Kitgum The Restaurant in Brighton and Hove - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

We have gone to Kitgum almost every week for nearly two years. However, over the last six months we have seen the prices increase like everywhere els (no surprise there) but portions shrink to less than half! It’s the latter that made it a great shame. On our last visit, the cauliflower had a total of 4 small florets and we had 3 tiny koftas in kofta dish. The dahl came in a bowl which was no more than a quarter full. The lamb kalio had a total of 4-5 bites, and the bhinda was absolutely tiny with exactly 4 okras in it. At £12, two small pieces of fried chicken really did seem tight. However, the trout was nicely portioned. Knowing what the cauliflower and the kalio used to be like, it was rather disappointing and also just not enough a portion size to actually enjoy the lovely taste. Personally, I would rather pay more for each individual dish and get more of the food, than pay the amount they charged and get such a miniscule amount. I was keen not to post this post online so I emailed the owner who didn’t respond over a month ago. I followed up on instagram and he said he would reply asap, however, sadly a month has now gone past, and I didn’t get a response to my email therefore I felt obliged to share this public review. It’s just a real shame that as a very loyal customer, I didn’t even get an acknowledgement email back.

Wonderful food and friendly service, thank you! Undoubtedly the tastiest dishes in Brighton right now.

Absolutely love this place. Outstanding food and so, so friendly. We can’t wait to go back already!

Lured in by the £20 Saturday lunch deal and interesting menu, this has to be one of the best meals I’ve had in Brighton. Every dish was outstanding - it’s a “mix of small plates via India, East Africa, Persia & Brighton” - and the service friendly (sometimes a bit slow but they were nearly full). The menu included ingredients and drinks sourced locally. If you’re open to trying something a bit different and are around the Duke of Yorks area I highly recommend giving it a try 😋

Ate here a few weeks ago after wanting to go for months. I'm East African and was excited to try the menu. Food and atmosphere were absolutely magnificent. I also really loved the music 🎶. However the service was very slow for a Monday evening. It wasn't busy and we felt like they kept forgetting about us and there were big gaps between plate delivery. Even waited ages for the bill. Something felt off with the service... Everything else was fabulous. I'd go again.

Utterly amazing! Service was excellent and incredibly friendly, we felt at home straight away. The food was excellent, everything was perfectly prepared and complimented each other - definitely get the doughnuts for desert! We will be going again!

Finally got around to booking and not disappointed- lovely flavours friendly service

Amazing food, environment and service

Fayaz was absolutely lovely. He was so Jolly, chatted to us and made the experience 10/10. The food was delicious as well. We got the set menu of 2 of first plates and 1 of second plates each with a few sides and a pudding. It was perfect. Will be returning!!

Fantastic food and service. Great atmosphere and great value for money.

This is the second time we visited Kitgum, and it‘s quickly becoming our favourite place for dinner. We received a really warm welcome, and although the restaurant was fully booked, the atmosphere was lovely and chilled. The food is outstanding and flavoursome and a little different from Brighton’s usual offerings. We would recommend the set menu, which is great value for money.

Been a few times now. Totally amazing food each time. Will be back soon. 🙏

Really good taster menu, lovely staff. Couldn't have asked more in a dining experience.

Amazing food, charming owner and relaxed vibe.

As someone who enjoys to cook at home, I like to experience food that I wouldn’t/couldn’t easily cook myself. Kitgum is the place to go for this. The food is exciting and different and the small plates meant I got to try out lots of tantalisingly good flavours and the meal was excellent value for money. The atmosphere is chilled and welcoming and the staff attentive but discreet. Well done Kitgum! I understand how difficult it is for small independent restaurants to survive in these difficult economic times and so many hard working restauranteurs have gone to the wall. I for one will continue to support this fantastic little local restaurant and am really looking forward to my next visit!

*KitGum only offer £25pp set menu only* I have eaten here a few times in the past and the food was great, we returned to discover that they only offer a set menu of £25pp. For me the cost isn’t the issue, but the portions size are too small, we did not enjoy the broccoli and peanut vegetarian dish and when we notified the waitress she was disinterested, she apologised but that was the only response. It’s a shame because it was a great restaurant but now limited choice and small portions, expensive for a £85 meal for two, wine was good though 2/5.

An absolute delight from start to finish! The price for the tasting menu is very fair for the amount of food you get - which is a lot. We were welcomed with a complimentary appetiser of deep fried potatoe with a tomato relish. The lamb balls were incredible, as were the chicken wings. My partner and I shared the okra and the aubergine as our mains which were both great. Finishing with the cardamon donut with saffron ice cream was the cherry on the top of a great meal. The service was lovely and their recommendations were great and the open kitchen that was slightly raised from where we were eating gave a lovely connection to the whole meal. Thank you Kitgum!

We tried the set menu, which comes with two starters and one main per person. The food was incredible, beautifully flavoured, and comes out slowly, so you can really soak up the lovely atmosphere. The owner is really kind and loves to talk to customers- he really makes you feel welcome and taken care of. We also tried the dessert, which was a donut with kulfi/mango sorbet. It was a delicious way to round off a great experience.

Fantastic meal, all the food was unique and incredibly flavoursome. Our host was lovely and super friendly and the atmosphere was great, can't recommend this place enough ⭐

So nice to experience properly exciting food. Loved this place and I'm going back. Perfect service

Hugely impressed: great menu, cooking and staff. Great fixed priced menu and good value wines. I'm not usually a fan of small plates but here dishes were delivered in order with all dinners eating together.

This is a lovely little restaurant which has beautiful different food, which is delicious. I recommend this restaurant we had the taster menu which offered us a range of their dishes. The cardamom doughnut 🍩 was amazing. Just missed a coffee at the end.

Amazing food reasonably priced in a small simply furnished space - a real hidden gem!

Amazing food, delicious wine and perfect service! Thankyou to all.

Outstanding! Hands down some of the most delicious food I have ever eaten. Each dish was meticulously prepared and presented like a work of art. The service was excellent. The staff are so friendly and helpful. A must eat if you're ever in Brighton. I can't wait to go again!

Food was nice enough by portions are tiny.

This is probably one of the best restaurants I have been to in ages When you taste the food it’s a billion different spices which blow your mind I have not tasted food as beautifully tasteful as this Fantastic restaurant in food, serve and every element Highly highly recommend The fish was outstanding

My favourite restaurant in Brighton! The staff are always so lovely and the service is fantastic. The food is absolutely delicious with some excellent vegan options, all of which are clearly marked in the menu - including the wines, which is something many other restaurants should take note of! Love it here, highly recommended.

Delicious food. Small intimate restaurant. Definitely will return.

Expensive and Disappointing as due to bad planning they didn’t cook the rice we ordered in time for the curries - we ordered the rice at the very beginning and as there were multiple plates they could have delayed cooking the curries when they realised their mistake. Instead they let us know when the curries arrived that the rice would be another 10 minutes. I don’t like bread so ruined my experience as I think rice is a staple with curry. The others enjoyed the food so giving 2 stars.

Stingy portions and rip off prices

This was the second time I’ve eaten at Kitgum. The first time the food was good, so we decided to give it another go. Unfortunately on our second visit we found the food to be average . The portion size of some of the dishes was disappointing. £9.50 for 4 small strips of smoked trout was not great value. The beef tacos were very spicy, but tasteless. We also ordered chickpea fritters and the portion was tiny. The only dishes I could recommend would be the lamb curry which was very tasty and the battered cauliflower both of which were reasonably sized portions. I understand that Kitgum uses good quality locally sourced ingredients and inflation is taking its toll, but if the portions were more generous and the food outstanding, then I’d consider recommending the restaurant but for the price there are better options in Brighton. To be fair the staff were very friendly.

Lovely little restaurant, we ate a wide variety of small plates and all were delicious (though small, ended up ordering some more as we went) staff were polite, responsive and generally nice. Would thoroughly recommend!

I can’t say enough good things about Kitgum. We had 5 dishes, all were absolutely delicious. The fried cauliflower was over the top. Yum. The staff were friendly and attentive, and we were fortunate enough to meet the owner and his family who were delightful.

Food was really good, but the portions were small. Best to get a bit of everything. Tight seating area but still ok. Overall a nice restaurant.

Popped in on the way back from town, thought we'd give it a go. Will definitely be back. Loved it!

Great tasting food, small venue so worth booking a table. Small portions so slightly overpriced for what you get. Still worth a visit for the unique fusion of East African and Asian flavours.

We had a lovely time here and enjoyed all of the different flavours of the foods. We were served by the chef wearing chilli ear rings who had the most welcoming smile and was so attentive and friendly. It made the whole experience!! The wines and beers were also so delicious.

Great Ugandan Asian influenced food of very high quality. Very good informed & friendly service. Very basic hard seating.

Very tasty but disappointing small glasses of wine . Medium sized wine is very small so drinks a bit of a rip off ! Shame as food really good .

Firstly, the taste of the food is the main attraction here. Can't fault that. Nice spice combinations, simple presentation - just delicious. When I visited, there were only 12 dishes on the menu, which made things easy! However, the portions are small and expensive. Six small wings for a tenner, a curry main course which is around the third of the size of one you'd get in an Indian restaurant is £14. Staff are lovely but conditions in the restaurant are cramped - more like a greasy spoon than a restaurant. I sat back to back with another diner. Meal for two was around £108 - it would've been £122 but I noticed that we were overcharged on the. Definitely worth trying but not more than once for me - an expensive night out fotr what you're getting.

I loved Kitgum when it was in Brighton pubs. But the restaurant was disappointing. Very limited and boring veggie options, and the tables are so close together you'll be dining with strangers and be smacked in the shoulders by wait staff and people going to the toilet every 5 minutes.

Small plates, 3xstarters, 2xcurrys, chapati,cumin rice, a beer,soft drink & service Inc £60 it did us. If you're hungry get another 2 starters or a curry. Helpful staff, we will be back. Top tip, book a table as it gets busy ( even on a Wednesday)😉

Firstly, the taste of the food is the main attraction here. Can't fault that. Nice spice combinations, simple presentation - just delicious. When I visited, there were only 12 dishes on the menu, which made things easy! However, the portions are small and expensive. Six small wings for a tenner, a curry main course which is around the third of the size of one you'd get in an Indian restaurant is £14. Staff are lovely but conditions in the restaurant are cramped - more like a greasy spoon than a restaurant. I sat back to back with another diner. Meal for two was around £108 - it would've been £122 but I noticed that we were overcharged on the. Definitely worth trying but not more than once for me - an expensive night out fotr what you're getting.

Rally cool place. Nice vibe. Great good. Good vegan options

Really tasty well made food, small restaurant but friendly staff and nice place to eat. Couple of other reviews stating food was expensive and I think maybe one or two dishes were a bit overpriced but most ok. My issue was the food is served as it's ready, which is common these days, but the rice and bread came at the end when we had eaten all the dishes we needed the rice for. And £6.50 for a can of beer is annoying

Amazing food. Must eat in Brighton! Friendly and kind staff. Food super tasty! Really don’t miss it! Also, make a booking or be willing to wait!!! Get the mandazi and kulfi for dessert! It’s stunning. And for mains get the kahai chicken, the white fish, and the okra! They were great great great. Amazing quality and flavours. Incredible Can’t recommend this place enough! HYPED We paid £70 for 2 starters, 3 mains, 1 beer (local - very good), and 1 dessert. We were 3 of us, and shared everything! So so so so so good.

Amazing flavours, very tasty, beautiful colours, perfect sized shared dishes for two, we only had the veggie / vegan dishes and loved every mouthful. It is a small cosy intermate place. Music was a tad loud and I personally would have liked cushions on the chairs. Lovely staff. Shame the prices have gone up.

Nazul (the waiter) was very proactive and helpful!

Quirky little restaurant with an even quirkier menu. Loved how experimental this was.

Amazing place, delicious food - there were four of us and as it’s sharing plates we were able to try basically everything on the menu which was a dream!! All the staff were so lovely and we spoke to the owner who was so welcoming and clearly passionate about providing excellent food and service to customers. We booked so were able to be seated right away, there are only 6 tables inside so not sure what it would be like for walk ins. Might be worth phoning ahead. Support this local business it is amazing!

Really interesting menu, delicious food, lovely atmosphere and attentive staff. Pretty much ate everything on the menu! Our party's favourites were the cured sea trout, Kenya potatoes, and the lamb curry. Will definitely be back.

Went here following local knowledge tip off. Small and friendly. Tapas style. Great food and service. Authentic flavours with a modern twist. Wise to book.

Went to The Depot in Lewes Saturday and was lucky enough to have the Kalyo Lamb Curry from the pop up Kitgum. Absolutely gorgeous and just what the doctor ordered after a lovely afternoon of sampling different beers around Lewes. Highly recommended

Kitgum is a true gem. One of those places where 5 stars isn’t enough. There’s such authenticity and love in the food (do not miss the lamb curry it’ll blow your mind and tastebuds!) The hosting and service went waaaay above and beyond expectations - we had some tricky requirements to deal with and they were just so incredibly kind and accommodating. So grateful, can’t wait to come back again. Thank you!

Absolutely AMAZING! This experience made eating FUN! Novel and interesting recipes that have clearly been thought through down to the finest and most delicate flavour note, executed magnificently and hosted by incredibly kind and sweet people. Eating here turned into a wonderful and complex exploration of our vast, and often understimulated, flavor pallette.

Some of the best food I’ve had in such a long time, the flavours were so refreshing and unique! The dishes were cooked to excellence. Everything we had on the menu was delicious and Marta was a wonderful host and cook! Thank you 🙏

Amazing food (really reasonable prices) wonderful friendly setting and lovely service. Highly recommended!

Amazing food!! I would recommend this to anyone! Food was truly magic and service was second to none!

The food was absolutely delicious. Have been highly recommending to friends. Would go again as well.

Fabulous food. Friendly staff and buzzy atmosphere.

Great place! friendly staff, tasty food, every dish was amazing and we ate a lot of dishes! Will be going back.

Always excellent fresh delicious food and great value.

I Was excited to try, alas…. underwhelming food. I didn’t eat any meat to be fair, so I reserve judgement on the meat. But the veggie/vegan food was very bland. The cauliflower fried bites were so unseasoned and every dish was a disappointment. Menu lacks identity, and feels thrown together. The recommendation from the staff was the Dahl. It was very 1 dimensional. Wine was also awful, didn’t want to finish the glass let alone the bottle. It’s a real Shame as I was hyped and went in ready to enjoy so it is not easy that I have to honestly say, I will never return. But staff where friendly and the vibe is nice, but the food was not for me or my partner, and we don’t often agree on food

Great food, great staff, great atmosphere. Loved it. Made my heart very happy!

Lovely setting, super helpful staff and delicious food 😋

Amazing food, really cute little place, the servers are lovely. Can’t wait to go back

Seemed Nice when we walked in but the food was ridiculously overpriced and there was hardly any food on the plates. I do get that this restaurant was more of a tapas style but this was just average tasting food for a great sum of money. One of our dishes was the chicken samosas which were nothing special and then a lot of money they were £4:50 for 2 miniscule samosas. Also they only had 2 samosas on 1 plate and they were absolutely tiny. If it is up to me I wont every be eating here again . Very Very disappointed.

Delicious food, would definitely eat there again. On the pricier side though.

I can highly recommend Kit Gum Kitchen, each mouthful is a delicious explosion of flavour. As a group dining experience it is amazing as we managed to try most dishes in the menu and loved all of them! From delicate flavours of the trout, tantalising fish curry to very delicious vegan dishes - the fried cauliflower went very quickly and every dish was incredibly tasty! Lovely atmosphere and decor. I have been introduced to organe wine l, which was a fabulous find! We were all happily full but so pleased we ordered the mandzi cardamom doughnuts as they were gorgeous and such a great was to end the meal.

Simply Amazing. I live locally and so have been able to chat with the Kitgum team. They're all so lovely and personable. The food is INCREDIBLE. A must go for Brighton Foodies and for lovely date night vibes.

This little place is perfect for a Saturday lunch. Food is delicious and unique, we'll be back.

Lovely little neighbourhood restaurant. Food is delicious and owner/staff super friendly.

Fair enough. Expensive though. £33 per person and we were not on the sauce. The lamb Meatballs were misdescribed - they were Croquets of mostly potato. Other similarly priced dishes were far more substantial. Friendly service.

What a wonderfully cooked meal we had here at Kitgum. It was full of flavour, exciting dishes and there was just such a fabulous vibrant atmosphere. Will return to try all the dishes we couldn’t fit in this time. I highly recommend a visit.

Amazing place, I got the Vegan taster menu and it was amazing! everything was so flavoursome and well made with high quality ingredients. The food is just incredible. Beautiful decor, clean and amazing atmosphere. Staff are super helpful and friendly! definitely recommend 👍🏻👍🏻

The best meal I’ve had in the last 6 months. This is one of those special Brighton places. Wonderful front of house staff, great atmosphere and flavours to blow your mind.

Outstanding food. Thoroughly enjoy every visit here

Lightly spiced but over salted small plates and the chapati was from a supermarket

Some aspects of the food were great such as the the lamb and the confit of lamb potato however a salad of tomato, and pickles and a bowl of dahl gave the food an overpriced price mark. I was expecting a couple of different curries or something. The main let down for us was the service that day which was disappointing. The guy serving us (I think the owner) said he was on his own that day and stated that it was a nightmare. Fair enough for being honest but I thought that this was a negative first impression and I was actually prepared to leave after this comment but as Kitgum take a pre booking of £20 deposit each person for the table I was concerned that we would have forfeited this so we felt compelled to continue. The guy serving us was a really nice person with smiles and positivity but..........It took one hour from ordering for our food to arrive. We were given 2 apologies during this time for the lateness which we can accept as problems happen but worst of all we were charged for service at the end of 12.5% when the service was frantic, scarce and full of apologies. The manager should have at least given us a free beer or something as we ordered another one for the long wait. It's cheeky not to have automatically taken off the service charge. All other customers also had long waiting times. I understand there can be bad days and problems but managing them well is important and it wasn't at the end. Kitgum has potential with its food and the staff are nice but it's a very small venue and we felt crammed in with other people right next to us.

Fantastic first visit for lunch today. Such delicious food!

Never a dud visit. Came as part of the Octoberbest deal which was excellent value. Always delivers on flavour and atmos. One of my faves.

I was here for a birthday greet and it was. It reminded me of the bijou restaurants we used to frequent in Paris. Only five tables … or was it six? One space and a kitchen. Lovely freshly prepared food and a great atmosphere. Book in advance!

Kitgum was outstanding value and the quality of the food....of the scale...underpinned by exceptional service..can't wait to go again

The best food I've had in a long time, the flavours were incredible!

Had an amazing time here the other night, we had several small plates which were all delicious and the dessert was amazing. Great service and atmosphere. Will definitely be going back 😋😊

Lovely atmosphere beautiful tasting well thought out food, we want to return to try the dishes we didn't have!

Amazing little restaurant in Brighton. Small plates but the portions are generous and the price is fair. Ordered four dishes and chapattis between 2 people and walked out with full bellies! Nice ambience and friendly waitress but the food is really the star here, every dish bursting with flavour and originality. Can't wait to go back for more. Long live Kitgum!

We booked an outside table based on a Facebook page that hosted a video of a large outdoor area, but this may have been a one-off street party at another location. I only mention this because under no circumstances do you want to eat OUTSIDE Kitgum. We were downwind from a Dog Refuse Bin and boy, was it fresh! This is no judgment on the establishment but you simply will not be able to relax, enjoy their food and have a good night without a gallows black humour and some zen management skills or take your own incence. We would have stayed longer and had dessert but I couldn't take it anymore. It's typical of Brighton council to sell rents for any business application and then not follow-up or rationally consider how everything clicks together. It's their fault, solely, and not Kitgums. Anyway, that perhaps overlong caveat aside..... these are lovely young people serving tasty food at decent small plate prices. You're talking 5.5 for veggie stuff like battered Cauliflower florets, which were lovely, up to 13.5 for Bass (which was the star of the show, for us) and Pork Belly which was around 11.5 if I recall. Drinks included local beers and my partners white wine was well received. I can't find a current menu online which indicates seasonal rotation so we'll definitely return but we will be BOOKING INSIDE. Overall aside from the fact that my partner is so much fun it didn't really matter, I'd say it wasn't entirely pleasant eating here, being a distracting and gross-out funny start to our evening. This restaurant, like hundreds of other businesses, deserves better of Brighton & Hove council who will happily rinse and repeat tenants with no concern for their prosperity or environment. A plague on all their houses. And more power to Kitgum!

My girlfriend booked us a table here for a week night meal and it was amazing. I was keen to try food I’d never eaten before and I was very impressed. Lovely small plates, the friendly and approachable waiter recommended 4/5 plates for 2 people and we took 5 which was enough food to fill us both up nicely. Lovely setting, really great staff, tasty espresso martinis and yummy food! Would recommend.

We turned up without a reservation but manage to get one straight away. The staff and owner are very friendly and the food is absolutely delicious! Will definitely be back to try the rest of the menu. The lamb crispy belly was incredible! 5 stars 😍

C'était top. Une bouffe géniale. Des saveurs extraordinaires ressemblant à la cuisine indienne. Des serveurs jeunes et sympathiques. Un seul bémol pour le "vin orange" vraiment spécial mais ils n'y sont pour rien... Mais vraiment un resto à conseiller si vous êtes à Brighton.

All I can say is wow. An amazing combination of flavours very lovely dishes fresh and well presented. Nice wine list. Amazing staff. Will be going back.

Visited in May 2022. Came with some friends and that's probably the best idea as you can try most of the dishes on the menu. Everything was tasty and we ended up quite full. Portions could be a bit bigger but they are definitely not small. Can't remember how much we paid but it felt a good value for money. I wouldn't go again before trying another place but I would definitely recommend people to go and try it. You might need an adventurous pallet for some of the dishes as it is not strictly speaking a traditional cuisine.

Really delicious food and great staff in a cosy environment - we weren’t sure what to order so asked our waiter (sadly didn’t get his name) who was super attentive and helped us pick dishes out. Make sure to book a table to avoid missing out! Lovely atmosphere, highly recommend.

Folks, you have to try the cured salmon and their organic orange wine - so delicious! Kitgum has a delicious range of veggie, fish and meaty plates to share with friends. We were a table of four and had 10 plates (which was enough for us). The food is matched by the owners super chill vibes. This place is my new favorite spot.

Incredible! What an amazing restaurant - the wine list is perfectly curated and a great selection of local beers too. Raf handles the floor perfectly by himself and the food is fantastic and incredibly reasonably priced. Loved it!

The story is good, the ratings are amazing but I was not enthousiast about food which is overprice for what you have in your plate.

Surprisingly expensive for very small portions. For the price I expected much more but the food was unfortunately pretty mediocre. 12.5% "optional" service charge on top which they know it is too awkward to ask to remove.

More rice and bread the service charge was excessive and not warned about which pushed an inadequate amount of food too much. Rice and bread cost very little so why not more. .