Raffaello in Brighton and Hove

Wonderful service: the door was opened to greet us on arrival; the chef asked if we were content with our meals; the waitress served us attentively; all staff said goodbye as we left. We went on a Sunday in half term in October. There were perhaps 3 other parties eating there at 2pm. My daughter said that the carbonara was the best she ever had. The pepperoni pizza was wolfed down. My meat pollo calzone was okay but lots of the pieces of meat had hard pieces of gristle which made many mouthfuls unpleasant to eat, sadly. I did, however, love the Moroccan peppermint tea.

Definitely will return!! It was such a treat for Me and my friends . The food was reasonably priced and all seems fresh and cooked well. - the lobster was so tasty and the pasta was so creamy. The staff is so welcoming and friendly. We had a great time

Good food was a very nice place

Sam was our waiter for the evening. We couldn’t praise him enough. Service brilliant, friendly, made sure our table was clean throughout courses. Friendly smile. Nothing was too much for him. Food was lovely. Definitely be back.

By far the worst pizza I’ve ever had. Meet was grey and rancid. Staff are friendly but try somewhere else if you’re planning on eating

Amazing food Everything was perfect I do recommend Helmi

Amazing food,Top tier Good service food was perfect 100% will be coming back

Great Pizza! The pizza here is delicious, with a crispy crust and well-balanced sauce. The ingredients are fresh, and the chef does a great job preparing it. If you're looking for good, quality pizza, I recommend giving this place a try.

Delicious food, generous portions and really friendly staff. Tirimasu to die for

I recently visited Raffaello and had a great experience. It’s been a while since I’ve had such good Italian food. The dishes were flavorful and well-prepared, with a nice balance of classic Italian tastes. The pasta was cooked just right, and everything felt fresh and thoughtfully made. The service was also solid—friendly and efficient without being overbearing. The staff made sure we had everything we needed and were helpful with menu suggestions. Overall, if you’re looking for a spot with quality Italian food and good service, Raffaello is definitely worth a visit. I’ll be back for sure!

Had really tasty meals! Would recommend to anyone 😊

The best Ravioli, I highly recommend thisRestaurant.

I had an amazing dinner the staff was fantastic. Warm and welcoming the food was impeccable, delicious and gorgeously prepared specially the whole seabass with shrimps I would recommend it to anyone. Big thanks to Chef Hesham for the amazing food.

I really recommend it the food and service were excellent the best tomato pasta was accompanied by a special taste of parmesan. and the main course was as delicious a beef steak as I've ever had before. the best chef I have ever met before because everything I had requested had been fulfilled. I really appreciated it. thank you chef.

Lovely Italian food close to the Lanes, service was great and all cooked to perfection. The meatballs were just stunning.

I ordered Penne Arabiata and fanta for myself, even though I didn't want the fanta iced, they brought it, thank you, the food was great and very tasty.

Found this restaurant whilst walking around Brighton before heading back home. We had our dog and he was welcomed in too. Friendly waitress led us to our table, took our drinks orders. I had raspberry mojito which was v refreshing and my daughter had a pina colada. Hubby and youngest had soft drinks. Youngest had bruschetta for starters, which we cannot fault along with a pizza, all v good. Myself, my hubby and daughter all had the sea bass. This wasn’t great if I’m being honest, the sauce was bland and it was served with croquette potatoes, which looked like they’d come out of a packet you’d find in Iceland. The menu itself has so much choice on it, I felt this was a little overwhelming too. Nice restaurant, could do with simplifying the menu and maybe serve better quality accompaniments. Also, service is included in the bill, so watch out for that at the end.

We had a lovely meal last night at Raffaellos, the food was really good with good portion size and really good quality. My partner said it was the best seafood risotto she's ever had. I had the grilled chicken which was also very good. Service was perfect too, very friendly.

The food was awful. Don't know how it's gotten this many stars. The waitress was so apologetic when we told her the gorgonzola gnocchi tasted like it had expired and had pieces of prawn in it, and when my girlfriend found what looked like scouring sponge in her risotto. However, the thing that very much worried me was the hygiene of the chef. He came to deliver some fries to our table with hands that were filthy, then when I asked to have my phone that I had put on charge back, he came to give it back to me and I saw black dirt under his fingernails and hands that looked like they hadn't been cleaned since last night's shift. Shame, the staff's heart was in the right place, but the hygiene and food safety wasn't.

The plate came dirty, Hair on the food, and the cream was gone off on the gnocchi, found a piece of scrubbing sponge in the risotto, honestly the worst experience, the waitress was lovely however the restaurant was disgusting, very dirty. Didn’t end up paying for any of it as we didn’t eat… Would not consider going back as the place does not follow the health and safety rules… Very disappointed…

Absolutely fantastic Lobster Linguine 👏👌 Best I have had in a while!!

We found this restaurant because it was close to our hotel but we were amazed by how good the quality of the food was. We definitely recommend trying the lobster and seafood linguine but any of the pastas with seafood in them are also quite good. The pizzas were also a pleasant surprise, the crust was baked to perfection and it wasn’t as heavy as expected. Even though we only saw one chef he was so nice, even coming out of his kitchen to ask us how our food was. Overall, would 10/10 recommend more people to come, was one of the best meals we had in Brighton throughout our stay!

Quick service and well prepared food in the centre of town. Strong on pastas but also do pizza and a few Italian main courses. Chefs are partly visible as they cook and there are outside tabled for good weather days.

We toured Brighton and ended up here for lunch. We ordered the £10 lunch menu. 2x pizza pepperoni and 1x spaghetti bolognese. Both were really excellent!! We've been to countless Italian restaurants because of our children... but this one really stood out because of its incredibly delicious and aromatic food. Absolute recommendation!

Beautiful - no words - booked table for 9. Host was so welcoming. Tables were set up prior to our arrival . Food was incredible , service even better. Booked here to celebrate my brothers birthday - the staff played happy birthday and all came out with mini chocolate mousse cakes and all clapped and wished him a happy birthday. I will absolutely return and recommend. Ordered 3 pizzas, spaghetti bolognese, simple tomato pasta, burgers and garlic bread.

Visited with my partner 09/08/24 and was absolutely blown away! The staff are really friendly, polite and attentive (without hovering over you and pestering!), the food is absolutely BEAUTIFUL and very well priced especially with the large portion sizes (we had Arancini, bruschetta, halloumi and Rigatoni All Amatriciana), and the atmosphere was lovely! We sat outside in the sun and it was just wonderful! Would HIGHLY recommend, especially over the local chain restaurants! If you like good Italian food and wine with lovely people, this is the place for you! Will definitely be returning!

Absolute exquisite cuisine chef exceptional all staff exceptionally friendly highly recommended on all levels

Had one of the best pizzas in a while.

Absolutely beautiful restaurant. The food is fresh, tasty and the service is top notch! If you haven’t been here already check it out. Beautiful outside dining area, generous portions, and good pricing. I honestly cannot fault the restaurant. We came back for the second night in row just to try something else on the menu 😂. Will most certainly be returning!

Best food ever thanks to chef HESHAM and very kind staff

The staff; food and service was 10/10 everytime I visit Brighton I will visit this place. The food is outstanding and they are always so accommodating. Prices are so reasonable. I will forever come back here. Great atmosphere beautiful restaurant!!

A charming and excellent Italian restaurant. I visited with friends and we ordered the lasagna, which I highly recommend, it was very saucy and authentic and for the dessert very yummy tiramisu😋 The staff were super friendly and also the drinks were very good. Highly recommended!

Perfect food 😋 We ordered lasagna and pizza, they were delicious. The place was so cozy, a great experience! Highly recommended!

Cozy and brilliant Italian restaurant .. went with my friends, we ordered Lasagne (highly recommended!! very saucy and authentic) and King prawns starter was delicious The Cesar salad also is wonderful ... mojito was nice also Value for money 5 stars.. 👍🏻

Great cheesy pizza with good veggie options. Would recommend if visiting Brighton and craving Italian food 😊

Worst pizza I have ever had, I would compare to even worse to my local takeaway shop. The waiter didn't even ask how my food was, lol 😂 Pizza was dry, with a hint of cheese and a dry overbaked base. It had no sauce on the side .. my dogs even didn't like it ... There is a reason why it's not popular by local people....

Allowed us to book online for a special occasion. Sent confirmation email to confirm it was all set. We turned up to an empty restaurant with workmen outside sanding and painting the place on a Friday night. No sign of staff. Utter joke we were not informed and the booking was even allowed to go through.

Frankly speaking, the staff was very polite, especially the Egyptian young man at the reception who had a cheerful spirit. The chef made my daughter a special request for pasta, and he came to ask us about the food after we finished. 👍🏻 The lasagna is delicious, and the tarmaisu I highly recommend. Our trip to Brighton was for three days and we visited it twice God willing, I will visit him again Thank you all

Great little gem. Don't go for [chain] nearby. The quality of food here is outstanding. And good value for money. (preiswert!)

The owner was a great man, but the food was trash. No flavour in any food,they forgot the tomato sauce on my pizza, the forks were so bent and the knifes were dirty. But they had good background music.

Me and my family were passing by and we’re looking to get a table at Bella Italia. We couldn’t get a table and then a nice man invited us into Rafaello’s. The food was absolutely exquisite, the atmosphere was great and the service was amazing. Will definitely return to this place.

Such a surprise. There were no people inside, place looked like it's closed. But I'm happy we tried walking in, as the drinks we ordered were huge and well mixed, and the pizzas we've had were the best I've ever tried outside of Italy. I'm so curious what other Italian food you have to offer, if it's at least half as good as pizza, I'll be going to Brighton more often with Raffaello being my favourite stop. The waitress was very kind and the cooks definitely know what they're doing. I usually don't leave tips when the service charge is included, but this is a rare exception. Well deserved.

Amazing dinner! Super affordable! Best Bolognese I have ever had! Cozy vibes and friendly staff.

Fabulous food !! Service a little slow but got there in the end, Top tip, don't order the Limoncello, we got a bottle top in the bottom of our glass !! Nearly choked !

Friendly and kind staff members and good room temperature inside! Burrata tasted expired. Door did not close and wind blew in and guests had to stand up every now and the to close the door.

Exceptional!!!!!!!!! Very nice cosy place ,nice portions and defintely good food . If you are at the area it's worth a try .

One of tge best restaurants. First the stuff was so welcoming and friendly. And the food was so delicious. I ordered steak and my friend took pizza . Totally recommended

The pizzas are good and the wine too, special mention to the Italian music during the evening 🤌🏼❤️

Small but very good Italian restaurant. It's a bit hidden, came across it by chance. Very tasty, very hospitable. Top!

Lovely would recommend for a lovely traditional pizza ,good service well looked after 👍

I can’t describe how fresh and tasty their pizza 🍕 is. They make the best pizza at a really reasonable price. Much better than many chain Italian restaurants. I recommend anyone to try this place and spend their money on a small business 😍.

Welcoming and friendly staff, delicious food. Highly recommend!

Really great expiroence with the food!

I would give 0 but unfortunately they got just 1. first of all, me and my friends where standing up near the Roof garden place waiting them to serve as, a guy from that restaurant came and says it’s there bar and here is our restaurant since we were looking for food we went and end up is not there bar. The food was disgusting , we took a vegan cheesecake it was like a piece of butter , the virgin mojito was like water with ice absolutely no taste, I’m coffee lover first time could not drink the coffee also it was served in cup of water . Also order three tiramisu we literally asked the waiter does it contain alcohol he was like no alcohol at all and then his friend was like it contains alcohol SO we were confused. We ate nothing We have been ignored ,also when we asked them to remove the service charge because we did not want to pay the waitress was so MAD and he grabbed the receipt aggressively it was so rude .

Great food and service. Family owned business highly recommended

Lovely food and even more lovely people

This is an amazing hidden gem! The atmosphere is lovely a very child friendly! The food was incredible , home cooked to perfection and a lot more authentic than the Italian chains nearby! I would definitely recommend dining here over any of the chains around , we will definitely be back

This place is definitely a “hidden gem”. We were actually somewhere else on the corner more of a franchise place. I didn’t realize it was until after. Four tables actually got up and left due to the food and the length of time to get appies and dinner. They were more focused on take out. Never have I left a restaurant but thank god we did. We walked out and Raffaello’s is just a few steps just tucked around the corner. Raffaello’s not only has the fantastic out door patio with lights but service was quick, service was amazing and the portions are HUGE! Great value for your money. Completely authentic and the best pasta we have ever had. My mother in law loves carbonara and this is the best she has had. . I wanted to write this post because I don’t want people walking past this place. We tend to go to what we see on reviews. This place has 5 star ratings as well but not a franchise. Best meal to have before we left to go back home. DO NOT walk by this place - check it out. You will not be disappointed. Get the garlic cheese bread to die for!

Pasta was really good. Perfect texture and generous portion. Meatballs was tasty and huge .. Glad we picked this one among so many around the corner. Good value with quality and authentic food.

Hallucinant. Première mauvaise expérience dans un restaurant à Brighton. Nous nous sommes fait accueuillir chaleureusement, puis nous avons attendu pour avoir la carte, ensuite nous avions commandé deux bouteilles d'eau pour deux ainsi que des spaghettis. On nous a servi un verre avec une bouteille d'eau de 330ml. Puis le plat nous a été servi avec une cuillère à soupe, l'assiette froide et le plat tiède. Nous avons donc dû demandé pour un deuxième verre, des fourchettes et couteaux, des serviettes et du fromage... Le fromage avait un dépôt de moisi sur le dessus. Une fois le plat terminé nous avons voulu payer, une des serveuses nous a cordialement demandé comment s'était déroulé le repas, se à quoi nous avons fait toutes nos remarques poliment et calmement. Le gérant de l'établissement est venu pour nous "engueulé", traité d'impoli car il avait "que" quatre employés disponibles, que nous sommes arrivées tard et qu'on ait osé se plaindre, il a décidé de se plein gré que nous allions pas payer. Je ne recommande pas cet établissement, des personnes incapables d'accepter les remarques.

Do not eat here. Ordered medium steak with pepercorn sauce was served a very wellndone steak and had to ask twice for peppercorn sauce.i was told the chef was stull cooking it! It came 10 mins after they served the steak which they should not have bothered as it was burnt runny cream with peppercorns in it. I would not reccomend this restaurant at all

This place is a joke. Very poor all round. Could possibly be the worst restaurant in Brighton. Don't do it.

This is a hidden gem!!! Super delicious food and so many choices. I got lost in the starters and enjoyed it sooo much ♥️ Absolutely loved it!!! This is the third I’m coming to Brighton and each time I love coming here and indulge in the sea food they have! Highly recommend it! Can’t wait to be back soon! Thank you so much!!!!

Food was so nice especially the children's bologinese . Was so yummy very reasonable prices. And delicious food. Polite staff

Great food and amazing service

Quality of food is excellent and price are really good, excellent service and atmosphere, thanks

Essen lecker, service top und die Atmosphäre grandios!

10 out of 10, we went to this restaurant for a family meal and it’s was just superb. The waiters were really attentive, made sure we all had drinks and our food was how we wanted. Really nice food and great size portions too! Would recommend a visit here if you’re looking for a nice place to eat in Brighton.

Of all the Italian restaurants I've tried abroad, it was undoubtedly the best of all. The portions are generous and tasty, the restaurant is well kept and you can breathe the air of the beautiful country thanks to the exclusively Italian background music. Another positive note is the kindness of the owners and their staff who make you feel at home. If you are in Brighton and want to eat Italian "Raffaello" is definitely the best place.

Ottimo cibo, personale gentile ed accogliente. Eccellente cucina italiana all'estero. Consigliato

The food is mind blowing, really delicious😋😋 The atmosphere is cozy☺️ & nice , the staff is really friendly and yet professional 🧑‍🎨👩🏼‍🍳🧑‍💼10/10💯👌🏼👌🏼 .. will definitely go back again.😍

Gorgeous food, reminds me that Italian food isn't just pizza and pasta. Very welcoming staff no rush for us to leave. Just perfect. Oh and the food is really nice aswell

Wanted to go bella italia but was fully booked so a nice man directed us to this family owned business. Nice, quiet place. Speedy service, food had large portions and arrived fast.

Slow service... waited 30 minutes for starters then another 20 for mains... very bland and not worth the wait, when asking for the bill the manager huffed at us, even seeing how much we left on our plates he didn't ask us if we enjoyed it at all... wouldn't go again, don't know how it's a 4.5 star

Lovely down to earth restaurant. Nice atmosphere and welcoming staff. Great food too

Stunning food and lovely stuff definitely we recommend it. You won’t go wrong by trying this restaurant fab atmosphere

Excellent food, really fresh and full of flavour. Friendly staff and excellent service.

We have been to Raffaello restaurant and we have a great time there the food is amazing and the stuff is lovely

Was ignored for most of the time. Slow service and food was unpleasant and the presentation was pretty bad.

Worst experience. Very slow service. We got served 1 hour after I got there. When we ordered they missed out some of the order and blamed the issue on there chef. I asked the guy who served us why doesn't he write it down but he just said no I remember everything. He didn't. We ended up leaving some of our food and ended up settling for fat chips on the pier. We weren't the only ones facing this issue. A few unhappy customers left the restaurant frustrated due to the lack of service.

Firstly felt so sorry for the young lady who was shouted at by the other staff member. My drink was warm n even came in a warm glass. Service was terrible drinks came after the food. Smelt not great inside and overall will not be going there again. Genuinely would be embarrassed to work there. 1 start is honestly too much. Avoid!!

In short, everything was terrible. They call themselves real Italian restaurant yet buratta was actually some poor imitation of mozzarella, medium rare stake was actually “congratulations” done, carbonara was watery and probably made with cream and finally bruschetta was just a grilled toast (xd) I have absolutely no idea how this place have so many good reviews. Avoid this restaurant at all cost

Lovely place to eat amazing atmosphere employes were lovely overall the food was nice

Went here for a meal. Food was good. Front was left open most of night due to poor extractors in kitchen. We asked several times (along with table next door) for jt to be closed and it kept being opened by staff. It made the dinner really cold and miserable. I wouldn’t recommend.

Restaurant was eye-wateringly smoky which was very unpleasant. The door was sometimes left open (perhaps to help with the smokiness?) which made the restaurant cold. The food was pretty bad. I was served a burrata which had gone off. They replaced it with a ball of mozzarella...the pizza dough was much worse than cook at home pizza which was disappointing. The menu listed the ingredients for the carbonara but did not write down cream. The carbonara was basically just cream sauce which is not how it should be made. The discount we had from TheFork was not added to the bill and I had to force the issue. I was ordered to show them my booking on my phone as if they were accusing me of lying.

I recently had the pleasure of dining at this incredible Italian restaurant, and I must say, it was an absolute delight from start to finish. From the moment I stepped through the door, the warm and welcoming ambiance made me feel right at home. But the real star of the show was the food. Every dish that came out of the kitchen was bursting with flavor and made with the freshest ingredients. I especially loved the pasta dishes - the homemade noodles were cooked to perfection and the sauces were simply divine. The service was top-notch as well. Our server was knowledgeable, attentive, and had great recommendations for both food and wine. And speaking of wine, the selection was fantastic - a great mix of Italian and international varietals to suit every taste. All in all, I can't recommend this restaurant enough. Whether you're looking for a romantic date spot or a place to celebrate a special occasion, this Italian gem is the perfect choice. Don't miss out on the chance to experience some of the best Italian cuisine around!

Me and a friend ate here at the weekend…we have been before and told that “vg” on the menu means “vegan”…..so I ordered a mushroom pasta with “vg” written next to it……enjoyed the meal (was impressed with how creamy it was for vegan). When it came to ordering the “vegan” cheesecake and the waiter dropping the last 2 slices on the floor…….they couldn’t understand why I wouldn’t take any other desert….explaining I am vegan they then told me I had just eaten a main meal that wasn’t “vegan”……….!!!!! The owner telling me “vg” means vegetarian not “vegan” despite his staff telling me different on a previous occasion……let’s just say I spent the night looking for different formations on the bathroom Lino floor being punished by my IBS..🥴. Not bad food just bad communication….

A family with a toddler enquired about a table and repeatedly asked if it was okay to have children in the restaurant. Staff assured them it was fine but as soon as the toddler fussed a little after being seated, staff asked the family to leave. Incredibly rude and insensitive behaviour.

The owner Sam is the top g. Great and affordable prices and lovely and accommodating vibe🙌🏼👌🏼the pasta is amazing

Great service, loved the seafood pizza!

Amazing. Fabulous food. Great ambience. Great location.

Got a steak from here, asked for a well done got it and still raw, not to my taste so didn't eat it, shame waste of 36 quid.

Dreadful. we booked to eat here and was due back in an hour, we got lost in the lanes getting back to the restaurant and was 3 minutes late. The owner was waiting for us outside and loudly proclaimed he was about to give away our table. He went to take us in the restaurant, but our table wasn't ready as the other people hadn't actually left, so left us waiting outside. At this point we should have walked away. Got seated and ordered but waited almost an hour for food, food was ok, had a really fatty tastless steak and veg and sauce and mash was microwaved to death, some of order was missed but came out to us after we questioned it. Toilet is awful, sort the lock out! And the hand roll was on the floor behind the toilet, give your customers something decent to dry their hands on. We ate as quickly as we could, paid and got out of there. Service is included in the bill so we had to pay, our waiter was actually so lovely, I feel for the poor staff. I don't know what happened half way through our meal, but they basically ignored us, owner never spoke to us again. We visit Brighton a lot and choose this place on a whim. Never again though.

Amazing food! Amazing customer service and staff incredibly friendly! Will defo return and excellent value for money!

I am very sorry for the friendly staff, but the food was terrible, there was a big chunk of plastic on our pizza. The place was empty and the toilets were really unhygenic! All in all we felt really uncomfortable…

Molto buono, il capo cordiale, cibo di qualità. Qualità prezzo modesto. Consiglio di andarci. Se vuoi mangiar bene posto consigliato!

Food was awesome and staff were amazing!

Beautiful food and great service. Would give 5 stars but the decor and layout of the restaurant let's it down.

Fantastic quality, superb value and most importantly the taste was superb - 5 meals ordered and each one was superb. The staff were supremely lovely

This restaurant let us in Christmas Day for dinner even though they were about to close. They were so much fun, made us feel so at home and treated us so spectacularly. Sam served us and made us the most delicious cocktails, treated us like old friends. We had the best time here. The best service ever. The food was also unbelievable! Big portions, full of flavour. Honestly highly recommend.