Il Bistro Restaurant in Brighton and Hove

Un espacioso Bistro en las calles de Brighton Tenía pescado con patatas fritas que se cocinó a la perfección El pescado estaba suculento con una masa crujiente encantadora. Las patatas fritas triples estaban crujientes y deliciosas. Las porciones eran muy generosas y yo tenía a esos una bolsa de perro. Aunque no en el menú, Abe estaba feliz de cambiar los guisantes triturados por guisantes de jardín para mí Abe , el camarero era muy servicial y atento Me encantó este lugar y con gusto volvería y recomendaría

Estábamos teniendo un mini descanso en Brighton y estábamos buscando un lugar para cenar y encontramos IL Bistro . . . que pequeña joya. Recibidos cálidamente por Abe que lo dirige nos sentamos rápidamente. Estaba ocupado y él estaba administrando el servicio y el bar por su cuenta (admirablemente) delicioso pescado y patatas fritas para mí y excelente lingüina de mariscos para mi marido, grandes porciones, así que lamentablemente no hay espacio para pudines. Gracias Abe que es el anfitrión perfecto.

Amazing restaurant in the lanes, great host. Great service and food is amazing Would definitely recommend and return

We came to il Bistro on a Sunday night to have a roast. Sadly, they only had the pork roast left and a lot of items were not available anymore. The pork itself was quite dry, vegetables were good, potatoes did not look fresh, they were so hard. The taste in general was pretty good but the little details to the dish were disappointing. The waitress was really sweet and did a great job. The music was a bit weird at times, it went from house music to country to soul, it was not bad but it did not go well with the ambiance of the restaurant. The theme of the restaurant is also a bit confusing, you see italian posters and decoration but when you ask the staff they say it’s french and there are not many french options on the menu. In general not bad but not excellent for the price.

We visited iL Bistro for the first time and although the food was lovely (when the correct order was brought out) the service was shocking! We waited close to 15 just to have our drinks order taken which then took another 10 minutes after ordering to come. Our starters came to the table and was not the food we ordered. Overall the food was brilliant but staff and service need to be worked on. Such a shame as this could be a real little gem of an Italian.

Habíamos visitado Il Bistro para el desayuno en una visita anterior a Brighton y decidimos volver. El desayuno era agradable y tenían una opción vegetariana, pero sería bueno si tenían jugo de fruta como parte del desayuno vegetariano como lo hacen para la opción de carne. El personal era agradable y disfrutamos de nuestros desayunos. Nos preparó para ir de compras en Brighton.

I’d been meaning to try out Il Bistro on any one of the many times I’d walked past in 15 years of living in Brighton, and finally made it having moved out of town, on a wet Sunday night. And I’m so glad I did! The place looks good from the outside… I was looking for somewhere where I could get a roast in mid evening, but to be honest my expectations were not that high. By the time I left two hours later, they had completely exceeded. Il Bistro, in the heart of the attractive and atmospheric south Lanes, is an absolute gem. The waitress was outstanding with her welcome and attentiveness, a lovely manner, engaging warmly with all customers, even bore with me mistaking their bottled limencello for water and trying to down a bottle of it! Roast pork from the roasts menu even at that time of day was superb, priced at pub prices, and within the atmosphere and candlelit interior of the restaurant that felt like a massive win. Nothing was too much trouble for the front of house; I turned down what looked like banging desserts in favour of coffee but ultimately will be back before long to go full two or three course. In a sometimes jaded city Il Bistro carries a warmth, authenticity and quality that not only actually matches it’s veneer but exceeds it. An older school Brighton experience, it was like being back in the Brighton of the early 90s: liberated, hearty, stylish, and inclusive. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, and I will be make this place a regular haunt on my frequent work trips to the city, I feel. The kind of dining experience that frames a weekend perfectly; and sets up the soul for the week.

Best breakfast in Brighton with lovely staff. Housed in an old fisherman’s cottage, great ambience not to mention incredibly reasonable prices. Highly recommended!!!

This is not a great review. Sit back, read and you will see why.. Our son moved into Uni on 14th Aug 2024, after getting stuff into his room we walked into Brighton. We came across IL Bistro, liked the menu and walked in. Was nicely greeted and shown to a table. The restaurant was empty, and we (4) were the only people here. Our waitress took our drinks order and gave us and poured us bottled mineral water, we asked and ordered tap water. Coffees arrived. My son asked for a caramel latte, i asked for a cafe creme. My son received my sugar and my other son and wife have an issue with cows milk so not great when they took sips and realised they their coffees were mixed up, minor, i had to flag this up with them. Our sons steaks arrived. Cooked ok one was over cooked, their hash browns over cooked so i was like having two massive crisps on their plate. Our sons were so hungry and the waitress didn't check on us so they just ate it. We asked for two vegetarian breakfasts, both with poached eggs. They got this wrong and fried eggs arrived on our plates, my wife flagged this to them, i was okay with the fried egg, and i was busy buttering my toast took a bit of the toast and the waitress whipped my plate away to correct this and i wish they didn't as when it returned i have never seen the size poached egg that was on my plate, yoke was over cooked, too much vinegar used and was probably the size of a 10 pence! Even the cheap small supermarket eggs are bigger than this. The waitress should have left our plates and arranged for poached eggs to be brought to our table.. There seemed to be no checking from the team on what we ordered to what was delivered. Most of the time the waiting staff were chatting amougst themselves and we had to get up from our table and walk to where they were to ask them to fix their errors. Be more attentive to your customers! Apart from us, the restaurant was empty! We asked for the bill and waited so long we all got up and walked to where they were playing on their phones! They added their optional service charge, which i asked them to remove. We should of went to the smaller place that was diagonally opposite this restaurant. There was an award on display, not sure what this was for, most slack resturant in Brighton?

After a long day, and having had no time to book a table, I tried my luck with Il Bistro last Saturday evening. Despite the restaurant being extremely busy, the owner Abe kindly found space for me and my partner to have a meal. This place has a great atmosphere, lovely decoration. The team made time for a friendly chat, while attentively serving us. The food was amazing - I'd recommend the Gambas Pil Pil as a starter and Rigatoni pasta as a main. Will be coming back! :)

Después de un largo día, y no habiendo tenido tiempo para reservar una mesa, probé suerte con Il Bistro el sábado por la noche. A pesar de que el restaurante estaba muy ocupado, el propietario Abe amablemente encontró espacio para mí y mi pareja para comer. Este lugar tiene un gran ambiente, una decoración encantadora. El equipo hizo tiempo para una charla amistosa, mientras nos atendía atentamente. La comida era increíble - recomendaría Gambas Pil Pil como entrada y pasta Rigatoni como principal. ¡Volveremos! : )

we were recommended this lovely eatery by friends and descended on them for breakfast on two occasions whilst staying in Brighton. The service and food was excellent and the host was very accommodating and pleasant. will definitely return ! Thank you

Tonight I dined at Il Bistro with a friend, and it was a fantastic experience from start to finish! Our waiter, Abe (I will get your name right next time), provided exceptional service—attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable about the menu. We ordered the Pollo Alla Milanese and the Spicy Rigatoni Vodka, both of which were cooked to perfection. The Pollo Alla Milanese was crispy and flavorful, while the rigatoni was perfectly spicy with a rich, creamy sauce. For dessert, we indulged in the brownie and the intriguing "Butchers Ice Cream." Both were delightful, with the ice cream being a unique and delicious surprise.

First time visiting this restaurant, I have to say I’m not one dining out; however, Il Bistro is a restaurant I would recommend to anybody. The atmosphere was relaxed, the service was friendly and welcoming and the food was perfect. Can’t wait to come back and dine again.

First time visiting this restaurant, I have to say I’m not one dining out; however, Il Bistro is a restaurant I would recommend to anybody. The atmosphere was relaxed, the service was friendly and welcoming and the food was perfect Can’t wait to dine here again!

No me gusta dejar nada menos que una crítica positiva si puedo evitarlo, pero sentí que este lugar no dio en el blanco, tristemente. La camarera era amable, pero hizo algunas observaciones extrañas (lo caliente que estaba, si el hecho de que tenía mi tarjeta de crédito significaba que era una pista que quería la cuenta - que en realidad ya había pedido a otro miembro del personal). La comida estaba bien, pero no muy bien y sin embargo para tres personas con una botella de vino, más de 200 libras, así que no es barato. Mis arancinos estaban secos y los guisantes dentro parecían congelados (estaban arrugados). Mi pollo en salsa cremosa de champiñones estaba bien, mi tiramisú casero... bueno, no fue lo que reconozco como el plato clásico italiano y para un restaurante que remonta sus raíces a Italia, eso fue sorprendente.

Great night with friends and family. The food and the service were top notch. We can’t wait to come back. Thank you il bistro

Not a good experience on a Sunday. We arrived too early for lunch service (30mins too early) but we said we were happy to get a drink and wait for food. They took our drink order (two different coffees), but forgot about the tap water. There hardly any other customers in the restraint at that point. Then didn’t come back to take our food order when the kitchen ordered. Had to get waitresses attention several times. For charcuterie board (just look at the picture, I took it after we took off only two slices of chorizo and two pieces of crostini) and roast (pork and beef). The board was so bad, awful for £11. Roast was not good, only okay. We’ve had much better elsewhere. Beef was difficult to cut, pork wasn’t crispy or melting in your mouth type of fat. It looked nice on the plate but not tasty. The Yorkshire pudding was like a crispy piece of bread, with no rise. Considering how quiet they were, I don’t understand how the service couldn’t have been so inattentive. Would be okay if the food made out for it a little bit but it was so disappointing.

Charcuterie Board was tasty though very sparse for the money The chicken in blue cheese sauce was delicious but potatoes tasted stale and old and hard and tasteless The waitress was rude, wanted us out as we were the only ones in there and literally shoved the card machine under my nose when we hadn’t even asked for the bill. We felt rushed and made to feel uncomfortable being the only ones there Such a shame as I’ve been before and in the past there’s been good service and a lovely vibe. However this time it was so disappointing.

Visited with my family and our dog (yes they are dog-friendly!) and had a nice meal. We sat outside, because we are British and we were on holiday so you have to dine al-fresco! Outside seating is on a slope and the tables aren’t that sturdy so it wasn’t the most comfortable but we moved inside after we ate to finish our drinks. The service was exceptional, the waitress was so lovely and professional and couldn’t do enough to help. The food was nice; we all ate a variety of things, a pasta dish, a steak and a chicken dish. The chicken breast was a bit bland, the mushroom and cream sauce was nice but didn’t hide the blandness of the chicken. The potatoes were tasty and all other dishes were wonderful. A lovely little Italian restaurant.

We make a point of visiting the Il Bistro restaurant whenever we are in Brighton, and have never been disappointed with the food, service or lovely atmosphere at the restaurant. Highly recommend for value and excellent customer service - the staff and food are delightful.

What has happened to Brighton? It’s so hostile towards children now. Pricey restaurant so I expected more. Potatoes were horribly undercooked and my 12 year old was given a bloody steak and handed a machete to cut it with. He took one look at the knife and said, “they do know it’s for a kids meal and that I’m a kid?”. I think this place should drop the pretension and start serving food that is edible. Oh, and don’t assume you have earned the service charge. Someone tell them meat should be well done for children.

This was a cute place, and the service was good. The pasta was tasty and cooked well, but the filet was not at all pleasant. It was quite charred and overdone on the outside, with just the innermost parts being enjoyable to eat.

Decent food but lack of seasoning for my taste. Friendly but slow service.

A stunning dinner spot in the lanes.

Worst cooked steak I've had in my life. Ordered medium. Outside was about a centimeter of ash, middle was closer to raw which I wouldn't have minded if every bite didn't taste like coal. Pasta was pretty good though.

Great food and desserts! Service is relaxed and genuine. We had the lamb liver and linguini sea option and the taste was great. Deserves more attention! PS tiramisu was really good!

Not so good food. Tasteless and not worth the money. Choose another restaurant.

Excellent intimate spot for a couple or gathering. Service was excellent and the food cooked to order. I.e. extremely well done sirloin.

What a great evening in this delightful fishermans cottage in the Lanes Brighton. Honest Abe the owner was courteous and humorous ,ably assisted by his Bohemian colleague from Queens New York.The service and food were excellent all in a very pleasant and calming atmosphere ,with table linens and candle (but Oh!!! get rid of the cheap paper napkins !!) the best evening of our stay in Brighton. Highly recommended

Attempted to eat breakfast here but gave up after a 25 minute wait with very little acknowledgement from the waiting staff. Disappointing as looks like a lovely little restaurant

Arrived about 11am, was lots of tables free, took 25 minutes for someone to take our order after seating us ( 2 standard breakfasts from menu). Waited another 30 minutes to receive our breakfast which only the egg was warm, bacon testure was obviously re warmed bacon that had to tear with a knife because it was like plastic. Wafer thin stone cold toast and mushrooms, sausage was luke warm. Asked for ketchup which was given after 10 minutes after breakfast. Witnessed 7 seperate couples getting up from their tables and walking out without having anything because of the wait. Coffe was okay. No excuse for the state of the breakfast and long wait as this is their livelyhood and the restaurant was more than half empty anyway

So, we chose Il Bistro for a spot of brunch before leaving for home after a very lovely weekend spent in Brighton. We were served by the dark long-haired chap who was somewhat unfriendly, and not at all welcoming - quite aloof and abrupt in fact from the word go. My partner mistakenly ordered an espresso instead of an Americano so popped in to amend this error. When the same guy came out with the coffees he condescendingly said to my partner "do you not know the difference between espresso and Americano?!" which we both found extremely rude and uncalled for. The food itself (Eggs Benedict) was really nice but we also found it really strange and again rude when the family who had been sat next to us for quite a while were told they weren't able to order just hot drinks from the menu but had to order food too?!?! So they left and were really quite upset as they vocalised this to us. We found this really odd and again very rude so I think there should be something to perhaps say this is your restaurant policy if this is the case!! All in all an unnecessarily poor experience!! The other young guy who served us the food was lovely though

I've been here with my family on a lovely sunny day for the first time this year and we have really enjoyed it! We have already been here a couple of times last year but, unfortunately, we didn't have the same experience as a member of staff was behaving awkard, a bit rude and unprofessional. This time we had a totally different experience. The house wine was good, the atmosphere was cozy and warm and so was the new staff, especially the new manager Natalia. She is attentive, friendly, smiley, smart and very professional. Il Bistro has won BRAVO for the the best team in 2024 so, yes, the change of management made by the owner was totally worth it! Keep it up! 👍

We read reviews always before visiting a restaurant, so we were looking forward to this meal. Unfortunately the food was appalling, absolutely tasteless, pasta had no taste and was told to put salt and pepper and chilli oil to make it taste good, Bass had wet skin, kale and greens were like a mash, the chicken batter was burnt! This was all the dishes and not just one! The waitress was amazing, so we didn’t complain, just left knowing we had the worst meal of our holiday!

Nice find. Very reasonably priced. Great service and the Eggs Benedict was top. Homemade sauce, generous portion. It's hard to find a good benedict, and this one was great. Ta

Amazing food and service. Will definitely be going back.

Stuck up waiters who gave us third degree service. I was having a quick bite after attending a work event so I’m so sorry my friend didn’t want to eat as I only bumped into him at the event and yeah he’s not the most preened looking guy but was just keeping me company before we went back to London where we live. I thought this place was pretentious and being from London that’s saying something. The food was so-so.

The most amazing experience I had my wife’s surprise 50th birthday celebration meal here for 21 people and the staff mad it a very special occasion The prior organisation that went into the surprise was seamless as was the service. The food was outstanding and excellent value for money, we will definitely go back the next time we are in Brighton

Wonderful restaurant with excellent food and fantastic service. My pork chop was the best I've eaten. Our server was so lovely, she was upbeat and funny but of course so professional. The beautiful old building has been decorated well and the atmosphere was delightful. Highly recommend and ilwill be visiting again

For the first time in my life I have not eaten my food even though I was hungry. Risotto was not a risotto but a pile of dry rice, undercooked. The gnocchi of my partner was a store bought product. We were still fully charged for it. Beautiful place but worthless food.

I have never sent food away in my life until today. That was the first time it was not edible for me. The risotto I’ve ordered was a pile of what I think was a reheated (not risotto) rice. Risotto does not form a dry mountain in the middle of a plate… they still charged us for it though. My friend gnocchi was a store bought product.

The place looks great, lovely interior and nice looking, however service was not great, specially during busy times, what was far worse, was the very poor food portions, value for money is not good, quality not great.

A lovely meal, it was quiet as was a Monday night but food and service was very good and enjoyed our meal

Really lovely dinner at Il Bistro. Impromptu walk-in whilst visiting Brighton, excellent friendly service and great food

Great place to eat, small but perfectly formed. We went for a meal after the theatre , the choice of seating was useful as there are sort of two areas, so a bit of space between the noisy ones. Food choice great, what was ordered came in a timely manner with the staff being attentive and friendly. Quality was high, the chicken with blue cheese was wonderful. The wine had a free flowing feel to it! Overall an excellent experience and hopefully one to be repeated.

A lovely restaurant with lovely staff and fantastic food. The Sunday roast is stunning. Highly recommended.

loved this spot so much! amazing dark ambience, the seafood pasta was delicious (16.95£) and my friends loved the steak. the prawn on the pasta was so delicious and flavourful, but it’s a pity there was only one. it’s slightly pricey but for a fancy italian restaurant i get the price point

This place is outstanding, and the steak was cooked to perfection. Everything else was on point. I will come back to this place again. Thank you.

I had lovely meal,food was great,starter very big,not complaining 🙄 just no room for dessert. Highly recommended 👌

Nice family run Mediterranean style restaurant located in the Lanes. Staff were very friendly, offering a broad choice of food and wine. Service was good with food arriving in a timely manner, no rush, which is what we wanted. Small error with our order when the side dishes arrived, which was immediately rectified. All in all a good experience and a restaurant that we would visit again.

Wonderful Valentines Day meal at this beautiful, family run restaurant. Being a foodie and a regular at many restaurants, Il Bistro stands out. For any occasion, id highly recommend this restaurant, whether you live in Brighton or just visiting.

Highly recommend for its real Italian cuisine and incredibly friendly service. Our dog was treated as a prince (super dog friendly) and the kids loved the food so much that they ate almost an adult's portion.

What a brilliant find, I would highly recommend a visit to Il Bistro. The food was delicious and the service was at its highest.

We ate at Il Bistro on 24th January and had a lovely meal. We have been once before and thoroughly enjoyed it so decided to book for a post-graduation celebratory meal. We didn't need to book in the end as we ended up being the only ones in the place! (But this meant that they paid a lot of attention to us, so it felt really special). We ordered bread for the table and I ordered the Poulet Basquaise, this was absolutely delicious and so flavourful, as was the Lemon Cheesecake which I ordered for dessert. Overall, it was a wonderful atmosphere with some great service and tasty dishes that were just as great as the first time we visited. Highly recommend!

Nestled in the heart of Brighton, Il Bistro is a charming fusion of French and Italian cuisine, offering a delightful culinary experience. From the moment you step through the door, you're enveloped in a warm ambience that sets the stage for a memorable evening. One of the standout features of Il Bistro is its commitment to using fresh ingredients, whilst offering an excellent varied menu to cater to all tastes. What truly sets Il Bistro apart is the personalised attention extended to every guest. The owner's warm welcome and genuine appreciation for repeat guests create an atmosphere of familiarity and hospitality. It's not uncommon to be greeted with a complimentary drink or to engage in friendly conversation with both staff and fellow diners. Having recently relocated our office to the area, discovering Il Bistro has been a delightful surprise. It's not just a restaurant; it's a culinary haven where great food, attentive service, and genuine hospitality converge. We look forward to returning to Il Bistro whenever we find ourselves in the area, knowing that each visit promises an excellent dining experience.

Fabulous meal and fabulous attentive service! Definitely recommend this place especially for the steak and service!

Fantastic place. Very cool. Great food. Owner great guy carrying on his Dad's dream. Well worth a visit. Nicely priced as well.

Un cadre agréable le soir du 31/12, un service agréable mais pas au rendez-vous dans l’assiette. Visiblement en cuisine on ne sait pas ce qu’est un risotto on confond avec un simple riez à la tomate. Quant à la charcuterie je doute de sa provenance si ce n’est d’un supermarché du coin sans aucune réflexion alimentaire. Nous étions trois et aucun d’entre nous n’a été satisfait de son plat. Aucune idée non plus de ce que sont des pâtes « aldente ». Quant à l’escalope milanaise moins bon que dans un restaurant n’a de gamme. Franchement extrêmement décevant. Je déconseille. Un attrape touristes ! A pleasant setting on the evening of 12/31, pleasant service but not on the plate. Obviously in the kitchen we don't know what a risotto is, we confuse it with a simple tomato risotto. As for the cold meats, I doubt its origin if not from a local supermarket without any food consideration. There were three of us and none of us were satisfied with our dish. No idea what “aldente” pasta is either. As for the Milanese escalope, it is not as good as in a restaurant and has no range. Frankly extremely disappointing. I advise against. A tourist trap !

Had a late lunch here, and it was very good indeed. The service was very friendly, and knowledgeable. The food wad excellent, we really couldn't fault the food or service.

Very friendly staff, really nice and chatty, food was absolutely beautiful from starters to the main , liver and bacon to die for. Definitely will be returning little gem , Thankyou

I'm sure the dinner is great but am yet to try it. So I'll judge the breakfast. Tastewise it is pretty decent but I guess when you pay this much for a breakfast you expect good taste, more than 4 mushrooms. Not to mention the overcooked eggs and cold dry toast. Don't get me started on the shot of juice you get with the "Traditional Breakfast". Anyway, it's not the type of restaurant you should get a breakfast from anyway so my bad.

I had a nice time having Christmas dinner with my friend with short notice of reservation. The food is good, the portion is generous. The staffs are very helpful.

We came here for a pre theatre dinner. The atmosphere was lovely and the staff were friendly and attentive. The starters of burrata and the pate were very tasty. The steak had an amazing char grilled flavour and was super tender and the seafood pasta was delicious! Will 100% be visiting here again to try more of the menu!

First time to Brighton. Found a lovely looking place with loads of Trip Advisor reviews saying how wonderful the food is. Unfortunately, the dishes were so bad that we needed to return them and left hungry. We were so embarrassed to have to tell them and left without taking any photos. We ordered Prawn PilPil, which was the most palatable of the things we ordered but lacked seasoning. Bread, olive oil and dip starter, which consisted of two doorstop slices of white bread that were clearly made in a bread machine, with a few breadsticks broken in half and a two bowls of dip, which was underwhelming in both quality and presentation. We also ordered vegetables side dish which consisted of broccoli and carrots. This was the best dish. The pasta pescatore looked okay when it arrived, but on tasting, we thought it may have been heated in a microwave, and then left under a heating lamp for a period. Pasta was over soft and fish bits were hardened through over cooking, the entire dish was lukewarm. Overall the dish did not taste good and neither of us although very hungry could eat much. Service was good and atmosphere lovely. Food was certainly nothing special. We left hungry with £32 bill feeling quite deflated! Feels like a place that used to be great but either needs the person cooking to prepare the dishes as they are ordered instead of pre-preparing them or needs some form of revival. Underwhelming.

Lovely food good sevice reasonable priced £90 a couple which included a prawn starter plenty of wine and beer 🍺 so all in all not too shabby will definitely visit again

Overpriced for a lacklustre meal, the chefs should go and visit Spain for some idea’s on how to cook….£78 for a starter and main for two with one drink…. Will not be back….yet again rip off Britain…..

Very nice meal attentive service and good atmosphere.

Was looking for someway to eat, saw this place, we went in but had to wait as we did not booked a table, but they found one for us ,we only had a few minutes wait, a big thanks to all the staff they were fantastic .would go back if we was nere there. But if we are in Brighton next time, will be there

Celebrating a friend’s 40th with 6 of us. Lovely atmosphere, delicious food, great drinks, fantastic service. And I recommend the Americano 9 cocktail 😄 Perfect place for a great evening. Thank you.

Fantastic dinner & service last night. Can highly recommend the sardines & fillet steak. Abe & Natalia were lovely & friendly.

Went here with family for dinner, staff were lovely. The fish casserole was delicious.

Good restaurant Nice atmosphere 2 level Good location nice quarter in Brighton located in centre city No parking nearby No wheelchair access Good choice of food Seafood or meat Great homemade dessert

Ich finde, es hätte allen Gerichten gut getan, mehr Gewürze zu nutzen.

Disappointing experience with bland food that was most likely frozen and then microwaved. Service was good but little interest when we mentioned that the food was average ( after being asked ). We had steak ( over cooked ) , fish cakes ( tasted like cardboard ) , petit pois ( frozen Birds Eye peas ) and very oily roast potatoes. The gambas starter was nice , charcuterie board was not. Wouldn’t go back.

Went here after a matinee show at Brighton's Theatre Royal. We were about 45 min's early for our booked table time but this was no problem and we were seated immediately. Il Bistro has a cosy feeling about it. Staff very friendly and accommodating. The food was very very good. We had arancini and gambas for starters, both really nice and for our mains we had the fish and chips and rib eye. The only downside to our visit was we were both too full to have a dessert. This is a really really good restaurant. I highly recommend it.

A good place to have a good meal. The service was commendable and a neat place to eat. We would go there again.

Excellent service and food. Well worth the price and great environment. Perfect for any steak lover.

We managed to reserve a table only a couple of hours before we wanted to eat & so glad we did. The staff were brilliant, very efficient & polite, the food was first class (pate starter & chicken milanese for me & sardine starter & chicken in blue cheese for my husband). Food & drinks are reasonably priced. Would definitely recommend.

Lovely atmosphere Lovely food great staff would totally recommend Very busy family run business great location

Great bistro in a good location right in the lanes. Nice atmosphere especially at night, and they were kind enough to let us have a table quite late. Ordered the rib eye steak and the sea bass - both exceptional, and the sides were very good sizes. Thoroughly recommend

Amazing service with great food

Lovely restaurant in a charming street! Food was delicious, definitely recommend!

Booked last minute, a charming building with tons of character an old fisherman’s house im led to believe ! A lovely greeting by a young lady who reminded me of the girl from stranger things! Very friendly informed of the couple of things not available, do to bank holiday weekend being packed in Brighton, which was no big deal as the whole menu looked great as did the specials board. We had butterfly sardines and i had pil pil prawns my fav when abroad, next we had bass and i had steak with potatoes, timing was just right with the courses fiving enough time to soak up the place, desert was eton mess/strawberry’s and cream a great meal start to finish i always try and find independent place to eat, the menus seem more seasonal and imaginative rather than the chain restaurants, thoroughly recommend a visit food is great staff are pleasant! Or shall i delete this and keep for myself 😀

Awesome food great staff and really reasonable price and so worth it for the quality of food in a family run spot: Was also super quiet compared to the other places around that seemed to have pretty bad customer service where tables weren’t welcome! All in all- highly recommend!

We celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary with a meal here, whilst on a weekend break to Brighton. The rib eye steak was the best my husband had ever had. My chicken was cooked perfectly. The customer service was 1st class. Even the manager took time to chat and made sure everything was ok. A great, friendly, well run restaurant.

Quality service & food in a little "tucked away" restaurant that must be visited. Numerous visits now make me & my husband return as we know we are going to be made to feel special by the staff but also whatever we order will be of the highest quality & cooked to perfection. I work at the local Morrisons store & also live locally so have tried many b"tn restaurants but this one is in my top 2. Highly recommend.

Lovely restaurant in the centre of Brighton. Steak was great although any sides were extra. Vodka pasta was also lovely. Good selection of wine. Lovely atmosphere.

Lovely ambience, beautifully curated by Abe. Cosy, welcoming with a great playlist. A must for food lovers. Beautifully cooked steak. Superb service. I will definitely return, highly recommended, 10/10.

We always hate to leave food on the plate but such was the quantity served up for our main courses that we reluctantly had to concede, having eaten starters. The menu is wide, encompassing southern France, Italy and British cuisine. Vegetarians are well catered for. We enjoyed our meals and especially the warm welcome and chat with owner Abe and waitress Carmen. The prices are as you would expect in these times. For a Thursday evening the place was quiet but so was every other restaurant we passed during our stroll through The Lanes, which raises fears for the future of many eateries in these inflationary times.

The service was great but the food was really bland and not worth money. The cute ambiance was nice so perhaps a good spot for a drink. Wish I had read the other reviews before ordering food here. Definitely is not a real Italian restaurant and the food tasted like something you’d get from a school cafeteria. Everything from the starter to the main. Very disappointing really.

We found this wonderful bistro purely by smell - the aroma was so gorgeous that that the 8 of us booked in for a dinner the next day and it didn’t disappoint. The staff were wonderful & didn’t rush us and the food was amazing....

Lovely evening meal where the food and service were both perfect. We were given time to enjoy our meal without being rushed.

Service was friendly and restaurant is well located in the Lanes but the food was quite average. Most of our food lacked in seasoning and was not quite worth the money.

Bad food,slow service.Wasted my Love Brighton time and money, unfortunately.

Cosy place, friendly waiters and very good service. Food was delicious offering pasta, steaks, sea food and variety of starters. Highly recommended!

Did a late sunday lunch...amazing food/wine /service...this place is a MUST VISIT whether you live in brighton or are here visiting. Such a comfortable relaxed atmosphere with great food & perfect background music. Absolute value for money...mega quality food & served beautifully.

Il Bistro (or it could just as easily be Le Trattoria) announces it has been serving Mediterranean fayre since 1976 and remains something of an institution amongst Brighton’s Lanes. On a hot early summer Bank Holiday Sunday most diners were seated in the patio outside...

Just had a drink, lovely friendly staff though 😊

We had the most incredible meal here last night. Had the sirloin steak which was cooked to perfection and complimented by the chimichurri sauce.