The Chilli Pickle in Brighton and Hove

Cool, quirky place with a nice atmosphere and decor. Contemporary twist on Indian classics. We had a friendly, charming waiter who knew his stuff and recommended our dishes. We had the oxtail and lamb mains with a few sides and were absolutely stuffed. However I would have liked a spice warning as both dishes were slightly too hot for my palette. I had the boozy lassi, which was a bit more like a milkshake than the lassi I am used to but still very nice. Nice place if you're visiting Brighton and want to avoid the usual classic chains.

Love this restaurant. Definitely one of my favourites in Brighton. Great staff

Excellent food, personally would've liked a little more kick in my jalfrezi but the flavours were excellent. The black daal was also very good. Be warned, the side portions are quite large.

Had a good evening here, Saturday so was fairly busy. Service was excellent and food good. Only downside was toilets, my partner was not impressed by hand towels scattered on floor, hand towels had run out so only way to dry hands was naturally or using toilet roll. The toilet smelt strongly of urine. Arisen as there was probably infrequent checks carried out on a busy night. Having said all that we will definitely return.

Second time coming here the food was amazing as usual but the customer service was amazing they was rushed off there feet and still the service was next to none the gentleman who served us is the best front of house iv come across well done

One of the best Indians in Brighton! Their Thalis are amazing

Staff is less attentive compared to the last location, didn’t follow up on allergy requests. After confirming later , we were badly advised.

My four word review: In the posho class For full review including photos, see potato_world_and_beyond on Instagram!

Tanto el cordero lal Maas y el pollo Delhi que tuvimos para el almuerzo eran excelentes. Esta es una de las mejores comidas que hemos tenido fuera de la India! Tan bueno que este restaurante ha encontrado un nuevo hogar en el centro de Brighton. El nuevo local a partir de enero de 2025 es mucho más íntimo con diferentes salas y espacios para una comida acogedora. Muy recomendable.

Amazing food. Great price for the quality. Great service. Couldn't ask for much more. 10/10

Went there with family! Food was lovely!

I’ve wanted to visit The Chilli Pickle for as long as I can remember and this week that opportunity came. I booked a table through their website for a Friday lunch time. We were the first customers from opening but the restaurant quickly filled, hustling with traditional Indian music playing in the background. We sat by the open kitchen and frequently heard “Check On” as another order came through. The food was full of authentic flavours, freshly cooked and mouthwatering to the eye. Service was attentive, we were well catered for. I cannot wait to return for another reasonably priced, satisfyingly filling lunch or perhaps even dinner next time!

Food was excellent, the service from Lewis and his colleagues was top notch. Will definitely be back!

Last Friday, my wife and I went to the Chilli Pickle, which has recently relocated back into The Lanes in Brighton, close to where it first opened in 2010. We settled upon their non-vegetarian Sharing Feast, and what a feast it turned out to be: Nibbles – Poppodoms & Chutneys. Street Eats – Bombay Chaat, Prawn Rasam, Chettinad Coconut Hot Wings and Chilli Pickle Onion Bhaji. Main Event – Colombo Fish & Crab Curry, Tellicherry Pepper Lamb Chop Sizzler and Old Delhi Tandoori Butter Chicken. Sides – Pilau Rice, Jaffna Masala Potatoes, Bukhara Black Dal, Sliced Kachumber & Pickle, Riatta and Breadbasket (a whole nann bread). Initially we both assumed we’d need to choose a dish from each of the courses, but the very friendly waiter quickly told us we didn’t need to choose anything, we’d be getting everything listed above! No one dish disappointed – they were all superbly spiced to just the right level and full of flavour, without being too hot for my wife. Every one of the staff we dealt with, from the boys at the bar to the table waiters, were not only friendly but also knowledgeable about every dish. Although we both have “healthy” appetites, we didn’t manage to finish all the food in the end and it made us wonder why we haven’t visited more often.

Last Friday, my wife and I went to the Chilli Pickle, which has recently relocated back into The Lanes in Brighton, close to where it first opened in 2010. We settled upon their non-vegetarian Sharing Feast, and what a feast it turned out to be: Nibbles – Poppodoms & Chutneys. Street Eats – Bombay Chaat, Prawn Rasam, Chettinad Coconut Hot Wings and Chilli Pickle Onion Bhaji. Main Event – Colombo Fish & Crab Curry, Tellicherry Pepper Lamb Chop Sizzler and Old Delhi Tandoori Butter Chicken. Sides – Pilau Rice, Jaffna Masala Potatoes, Bukhara Black Dal, Sliced Kachumber & Pickle, Riatta and Breadbasket (a whole nann bread). Initially we both assumed we’d need to choose a dish from each of the courses, but the very friendly waiter quickly told us we didn’t need to choose anything, we’d be getting everything listed above! No one dish disappointed – they were all superbly spiced to just the right level and full of flavour, without being too hot for my wife. Every one of the staff we dealt with, from the boys at the bar to the table waiters, were not only friendly but also knowledgeable about every dish. Although we both have “healthy” appetites, we didn’t manage to finish all the food in the end and it made us wonder why we haven’t visited more often.

Friendly service, delicious food.

Excellent food presented beautifully. All dishes coming out of the kitchen looked amazing. Service friendly and attentive. Lovely atmosphere.

We wandered in on a Baltic January Saturday afternoon to the newly positioned Chilli pickle no reservation but hey No Worries ….. The food was exceptional as I remembered all those years ago at the old lanes site . And the jubilee site .. service was fabulous also . Keep it up Chilli pickle a Brighton OG x

Had a really really lovely time here. Our server, Lushmere (apologies if it's misspelt) was very helpful and provided great insight. Food was incredible and was good sized portion. Would highly recommend it!

The food at Chilli Pickle is still excellent. Stand-out dish was the Oxtail Madras (a.k.a Oxtail Nihari). Meat always tastes better cooked on the bone; and the Oxtail was both succulent and full of flavour - if impossible to eat daintily. My wife also considered her Paneer Jalfrezi to be excellent and not excessively chilli-hot. Side dishes of rice and potatoes were of the same standard; and the cooking was only let down by a chewy roti. Deserts may be best skipped as perfectly good kulfi does not need to be tricked out with embellishments. Staff - especially woman acting as the greeter-seater, were efficient and focussed on service to customers. But - and it is a big but - the new premises in Meeting House Lane are cramped and draughty. Even after we had moved tables so that we were no longer treated to an arctic blast every time the door opened we were still not comfortable. The upstairs dining room may be better, but it was unavailable (fully booked?) on our visit.

Great food and service as always. Wishing you all the best in your new venue.

Came here as a couple on NYE having heard good reviews. Sadly, it was very mediocre at best. We ordered the set menu, however the food was oily and each dish had no differentiating taste to the next. It was disappoint as the description sounded delicious. Regarding the service, it was not attentive and we weren’t asked how our food was at at point during the meal. It was only at the bill we were asked if anything wrong with the food. We did explain, and it was resolved. However, if you are looking for something tasty I probably wouldn’t try here…

Came in tonight and my first experience was what set me coming back . The staff and the food and the vibe was immense . I give personal shout outs to kirti. 10/10 .

Stand out Indian cuisine at its finest. Unlike any other Indian restaurant in terms of its flavours, textures and aromas. You will not regret eating here.

Staff are really lovely and friendly. Wait time was great but definitely recommend booking in advance or going as soon as they open up. The food was good but I prefer the old menu and some of the items. Lamb curry was great but the butter chicken could have been better

Fenton, Mateu, amazing service, honestly could not recommend both of them and this restaurant enoubgn! Thank you both.

Just finished mine and my partners first time at the chilli pickle and we have one word… WOW, the food was fantastic, but what really made this experience unbeatable was the service. we had Honor as our waitress, she was so attentive and friendly and really made our night, one to remember! So an outstanding job to her!

This used to be a fantastic restaurant with delicious food. Now taken over by a company more interested in profits. If you like a plate piled with cheap carbs and a substandard curry, then you’ll like it. Me, I’m going to see if I can find where the original Chilli Pickle have gone

Once again, great food, could not find fault with anything, we had a wonderful food experience, atmosphere warm and cosy

Had an amazing evening!! Food was incredible, and Ruby looked after us so well, can’t see enough. Will definitely be coming back again!!

The Meal We “Paid For” Twice We regularly eat and enjoy Indian and other spicy food so we were really looking forward to this meal. We had pre-booked and arrived on time at 7pm. We had to wait a while for our table to be cleared and then for our order to be taken. It was nearly 8pm before any food came. We noticed others who arrived at the same time as us were already eating and we had to follow-up twice to find out what had happened to our order before it finally came. We think it might have been forgotten when our server went on break. We enjoyed most of our food when it arrived-a generous portion of onion bhajis, lamb sizzler (very tasty but small portion), paneer sizzler (we really liked the chilli jam), spicy potatoes, kachumber salad, and black dal (swimming in oil/ghee and with extra butter, way too rich.) We had a delicious Turkish delight kulfi for pudding. So, overall we thought we’d had a good time…until the severe food poisoning symptoms started shortly after we left the restaurant. Driving home from Brighton the next day was not fun, and we’re still not fully recovered nearly 2 days later. Never again!

Best Indian fusion food in The City ..no disappointments here need time to choose and devour delicious food enjoy a drink and go with friends or family

Ok, no more. Service was a little slow, and small portions compared to others who service good food. Not sure I'd bother to rush back.

We had dinner with friends who had visited Brighton. The food was lovely, it can lean towards being very rich but is always nice. Service was slow. We had ordered some starters and while wait staff were clearing table we were told our mains were waiting to be served and did we want them now. We all agreed and were a bit shocked when our main meals were served 20 minutes later. We then had to wait a further 5-7 minutes for rice and naan's as our waitress had forgotten to place the order. We received no apology for this. We didn't want to complain as it was our friends last night in Brighton and we didn't want to ruin the night. We spilt the bill deciding not querying the service charge. As we were about to leave our friend was approached and told we owed 9 pence. Very disappointed with this considering our wait on sides and drinks with no apologies for mix up.

Honestly, one of the most delicious meals out we’ve had in a very long time. Wonderful buzzy atmosphere, really friendly staff, incredible flavours. Our meal was around £45 pp and we had a lot to eat! I think it’s very good value for the exceptional time we had. We can’t wait to come back.

Have been coming here for many years and as good today as ever! 🪷

Spicy, but exceptionally tasty food. Attentive staff, and great atmosphere. This place fills up 'QUICKLY' so book a table to avoid disappointment. Superbly located

Disappointingly inauthentic. Nipped in for idli sambar. I dunno what it was, but it wasn't sambar. There was a little bit of muringa, a few curry veppu, but the gravy was like a thick tomato sauce (too salty, also) , the veg was like a pumpkin curry and there was absolutely no flavour of tamarind, asfoetida etc. Sooo thick, too - nothing like sambar. Also one idli lol? You know that's not how it's done. Maybe just as well tho because it was solid. Are these guys using Gits instant mix or what? Brighton people wanting to taste real idli sambar had better pop over to Worthing to the dosa cafe. This was horrible stuff. Sorry. I rarely give bad reviews, but it was a shockingly poor rendition of an easy and simple dish.

Probably one of the best meals I've ever had. Perfect.

Lovely food, a little different. Very busy so make sure you book. Would of been 5 stars but so busy, we had to pre order as we were a large group (8 of us) our food arrived before we had even ordered a drink or been given any water. The staff were incredibly busy and although alot of them, there still didn't seem to be enough, they worked non stop so hats off to them. Great food and atmosphere. 2nd time here and definitely worth a return.

Food wasn't bad, but service was just appalling, we were taken to our table and then forgotten after being served drinks and starters, turned around to try and get attention of the staff, but unfortunately had to get up twice to get water etc even had to get peoples attention to get the bill. I'm not impressed. You seriously must train your staff properly in service etiquette.

Food was tasty, but sadly I got food poisoning. I won’t be ordering again for this reason.

I first went to this place about 10 years ago and it was buzzing, with a queue outside and wonderful atmosphere and great music, while you wait. The food THEN was exceptional Indian cooking. Now, I am afraid to say, it must have changed hands because basically, its like so many other places and not special anymore. The food repeated on me for about five hours afterwards, which was not a great experience when you have to drive 60 miles to get home...comprende paisano?

This is the most fantastic restaurant, with the kindest and most lovely waitresses i have ever encountered. Will go above and beyond to make it a comfortable dining experience. Delicious food and fantastic quality for money. All halal too!

Twonof us had dinner here one wet and windy night in Brighton. Food was lovely. The lamb curry main was rich and tender. With just the right level.of spice. Pilau rice was also.really good The poppadoms are great too and highly recommended. Staff friendly and efficient, atmosphere was good and it was pretty busy. Recommended

Amazingly tasty curry, but the real treat was the spiced chicken wings for starter. I'll be dreaming about those for a long time 🍗

Great modern restaurant serving top quality Indian dishes at good prices. Portions are huge!! Their onion bhaji are heaven on a plate and service is super. Highly recommended

Had the half chicken and fries and it was awful. About 20 different flavours fighting for dominance in my mouth. I imagine in isolation each ingredient is good but in combination it was yuk

Very poor customer service traveld 300 Miles to spend day in Brighton came to this restaurant stood around for 15 minutes waiting for then to be told there’s no tables available even tho there was numerous tables available empty .

No complaints at all about the food (the lamb shoulder balti in particular was excellent), but the service was dreadful. It took over two hours have a one course meal with a couple of kids ice creams after, at lunchtime when it wasn't too busy. Very slow generally, nobody checked if everything was fine after service, had to walk across the restaurant to find someone to produce the bill, which was then wrong. We mildly complained and we're basically told it was our fault because we had kids with us. Really bad. But the lamb balti was memorable for the right reasons.

Food was really good and came out really quick. There was a good selection on the menu that wasn’t just standard curries. Dropping a star because the waitress M***** didn’t have a great attitude and wasn’t very friendly. We asked to take the tip off and she just walked off without saying anything after we paid.

Great food. Server was not very friendly & a bit rude. Rest of the staff were very nice. Not keen on the service charge which was automatically put on.

We ate here on our son’s recommendation, as he lives in the area. It was an excellent choice. The restaurant is beautifully set out, with interesting and authentic furniture and ornaments. Service was first rate and the food was mighty fine. This is not your traditional Indian restaurant but one with a varied menu, with all our meals being very tasty and much enjoyed.

Loved it! Delicious food and amazing service

Expensive and not so good... deceiving...

Another great visit to the CP. We had prebooked but the restaurant, like the rest of the town was very quiet. It was a drab, rainy evening. We shared a starter of poppadoms which were very tasty but thought the price of £7 ish was quite a lot. We shared a bottle of wine and both had our fav dish of chicken biryani. Delicious. As usual I couldn’t eat all mine so took half of it home, never a problem for the staff who are quick to provide takeaway boxes etc. Quite a quick meal as it was so quiet. Could be a very reasonable cost if you skipped the starters etc. Still a very good choice when eating in central Brighton. Staff always amazing here. Highly recommended. Worth going out of your way for.

Amazing banquet meal. Great atmosphere. Amazing service. 10/10

We enjoyed a lovely meal at the chilli pickle. Full of taste and it was a great twist on Indian cuisine.

Early stop for dinner and was really pleasantly surprised! My chicken biryani had loads of flavour and meat in, beautifully presented. The onion bhajis are to die for! Absolutely delicious. Only dropped to 4 not 5 stars because of the weird toilet room and limited choice of alcohol free drinks. Overall I’d definitely come back!

Mind blowing Indian cuisine at the heart of Brighton. We order the chicken and was excellent. I’m always a bit hesitant to order chicken at restaurants as normally is either undercooked or dry. Not here. That sauce accompanying it was also second to none. Extra points for the Bloody Mary. Just a bit think for my taste (almost like a smoothie) but great taste.

This was lovely, the food great and the Decor very up-to-date. This is one of the few non shabby places on Brighton....which by the way is very shabby 😕

The food was amazing, our server was not, but it did seem like a one off for us, everyone else appeared to have great service.

Best Indian food I’ve had, and being from London I’ve tried many places. The restaurant is also halal which is a plus but portion are small.

Food quality is good but they are stingy on the food portion. Even though the staff service charge is high, they hardly provide good service to you. Bear in mind they don't let plug your phone in any plug and also the receipt I got tonight was unreadable. Weren't bother to take look at it before bringing it to our table. So very faded letters. The atmosphere was nice but you could find better in town with more attractive Indian vibe. So overall staff quality low, food quality high and atmosphere typical.

We opted for the Chef's banquet which was great, a really good selection of different foods to share. I think if they still did Thalis, we might have chosen them, but this seemed to offer a similar variety of dishes and we thought it was a good alternative. It was a LOT of food though, and we sadly had to give up, unable to finish, despite both having healthy appetites. We looked incredulously at the waiter when he brought the pudding menu, there was no way we could have eaten another mouthful.

A large, lively restaurant with great Indian food and unfussy service. The food was good, lighter and less greasy than how Indian food can be sometimes. A good option for a group - something to please everyone on the menu. Service was efficient

Consistently good. This weekend we stopped here on the spur of the moment for a quick and delicious lunch. The food here is always excellent - fresh and full of fantastic flavours. The service is great and it’s a nice airy space. You can order all kinds of delightful little dishes but this time we just went for a straightforward curry each. But of course it comes with all kinds of delightful little dishes anyway. So delicious.

The best Indian restaurant in Brighton ! I went here with my Indian friend and she gave 9 out of 10 here. As i have never been to India it was 10 out of 10. We recommend the chicken tandoori for the lunch menu and the appetizers (pani puri and fried veggies)that are in the picture.

Yummy 😋 Indian food. Atmosphere looks amazing and feels.like India

I've had their house special, 1/2 tandoori chicken xacuti for 18 pounds. First and last time trying xacuti chicken. My mistake was not understanding "1/2" in the dish's name meant it's half of a WHOLE chicken. It's definitely a dish to share, and it would be a good deal for two. Dish was very messy and hard to eat. The chicken breast (a whole breast) didn't get much spices, was very bland. Sauce, mostly a spice blend, wasn't better than more mainstream indian dishes I have tried like butter chicken.

Special shout out to Milo for absolutely making my dad's evening with his lovely service :)

Visited this resturant in 2013 and reviewing it today. Loved all my local Indian dishes there. Good prepration.

Food was good. Really good. Staff were lovely and friendly but felt a little rushed. Main course was brought out and we were still eating out starters.

My opinion of chilli pickle has diminished almost as much as their portion sizes. Service was fine but the fOoD, what happened? We paid £60 for two mains, two sides and a starter. The sides were bigger than the mains, and we just bought rice and a supermarket bought naan bread. Nepali Hot wings Achari paneer sizzler Sigri Kesar Jingri Coriander and garlic naan Pilau rice The starter was decent (Nepali Hot wings) but the mains were ridiculous. Maybe this place is run by a team of rabbits, I'm not sure why else I got charged almost £20 for 6 prawns and raw spring onion (Sigri Kesar Jinga). it appeared as if someone had literally walked outside grabbed them, and stuck it on a plate. The Achari paneer sizzler featured 4 slices of paneer over a handful of red onion and was £14. Great place if you're on a diet and have too much money because this was about 200 calories. Would've been quicker for me to throw £60 in the bin than waste it here.

Me and my partner went here for a meal and had quite a disappointing experience. The mains are tiny, the paneer (£14) was 4 cubes on a stick served on a pile of raw onion and lemon. The other dish (£18) was 6 prawns with some whole uncooked spring onions. It was basically starters at mains prices with the bulk of the food being raw onion. In most restaurants we struggle to finish a main, but here we ended up leaving hungry and getting more food on the way home. Very disappointed

First time here and quite impressed with the more modern quirky take in what a decent Indian cuisine restaurant should be in 2024. Good simpler menu, tad light on vegan options but still some choice and what I had was good. Superstar brilliant server (younger male, dark hair sorry cant recall name) who defines what's missing in the art of decent service in certain other places I could name. So basically impressive

Stopped for lunch on a rainy weekday. Happily they allowed our medium sized dog inside so very happy.

Wow ! Incredible tasting food. The restaurant was packed however service was perfect Well done !

Excellent Indian restaurant in the heart of of Brighton! I took a lunch deal with butter chicken curry. That was delectable with intricate spices (don’t worry the heat is nice and pleasant). Lovely cozy atmosphere both inside and outside. If you are looking for a good Indian this would be a place to go!

Place is booming with customers. Very popular.But they charged 1 pound for less than a teaspoon of chutney which they forgot to bring along with the sweet as well. As we are in a hurry we paid and came. Bit pricey.

A really great spot for lunch in Brighton with an amazing lunch deal. Not to be missed.

Group of 12 , excellent service & delicious!

Best restaurant in the area Amazing Indian food

Great place for a relaxed curry experience. Good location, spot on customer service and very nice food.

Very very disappointing. Service was terrible and we received incorrect food from the set menu which is completely wrong in comparison to what you order and what you receive. Prawns we got only prawn heads with empty shells of a body and lamb balti only had one piece of lamb in it. All sides were half the size of how they usually have been in the past(a month ago when we last visited). Absolutely not worth the money in any way and no way we we ever come back, waste of money.

The ambience was great and the service was amazing. We loved the food except one dish that was replaced immediately without any questions and later weren't even charged for it. The manager GIGI was very very helpful and approachable. Highly recommend. Thanks xx

Nice cocktails and food was good

You will not be disappointed if you like Indian style food. Food & service were nothing short of excellent. The young waitress was not only knowledgeable on the menu but also the wines….great experience, thank you, highly recommend.

This is a busy city centre restaurant so there is a sense that everything is a little rushed but the service was friendly and the food was interesting and unusual (in a good way). Something a little different from your standard Indian restaurant.

How the mighty have fallen. A few years ago I would have given you a good argument as to why this was the best Indian restaurant in the UK. Now, I am not so sure it’s even the best Indian restaurant in Brighton.

I’ve only ordered delivery from the Chilli Pickle, but every time it’s incredible! Highly recommend the butter chicken, with their fluffy garlic naan. Samosas & Onion Bhajis are generous & of high quality. Best Indian in Brighton I’d say. 🌶️

Delicious. Flavours are 6 star yummy. I was visiting Brighton for a few days and had to come back 2 nights in a row. Was my favourite place to eat in Brighton. Bring back the mussels!

Wonderful curry. A real gem. Delicious food, fast service and wonderful wait staff.

Booked as a late Mother’s Day present. Really enjoy coming here. A real treat. Great atmosphere and really friendly staff. We had a bottle of white wine, poppadoms and chicken biryani. All absolutely delicious. Highly recommend. Well worth going out of your way for.

The most incredible Indian food - well worth a visit!

Really lovely food and great atmosphere. Have been three times because it's good. Each time we have been 'walk-in', and they're super accommodating. One negative only; most recently we sat at the high table (one adult, two kids). Spent little over an hour there, and while food was finished and bill was paid, drinks were not finished. We got chased out. Didn't like that.

We had the set menu and were not disappointed. Decent amount of food for the price, good quality, and plenty of dishes to sample. The service was also friendly and the wait times for food not too long given it was a busy night. Will be going back at some point.

Great team meal (10 of us), super affordable and better than Dishoom! Huge portions and lovely drinks. Great Indian / English’s fusion with deep flavours!

We love eating at the Chilli Pickle for the friendly welcome and relaxed vibe. The food is exceptional and offers an elevated experience to more traditional Indian restaurants. We're big fans of Sunny's Pani Puri and the extensive drinks and cocktail menu!

We didn’t have a booking. We were waiting one of the staff if there’s available table. There’s this one tall girl staff who just walked passed to us couple of times, didn’t bother and then suddenly she’s like stopped and asked us if we have booked a table, I said no. She said I’ll call my colleague. In fairness the other colleague was friendly and showed us our table. Food was good. But I can say over all service was not great! Again I saw the tall girl staff in the ladies toilet, she was loading the washing machine, small door next passing from the ladies toilet. She’s not friendly, very rude approach I can say. We asked for the bill, we waited for like 5-10mins and gave us a pudding menu instead of the bill. Oh well.