good. Some very loud customers sitting near us!

Top notch, well worth a visit. Every time I come it's an absolute winner.

Lovely staff Lovely food.. fresh and tasty food,didn't have to wait long.. you will not be disappointed.

Lovely food 😋 great people great atmosphere 👍🏻 a quant little restaurant 😀

Bustling, tiny and unsurprisingly busy Thai in ye olde quarter. We chose the tapas (4 wee bowls on 1 plate) "set" and both were stunning. Good beer selection too. Cooked to order so don't be in a hurry....

Great food and a real treat, the cocktail are worth a visit without the food!!

Very nice place to chill and eat. Friendly staff, great service. The sauce is quite heavy. But the sweet jungle colada was really good, u can literally taste the coconut water. Very refreshing drink for summer.

Welcoming staff Great food Lovely wine Nice vibe Lovely location We were seated outside at first but then moved inside when a table became available- we had a lovely evening here .

Sadly I just put 3 star's cos of food. I am so sorry for this great looking restaurant and very friendly and hard working stuff, what is absolutely great but food is queat far from proper Thai taste.... I'll maybe order wrong food but mostly good Thai restaurant have good,, som tam,, it's a papaya salad, must popular in Thailand and there is taste like I make in home without not have any ideas what I doing. Sorry, taste is like nothing. Sticky rice is fine, not best, not bad, and this pork knee.....hmm, it's ok, doesn't extra taste but ok. Don't know if this restaurant have proper Thai chefs ( for me probably not) and it's sadly say if you like real proper Thai food...... I can't recommend.

we had the beef and the pork signature dishes and they were excellent. The service was good too, and the Price is reasonable.

Very good food and service. We had the beef and the pork red curry specialty dishes

Spectacular...wonderful atmosphere with food to die for, the salt and chilli mushroom starter is possibly the most delicious starter I have tasted in years. The whole experience is special, the staff are kind and attentive, and the restaurant itself is a perfect combination of style and cosiness. The atmosphere is relaxed and the place is spotless. Prefer Giggling Squid to any City restaurant including the Ivy...

It was just delicious! Very very good food!

It’s a cute cozy restaurant was amazing Thai food… Cute ambiance and positive vibes… will come back for sure when I come again…

Very very tasty food here. Good quality. Great service. Scary staircase going up the loo though. Overall would recommend for dinner or brunch dining 👍

Absolutely loved the vegan food this place had to offer. Literally the best Thai I've ever had!

Came in here for lunch with our 9 month old baby daughter. Food was prompt and tasty and the ladies in there were very helpful with the baby & high chair.

The food and staff were amazing.

Lovely food and staff, excited to go again!

Wonderful food, attentive staff and great atmosphere.

We arrived at 8.. change table as we were behind the door..ended with a window table nice.. order a starter said we come back to the mains.. then told the starter had prawns in so changed that.. thought we'd ordered mains at this point waited an hour after finishing starters to two waiter staff telling us we hadn't order.. so our original waitstress came and said it again I said we had with she no you didn't this went on for a while.. so we said can we order and will it be long she said yes..hmmm The food arrived which point we'd been there an hour and half.. I probably looked defeated, at this point the waitstress then pushed the food at us and away saying do you want it or not.. we complained, we were appoligiesed too and service charged removed but that was it.. Although the food was good not sure we will ever go back. Shame shame as we've been wanting to experience it for a while.

Amazing food and service, lovely prawns, chicken, there’s a cosy room with just a single table in it that would be perfect for a couple going there. The rest is nice too with an intimate but not cramped dining room, great location for after shopping

First time in the Brighton restaurant. We were there for our Anniversary. What a lovely little room for 2. Service and food was fabulous. Thank you for making our night special

Dare I say the best Thai meal in Brighton...

Absolutely delicious food every time I visit! My second time in the Brighton restaurant. The flavours are amazing. It can be pricey if you order wine but if you stick to soft drinks it will bring the price down. Our bill was £118 we had a main course each the sea bass and the prawns, rice, noodles and a veg side. One large beer that we shared, bottle of wine two mini desserts and two Irish coffees.

Great menu, food was delicious and service was great.

Food was unreal! Best squid I've had, unbelievably soft. Pork cheeks were melt on your mouth tender! The staff were friendly and helpful. Can highly recommend the street food sharer and pork cheeks. Also the prawn and soft shell crab curry if you like spice as it is hot but an explosion of flavour. Will definitely be going back!

Giggling squid just gets better and better. Meat and seafood so so well cooked. Sauces well spiced, good portions. Staff were friendly and helpful. Reasonable wait times and prices considering the freshness and amazingness of the dishes. Highly recommend

What a joke, I've just ordered vegetarian "pad kee mao" (allegedly) for an eye-watering price of £13.60 (!) on Deliveroo. During ordering, it asked me to select a "protein" so I chose the vegetarian option... upon arrival, there is no tofu or any other "protein" to be found! How is it fair for people to get beef and chicken for the same price I got about a quarter of a bell pepper and a tablespoon of chopped green beans? Completely bonkers considering the premium price... tofu is really cheap and standard in vegetarian Thai dishes at most other restaurants. To make matters worse, this just tastes of generic soy sauce, not at all the complex flavor profile one would expect from drunken noodles at an actual Thai restaurant. Some pepper pods are chucked in (for reasons), but just look pretentious and add nothing positive. There are even bamboo shoots, which honestly are a gross complement to the slimy texture of the noodles. This might be the worst Thai food I've ever had. I've just now learned this is a chain restaurant which explains a lot... if you want good Thai food, look literally anywhere else. IDK how places like this stay in business tbh. Horrendous.

Incredible food, great atmosphere! Amazing service by Dani!!!

The Pad Thai was unbelievably excellent! Can't wait to go back and try more, but I'll probably just order the Pad Thai again because it was that good!

The food is simply so tasty, i would eat there every day!. The staff are all very nice and accomodating.

Lovely little restaurant that you can find in the lanes. They have the best Thai food I’ve eaten in the UK ! The ambiance is so calm and inviting. The food was absolutely delicious. All the dishes were flavorful and presented so well. There is a nice selection of wines and soft drinks. We particularly enjoyed the homemade lemonade. The staff are so friendly too. We’ll definitely go back again !

The service was immediate and very polite and friendly, the food arrived in very good time and was delicious. Amazing restaurant!

I am a wheelchair user sadly this restaurant is not wheelchair friendly. Located in the laines of Brighton it's difficult to reach thankfully my carer is a muscle clad hunk. There are numerous steps into venue itself and didn't even find out if they had an accessible toilet. My carer/husband spoke to the host and we asked to sit outside as weather was pleasant and the steps being impossible. Once seated our waitress Dani gave us the best customer service I have experienced all year, this girl is a true asset to your business and I think others could learn from her example. For 1 she didn't even notice the wheelchair she didn't patronise me or talk to my companion instead of me. The drinks where quick to arrive as where the starters. We had the salt and pepper mushrooms and crispy squid bits. Both where decent portions and bursting with flavour. Our mains arrived within good time one prawn pad thai and a prawn massama and a coconut rice. The food was hot filling and really tasty. We couldn't possibly fit anymore in, but Dani surprised us with a dessert and a message for our 17 year anniversary which blew me away really touching and cute. We had a lovely chat thank you so so much for your hospitality and excellent people skills. Definitely recommend Definitely coming back.

Food was tasty and cooked perfectly Nice restaurant also good customer service Highly recommended

Honestly this place was exceptional. The staff were so friendly and attentive, the food was absolutely delicious (as a veggie the mushrooms were my favourite) and they wrote happy birthday on the dessert for my friend! 10/10 will be back soon with more people

Went to giggling squid for lunch and was greeted by Jack the manager. When I was seen to my table I was greeted by a lovely waitress Pear. Felt very welcoming and was very attentive. Would definitely recommend and will be coming back for more tasty Thai foods!

Lovely graduation lunch at this spot - walked in and seated straight away with great service. Food was generally good although the salt and pepper squid was a bit greasy and no chilli oil/sauce provided although requested. Awesome cocktail. All in, great value and loved the space, would eat again.

Juicy squid 🦑 washed down with wine 🍷🍷🍷

Good value and tasty combo tapas platter. Panee prawns were by favours. Definitely not quite the full flavour spectrum of thai food in the homeland but still very well cooked and a faithful healthier version. Nice staff and great location. Enjoyable lunch thanks.

Sunny day in Brighton made perfect by the food here.Only dropped a star for service due to a busy lunchtime and being outside made the staff's job more difficult.Prices are fair and very friendly staff.

The most bland overpriced Thai in Brighton. Ridiculous. Tasted like plastic.

This place is hidden away in the lanes. The lunch tapas is excellent value and the flavours are immense. The service is excellent and the vibe in this place is typical of Brighton. If you are fussy they will always try and accommodate you. There is a great choice for vegetarians and the wine is also excellent. Make sure you pre book as this place is becoming more and more popular as everyone finds out about it.

Just the best Thai food in Brighton. They've somehow managed to nail the combination of richness, lightness, aroma, and fragrance. Their homemade side sauces are spectacular...can't believe this was my first visit having lived in the area for so long... but definitely won't be my last... can't wait to go back. Staff was super too... great genuine and friendly service. Literally can't say enough about the Giggling Squid.

Food was great ,staff so friendly. Good value for money, A place where you would definitely return back to not like some restaurants where they just cater for visitors one time and don’t care what their food or service is like. Wood hundred percent return,

We had good service from Jack and his team. He found us a table at short notice. All the team were so polite and friendly. Food was lovely, thankyou all, we have been before a lovely place to dine out.

The food is to die for! We had a lunch set each and also the green papaya salad. The lunch sets are great as they let you have a few different dishes in a lunch-sized portion. Everything was well balanced and flavoursome. The restaurant was busy and everyone seemed to be enjoying their meals. We also appreciated that calorie information was easily available so we could make informed choices about our meals. We will definitely be back.

A very sweet little restaurant which certainly didn't feel like part of a chain. Nice authentic Thai food and attentive staff.

We booked this for a treat for my husband's birthday and we were not disappointed. The food was awesome and reasonably priced. I had a pudding and they even took the trouble to write 'Happy Birthday' in sauce on my plate - as he wasn't having a pud. Lovely staff, so attentive, and all thoroughly recommended.

I ordered delivery and the fried squid was really delicious. The combination of the plump and soft texture of the squid and the flavorful seasoning is perfect. Pad Thai was ordinary.

Called in at lunchtime , had a selection of Tapas all beautifully prepared , full of flavour , would highly recommend.10/10

Great little spot. Only went here because nothing else was open nearby and we were needing dinner. Food was super and had some fairly authentic dishes. Service was friendly enough but clearly wanted us out in a hurry towards the end. Cute vibe as it is set it a small house

Just a chance choice as we were passing. Apart from sitting beside parents who clearly thought that their child was some form of deity and so when water and crayons are thrown about there’s not a word of apology, but apart from that which wasn’t annoying of course, the food took its time but was so worth it. I had the Fisherman’s Feast, for two (genuinely unlike me these days!) but it was delicious. My wife had the Hawker’s Set, a four part Thai tapas with a most delicious soup, prawns in ginger, minced chicken with chillies and some jasmine rice. Not the cheapest on the planet but amongst the most scrumptious. Staff were friendly and helpful. Strongly recommend.

We met friends at this lovely lunch venue. Good choice of food and well priced. We all chose the tapas which was delicious and the empty plates showed how much we enjoyed it. Good plate too visit as it is in The Lanes.

Great food. Lovely waiting staff. Massaman curry so good

Love this place we always go here when in Brighton, friendly staff, amazing food and relaxing, clean and very good if you have allergies. Amazing ❤️

Very friendly and welcoming. Excellent service and food.

I’ve heard good things but had never visited before until yesterday - the food was absolutely delicious and the staff were all lovely. Can’t fault it & will definitely be back!

Great kids menu which was good value for money

Came here for a birthday lunch yesterday and left more than satisfied! Firstly, I'd like to give props to the staff, especially Pear, they were extremely friendly, their service was amazing which made the food and the whole experience taste even better! I would recommend the Thai Tea, as a tea hater I wanted to give it a try and it's probably the first time I've actually enjoyed tea. Any sea food dishes they have are to die for, my favourite was the Pepper Squid, it was so soft and tender that it literally melted in my mouth and the flavours were incredible. Their curry was sweet and balanced, their chicken was flavoursome, i enjoyed everything I tried. I ended up splitting the bill and only paying £21, the price you pay is incredible for the quality of ingrediends you're eating! The environment is clean and so beautiful. I'll definetly come back soon!

Went to the one in Hove for Mother’s Day and enjoyed so much thought I’d try the one in Brighton. Didn’t disappoint food and service great.

Starters amazing. Lovely service

1. I arrived without a reservation just to see if they had any available tables. They offered me one but asked me to leave in an hour. 2. I ordered a drink with my food. That drink never materialised. 3. Four customers finished their food and left. I asked if I could move to any of those two tables. I was not allowed and told that those tables were reserved. They didn't put "Reserved" sign on those tables whereas several other tables had a sign on them. Nobody else came and sat down at those two tables while I was there. 4. When the food came I was rudely asked to remove my hat from the table which was only covering one corner. 5. I ordered five different tapas. Only one of them was warm. The other four were cold. Eating cold chicken or lamb is not one of my favourite activities. 6. On top of all this, they automatically added service charge without even asking if everything was OK. If this is one of the best restaurants in Brighton, then Brighton has unbelievably bad taste and low standards. This is not "Giggling" Squid. It should be called Grumpy, or Nightmare Squid. Do NOT believe the hype. You are warned. Never again. Ever!

I visited here with a couple of friends. The service was excellent and quite quick. We were all delighted with our choice of lunch. Beautifully presented and extremely tasty. Although it was busy they did not rush us out and seemed happy to let us drink and chat. However since our last visit the menu has changed, the price has increased and the portions definitely smaller than previously, eg spring roll ( tapas style) was one, tiny and cut in half! Left us questioning value for £££s! Friends both enjoyed their ( small) pad thai.

The most amazing Thai food I've ever had. Love the interior design/ ambience. Service is impeccable. Outstanding all round. Cannot wait to go back

Amazing food and atmosphere. Best Thai food ever. Service 5 star. Can't wait to go back

Me and my wife had a wonderful lunch the food was beautiful we loved the restaurant it has 3 floors . Very quirky and thought out1

Excellent food, well-kept place (small tables and narrow spaces) spread over several rooms on several floors. Wonderful gastronomic experience. English prices (40/50 euros per person).

Some thing has changed since Xmas when we last visited! The food is not the same! Papaya salad had no heat to it Pad Thai noodles had no egg shell and bland I could go on but in fact everything lacked taste! The food was not pipping hot! I also had to ask twice for an item they forgot! They also now charge service charge ! We won’t be rushing back when 3 meals a salad one dessert 2 beers a coffee and a coke 100 pounds!

Great food with excellent service

I love this place. Good lunch deals! Best salmon I’ve had in my life. It’s quite small in there and can get a bit loud & cramped when busy, but it kinda adds to the cute atmosphere. Love it here.

Lovely little Thai restaurant. Nice food. Had a tapas selection for a lunch. Very tasty. Quite quiet. Would return.

My partner and I ate here and had a lovely experience. The food was great and we both enjoyed our food greatly. The service however is the reason I am writing this review. My work has me travelling a lot and eating in restaurants regularly. Genuinely good service is very hard to come nowadays. Dani was our waitress and she was breath of fresh air. Attentive, friendly, seemed to genuinely care about customer service and satisfaction. A credit to your business. Please give her the kudos she deserves, a pay rise, a gold star l, or at least passing on our praise. Thank you.

One of the best Pad Thais I ever had. The food was amazing. Prices are ok. This is the first Giggling Squid restaurant apparently. I highly recommend it

Had Takaway 1.15 31/1/24. can not fault it, and the young lady who served me was super super helpful, polite, and proffessional. and such a nice welcome. thanks again!!!

Wonderful meal, super lovely and good value. One of my favourite Thai places !

We love this restaurant. Usually visit Beaconsfield branch but we visited Brighton and couldn’t turn down the offer of a giggling squid for dinner. Food is always fresh and presented in a unique way. Staff are always lovely. The Brighton branch is small so would recommend booking on a busy evening. Salt and pepper squid is just the best!

Completely messed up deliverd order and only refunded single dish. £60 family meal ruined.

Brilliant as usual, food well cooked and presented, front of house very polite and efficient

Fantastic restaurant set over several floors, with small cosy rooms off the steep staircase. Large choice at lunchtime from either the lunch or all day menu. The food was all really tasty, would recommended everything we had! That includes Thai red beef curry, Thai green chicken curry, Giggling wings, fried squid and lunchtime 'tapas'tasters... The staff were all very friendly - the service was great. We were hugely impressed with how they handled a sesame allergy one of our party had. From before we booked, when we asked questions about dishes that would be suitable, to on the day itself when they double checked what we ordered. Would definitely recommend this restaurant.

Innovative good, good vibe, kinda expensive

The food was delicious and as the service excellent - just the right balance of attentiveness without being intrusive. We would be very happy to dine there again!

Lovely little place, always enjoyed dining here. Brought quite a few friends over in the past years and everyone loved it here.

Amazing food here. Definitely worth a visit.

Excellent service and Excellent food. I used to work around the corner from Giggling Squid, yet I had never tried the food until I went out for a friend's birthday last night. I wish I had tried it sooner, The food came quickly (though not hurried out, A very reasonable amount of time between dishes) All were steaming hot and presented very well, and the taste was perfect! The Virgin cocktails were lovely, me and my friend had the Strawberry cooler and the Mango one.. (I forgot the name xD) But we both loved them! Staff were very friendly, Quick to assist and very polite! 10/10 will be back!

Busy when others were quiet... thus is, apparently, the original Giggling Squid and we had a great evening with great food and friendly service!

This is the best little Thai place I’ve been too! It’s so quirky and the atmosphere is amazing! The staff were beyond lovely and so helpful! The food is so flavourful, We can’t wait to come back again!

Attentive serve. Friendly staff. Wonderful food. Compact and bijou

Gorgeous Thai cuisine! The staff were so accommodating when we hadn’t booked table, and told us they were fully booked and called us back as couple went to leave! The staff are so friendly, attentive and polite! This place is always busy and a must visit if ever in Brighton, several small rooms that are cosy and personal with staff looking after each area. Apologies, no pictures of food as I just couldn’t wait to get stuck in! Chick satay, spring rolls and dumplings for starters. Paneang curry and chicken pad Thai for mains! Until next time giggling squid, thank you! 🥰

The food was nice the only thing I found was the lamb dish was too sweet for me.