The Coal Shed Restaurant in Brighton and Hove

Our Rating: 5 Star Plus! My wife and I visited the Coal Shed Brighton last night to celebrate her birthday and wow, what a celebration it was! We had decided to push the boat out and go for one of the Coal Shed’s premium steak options, but we were a little unsure on what precisely to order as we had never ordered steak by the 100g before! Our server Toby was wonderful, welcoming, charming and incredibly knowledgeable. He guided us through the steak options, including his recommended sizes and cuts based on our appetite and preferences. As I say, we really went for it and chose to share a 700g Chateaubriand (that’s about 24oz) and at £13/100g it cost an eye watering £91 without sides. For us, this means a trip to the Coal Shed will be a very decadent (and rare) treat - but neither of us could describe the steak as anything less than perfect. We had told Toby that we typically enjoy a filet steak cooked medium, and he told us how they recommend a large Chateaubriand be cooked medium-rare, but that if any of the pieces were too rare for us, they would happily put them back on their 500 degrees grill for us (we took Toby up on this for one of the slices). We also ordered sides of Beef Fat Chips and Mac & Cheese. The chips would be the only thing that we were slightly disappointed by, they were perfectly fine chips but they didn’t blow us away like the rest of our experience did. The Coal Shed Mac & Cheese might just be the best Mac & Cheese we have ever had, it was completely scrumptious. While we were waiting for our Steak to be cooked we were offered Bread and Butter, my wife was particularly impressed with how the Coal Shed managed her nut allergy - given that the bread on the menu typically is served with Dukkah which includes nuts. In conclusion we loved our trip to the Coal Shed Brighton, we will definitely be visiting again - it really is a special place for special occasions. Note: We sat in the Bar area, and this was lots of fun, comfortable bench to sit on and the opportunity to people watch as well as enjoy our meal, but the bar tables are small and circular, I would possibly recommend you request a table in the main restaurant if you are planning on ordering lots of side dishes. Parking: Really easy, park in the Brighton Theatre NCP, walk out the back door of the car park, down past Barclays to the street, cross over at the traffic lights and you’re basically at the Coal Shed’s front door.

Unfortunately, our visit to Coal Shed was a disaster. We ordered oysters, and both my companion and I ended up with severe food poisoning shortly after our meal. To make matters worse, the oysters seemed to be detached from the shells, which felt a bit off from the start. The texture and presentation were strange, and in hindsight, that should have been a red flag. We spent the rest of the evening extremely unwell, and it ruined what was supposed to be an enjoyable outing. When you go to a restaurant, especially one that serves seafood, you expect fresh, properly prepared food—and sadly, that was not our experience here. We definitely won’t be returning, and we urge others to be cautious if considering oysters at this place.

A lovely meal with great service

it’s definitely the best Meat & Seafood restaurant in South East England , by all aspects🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

We celebrated my mums birthday at Coal Shed and what an experience! Silly me I accidentally booked it for the day before, nevertheless, the manager at CoalShed was able to deduct this on our final billing. She was warm and lovely, took our clothes and put it away safe for us. Our waiter Ian was ever so helpful! Able to answer all our questions and queries about the food. The food was delicious and it all came together!! The atmosphere was perfect! And we enjoyed this experience and it was all thanks to the staff! 10/10 for everything!

The only thing this place has in common with high end food is the price. We went as a family to celebrate my son’s birthday and he got food poisoning after eating their fried chicken for starters. We all shared the food apart from that dish. When I contacted the restaurant the staff who really couldn’t care a less told me that some mystical non biased third party would determine whether or not he was poisoned. They couldn’t tell me how they would do this and as of a week later I still have heard nothing from the third party after filling in their forms. As for the food-£6 chips that could just as well have come from Iceland and cooked as oven chips. Egg cups of a gloopy pepper sauce for £2.50 that could’ve been bisto gravy. They couldn’t even be bothered to put peppercorns in it. Burnt churros for dessert that I’ve tasted better on Brighton Pier. Pretentiousness at its finest. I would strongly advise staying away from this place if you don’t want to feel as if you’ve just been on the end of a horrible joke walking away almost £400 down wondering why you were stupid enough to think this was a decent place to celebrate.

Great meal. Lovely atmosphere. Good choice on both the lunch and a la carte menus. Also a nice wine list. I would recommend.

Sublime, professional and something for any occasion. Lunch, dinner, drinks in the bar or Christmas Day lunch. Every experience we have had has been exceptional. Thanks so much guys - we’ll be back soon

Great food Great service Most enjoyable & will be back soon Great addition to the Stable of Restaurants

Booked for 3 persons at 5pm for a pre theatre dinner. The food, service and ambiance was superb and all the staff friendly, professional and well trained. Would recommend highly.

The steak was absolutely amazing. set menu is a very good price.

Amazing food in lovely surroundings with helpful staff

Myself and my partner had dinner last night at the Coal shed for the first time since it reopened. Wow, it's a stunning restaurant, beautifully designed with subdued lighting. Service was friendly and professional. The food was delicious, we had the rotisserie chicken and fillet steak, with sides and tasty margaritas.

Lovely dinner for my birthday. Stunning new restaurant with a lovely ambience, superb food and drinks and staff were attentive and friendly, thank you so much! X

Food was excellent for all of the meals that we ordered. Great service from the team, nice atmosphere and lovely setting. Up there with the best steak restaurants that I have eaten at.

I took my partner here for his birthday lunch. The food is delicious! My partner is very fussy about his steak and thoroughly enjoyed it. The service was impeccable, friendly and attentive. The atmosphere was warm and relaxing. Great good, great wine, great service - I'd highly recommend!

Went for a birthday dinner and the service was great. Food was nice overall and had a good time

Wow just wow. What an incredible venue. The food was amazing (peppercorn sauce 10/10), the service provided (Beth - outstanding), and the Ambiance- BOOOOM, topped it off. Defo be back.

Amazing as always. Love the new venue.

The quality of food was outstanding, justifying the higher prices for a Sunday Rotisserie, and Sean's attention, service and humour completed a wonderful birthday lunch!

Lovely place and the food was really delicious. A treat!

Our first visit, and we were very impressed with all aspects. Not cheap, but well worth the money. We will definitely be dining there again.

Lovely tasty sharing roast. Also had sharing desserts which were wonderful

Had an incredible meal. Thank you.

I loved my experience at the Coal Shed! The food was absolutely wonderful and the ambiance was very nice as well. I ordered the fillet with the peppercorn sauce, mashed potatoes and coal fired greens as well as the sourdough bread and everything was wonderful. The fillet is one of the best I have had, the sauce was delicious and paired very well with the meat, the potatoes were tasty and creamy, and the greens were perfectly seasoned and cooked. The service was excellent although it was a little long before getting our wine and food, but it was well worth the wait. Also the wine recommended by our server paired perfectly with the meal which was very enjoyable. One of the best restaurants in Brighton.

Food and service incredible, highly recommend, New venue also beautifully done.

The Coal Shed hosted our small private wedding reception. The attention to detail, fast pro active communication from the staff, the big welcome on arrival and service on the day could not have made it any more special. The food was excellent, table looked beautiful and service impecable. Made the day so special.

We will go back. If you are a meat lover then this restaurant is for you. We booked here while we were abroad missing some real beef. Make sure that you book as every table was taken. Leave yourself time to have a cocktail before your meal, they are nicely made and beautifully presented. When ordering your meal, take a look at the board for sharing steaks. These larger pieces do take longer to cook but are worth the wait. I do not know why steak knives are given as a butter knife would have cut our chateaubriand. The mash was like a smooth thick cream, the spinach was delicious. We did like the fact that good wine is available in carafes so red for me and white for the lady. The staff were outstanding, waiters with their suggestions and the management in dealing with a minor problem they had in the kitchen. They have been open for a few months but I hope they have great success and remain in Brighton for a long time.

Great restaurant for special occasions or just a great meal, didn't think they could improve on the vibe of the old location but have topped it!

Excellent steak, friendly team & lovely decor. A great evening and we will definitely return.

nice upscale place in brighton, food was nice could be a little better but service and atmosphere made up for it

First time at the new venue and we were very impressed. Atlanta was very friendly and engaged with us. The chateaubriand was really good - just how it should be. Wonderful!

A beautiful meal. We were in the private dining area for a family wedding and I have to say the team were amazing with us. Shaun/Sean was awesome as was Toby the manager who took over during our last bit. Food was fantastic and service and in a beautiful location. Will come back when we're next in Brighton. (From son and daughter in law of the groom!)

Food glorious food. The moment you walk into the restaurant the vibe takes you off away to somewhere warm and tranquil. The smells from the kitchen have your stomach turning wanting any dish coming out the kitchen. Will I return ? HELL YEAH, Service here is second to none. Thanks again Ellie x

First time at the Coal Shed Brighton was not disappointed 5 Stars all round.

My family and I had an excellent meal. Service, ambience, quality of food and drink were all top notch. Highly recommend. Possibly the best meal we have had out in Brighton.

Incredible restaurant, comfortable and beautiful interior with a attentive and personable team to serve you with the best roast dinner you'll ever lay your hands on!

The Coal Shed has created a unique (for Brighton) New York vibe that is pure class. Add to this the 5 star food quality and service and the overall atmosphere is fabulous and makes it the number one restaurant in Brighton.

Fabulous afternoon, really well looked after. Lovely food, cocktails and deserts. Thanks for a lovely dining experience!

Fantastic food and venue. Highly recommended.

Had an incredible Sunday lunch, with all the trimmings. Just to die for, not your traditional roast just an incredible 500g of prime aged beef for 2 to share and some very very good veggies. The cauliflower cheese especially is to die for. Have eaten dinner here before and their meat is truly excellent - a carnivorous delight Have returned for dinner more than once. Fantastic steaks, great cocktails & good staff. It's moved and if anything it's better, beautiful new environment is much nicer and more spacious. Really good cocktails still - the Black Manhattan is amazing.

The Coal Shed experience was thoroughly enjoyable... the food was so good and perfectly presented ....attentive, friendly and professional staff ... all in all a first class experience ... can't wait for a repeat visit!

Love the Coal Shed If you want charcoal flavours, this is your go to place. Beef slowly aged in himalayan pink salt chiller, all on display. Cocktail bar is great. If your into Wines, will not be disappointed on the range available.

Good Food but Slow Service/Kitchen, and Limited food options I went there looking forward to a Chateaubriand, Wagyu strip loin, and porterhouse steaks. Unfortunately, none of these were available, so we ordered a flatbread and aubergine as starters, along with fillet and ribeye steaks, which were nicely cooked and very tasty. The desserts were also enjoyable. However, the first glass of wine arrived as we were finishing our starters. The wait between starters and mains was approximately 45 mins to an hour, followed by an additional 20 minutes for dessert. In total, the meal lasted 2.5 hours, which is typically the amount of time we’d spend enjoying a 5-7 course meal at another restaurant.

We had a lovely experience at the Coal Shed.It was our 54th wedding anniversary and were delighted by the service which was very good.The food was delicious and we were spoilt by a complementary prosecco to celebrate. Will definitely be going again.Thank you.

The coal shed has potential,the food was ok but it could have been a lot better in my mind, was really looking forward to eating here but came away disappointed.

I came for my birthday with my family (including a teenager and a 9 yrs old) and the staff were super professional, accommodating and friendly. The food was excellent. Thank you for helping to make my birthday very special.

Really great meal, some of the best steak I have eaten. Great atmosphere and good service.

I went to The Coal Shed with my partner on North Street for the first time and it was amazing! Lots of our friends have been and raved about it, so I will too. The restaurant looks absolutely beautiful and isn’t like many places where tables are stuffed in, too near each other. We had a cocktail at the bar first, both exquisite, the lovely lady serving checked my cocktail was ok as she couldn’t make a Bellini so used orange liqueur. She was happy to add more if i wanted it sweeter. Every single thing we ate was impeccable! They had sold out of the lobster starter but we weren’t disappointed with our scallops and crab. I’ve not had crab with watermelon before- what a combo! We both had fillet steak, I always have mine blue and it was perfect! We had mash, greens and spinach on the side- delicious! If I was being really picky, the only thing I could fault, which wasn’t even a real issue, was my bearnaise could’ve had a little more tarragon. The service was excellent and shout out to Ian who was serving us, what a great guy. Really lovely bloke, attentive and good chat. I asked how long he’d been there (a few months) and if he enjoyed it, and he said it’s the best place he’s worked at, and you could tell. We actually wanted to cuddle him on the way out but that would’ve just been weird… 😂

Food, service and atmosphere was great. Excellent customer service - the whole team were very accommodating! Thanks

We’ve eaten here three times since it opened and really enjoyed it every time. Great service, lovely food, and the burger is the best in the city!

Tim was great very attentive but not too intrusive. He had very good knowledge and advice on the menu. We thoroughly enjoyed our experience. We will be back!

Great Atmosphere. Awesome Food.

Great new venue, fantastic staff, & gorgeous food! Will definitely be returning.

Food was great service was amazing atmosphere brilliant a little expensive but worth it

A really laidback, relaxed experience. The food was great as were the few cocktails we tried. We had a good laugh with our waiter and it seemed the other diners were dong the same. I wish I could get my baby backs half as good as theirs. Highly recommended.

We had a fabulous Christmas Day experience at the Coal Shed. Made to feel very welcome and valued. Food was excellent as always and it was a very special occasion and experience. Thank you very much!

Have the mashed potato! Best we've ever had. Having been to the 'old' coal shed, the interior is much bigger and they have a lovely bar also. Wonderful service.

We went on Christmas Eve, this is our second visit and the atmosphere, service and food were excellent! We had a really lovely evening so a big thanks to the team !

Very overrated. Food was nothing special considering the price. Service was all over the place. Cocktails were good, although took an age to make. The venue is ok, bigger more space than the Boyce Street venue. But overall disappointed, won't be rushing back.

Customer services was just amazing, from the moment we stepped in to the moment we left the staff were all so polite and friendly. The restaurant itself is just beautifully designed and the food was worth every penny. Would highly recommend and will certainly be visiting again!

A beautiful spot for a lovely lunch. Service, food and atmosphere were perfect. Looking forward to a return visit

Went to their new location on North Street. Although we did not have a booking on a Sunday night, we were greeted warmly and we had a great cocktail at the bar before a table was located for us. The barman was very professional and made me a cocktail off the menu, which was very successful! The steak and everything we ordered including the wine, were delicious. Service warm friendly and efficient. I had a great birthday!

The food was excellent so was the service Waiter was brilliant

A lovely evening out with friends, with a special shout out to Tim who looked after us beautifully. Highly recommend!

Blimey this place is incredible. We went there for a birthday celebration, just the two of us, and we can't wait to go back. It's busy, yet the staff make you feel as if you are the only person in the room. The cocktails are delicious, plus the food portions are generous, and worth every penny. I recommend arriving hungry. I had a starter and a main and couldn't manage dessert (However they can offer you dessert cocktails if you want!)

Beautifully designed decor lovely atmosphere and very attentive knowledgeable staff. The food was absolutely beautiful and as a non drinker the alcohol fee bubbles were the cherry on the cake. 100% recommend

First time in the new restaurant, just as good as it has always been!

I was harassed at the end of the night by a waiter and the manager for about 15 minutes. Awful experience which soured the whole night.

Drain Stink every few minutes, and we were rushed out before we were ready, such a shame as the food was good!

The venue is beautiful and the food very tasteful.

The team was warm, good humoured and gave the best understated service. They created the vibe and the design revamp underpinned it. There was none of that intrusive ‘is your food ok’ stuff but a gentle smile to check that it was. The food was outstanding too. I had had a steak there before so I went for the seafood which was cooked just right and not too salty. We went for the desert designed for the undecided. So, “small” versions of 4 of the spectacular desserts. They really were not small. There were 5 of us and we ordered enough for 4 people. There was no way we could finish them. This place is exceptional and upbeat. Just go. I am not related to the owner(s), owe them money or selling anything so you can believe this review. Have booked late lunch for New Year’s Eve!

Went on recommnedation but we had eaten at its previous location. The welcome and service was excellent. A special mention to Nina. She was charming all evening, and looked after 3 gentlemen of a certain age with smiles, humour and patience. There was an issue with some of the food. It was dealt with promptly, with apologies and recognition at the end. That's proper service and customer care. Well done.

We were regulars at the old venue and travelled into Brighton for Sunday lunch in the new North Street restaurant. We had an excellent waiter from the outset, but that was the only good thing about our visit. Something has gone horribly wrong with the food. The lamb was inedible, the vegetables were overcooked, and it was impossible to get a knife into the rock-hard roast potatos. Our waiter was very understanding and gave us a 50% discount on our bill. The cooking area is open plan and we were able to see the kitchen staff placing the food onto plates with their bare hands. Watching them run fingers through their hair, poke a finger in an ear, touch a nose, etc, was most disconcerting - after we'd eaten. We left fully aware that this would be our last visit.

Fabulous food, great venue and service, will definately be returning.

So sad , a wonderful restaurant turned into just another high street eatery. The roast potatoes were so hard I could not cut through it the cabbage and carrots tasted reheated ,my friend could not eat his lamb. The waiter was amazing but the food was not and with great sadness we have to remove what was one of our top places to eat from our list.

Good food but wouldn’t go back there because the staff have inflated view of positions apart from a couple of down to earth staff members like Hannah. Music booming so was too loud. Someone next to us was stressed as their service was very slow.

Perfect food. I had pork which was delicious and the steak! BUT we were greeted with suspicion on the door by the hostess. Her motive I’m sure was good but we had to answer questions about our booking in a manner like we had to prove very quickly why we were there and we received comments on our getting lost. We were 15 minutes late for our booking time and we phoned restaurant and the lady who we spoke to said “get here as soon as possible and I’ll tell the chef you’re still coming! But you’ll have to order quickly”!! That’s exactly what she said. This is not good customer services. I’m paying to have food. We were not late on purpose. I was made to feel like it’s a privilege to be there! The other negative was the music was too loud. And that’s not because I don’t like loud music. Just not for an evening meal. It just didn’t fit and we wondered if it’s a business decision to get people to eat quicker and have a high turnover? Our waitress Hannah was great listened to our needs etc but I marked it low for service because I felt some staff have an inflated view of their positions. The old restaurant we went to in 2023 had a much nicer feel and ambience even though the food wasn’t as sophisticated.

First visit to new premises. Gorgeous decor and huge space zoned to make it very cosy and luxurious. Staff very relaxed, attentive, courteous, helpful and extremely knowledgeable about the menu. Menu exciting and food absolutely delicious. Steak was tender and perfectly cooked And presented. Such a large portion We asked to take rest home. Date cake is a must for dessert. It was spectacularly yummy. Beautiful private dining room as well. Can highly recommend this stunning restaurant. So lucky to have in Brighton. Well done

Memorable For All The Wrong Reasons!! We visited The Coal Shed Brighton yesterday to celebrate my wife's birthday, hoping for a memorable dining experience—but it was memorable for all the wrong reasons. We ordered three ribeye steaks: two medium and one medium-rare. When they arrived, the two "medium" steaks were practically blue, completely undercooked. We complained, and the steaks had to go back one by one, which caused a significant delay of over 15 minutes. When the steaks finally returned, they were simply overcooked and chewy—clearly just thrown back on the grill in haste without care. None of us could enjoy them, and the evening was completely ruined. To make matters worse, the waiter informed us that the steaks were cooked by the head chef, which made the whole situation even more shocking. Despite the poor service and ruined meals, the manager was on-site but didn’t even come over to apologise. This was supposed to be a special celebration, but the lack of attention to detail, poor service, and absence of basic customer care left us thoroughly disappointed. We expected so much more from a restaurant with The Coal Shed's reputation. Unfortunately, we won’t be returning, and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone looking for a quality dining experience.

Unfortunately our shared steak (being the heart of our meal) was mis-cooked or we were served another tables order, as we clearly ordered medium to well, but was served rare. This steak was also served barely warm and on a cold plate. All other elements of the meal were amazing, this included the service from the minute we walked in. M Morgan (Sat 14th Dec 2024)

Nice place to dine. More effort to explain the choices on the board could have been given as this was not offered nor was an explanation of the steaks and cuts.

Amazing evening meal here for a birthday. Service was good, food was amazing. Would definitely recommend and 💯 come back. The steak 🥩 was 🤗

Food was good, not great but what I expected. The cocktails I tasted were great and had good complexities. Service was good and polite but nothing to shout about; however, Sean was a pleasure and continued to go out of his way for our benefit. Overall a good experience with an exciting atmosphere but it lacked experimentation with flavour given the quality of produce. LB

Love the new venue, staff are fantastic and the food was wonderful. Probably my favorite restaurant in Brighton.

Company Christmas lunch. Team at the coal shed were lovely food was great and the table was not rushed. I highly recommend.

Really excellent food in lovely atmosphere with great staff.Bit more expensive than other venues and worth it!

Food was excellent, but one waiter spoilt the experience, I pronounced something wrong on menu incorrectly - I suffer from Dyslexia rather badly and waiter took micky out of me for it, not in a nice way in my opinion! I was entertaining clients, I spent £400 at restaurant as-well, did not appreciate being mocked. However food is excellent and great looking restaurant done really nicely and great atmosphere. It would been 5 stars, rest of the staff were excellent! But no choice to give 1 star due to experience I received.

Really great steak, great atmosphere and the service was great, corrected wrong order without fuss will definitely return

visited The Coal Shed yesterday with 4 clients and had a superb time. The atmosphere was amazing, food excellent and the staff could not do enough for us. will definitely be returning very soon. thank you

All the food was so so good definitely worth the price and the staff and atmosphere was 10/10. Super chill atmosphere and the staff were so friendly and helpful , would defo go again :)

Great venue with great food. Staff were amazing

Excellent new building, their seems to be more choice on the menu, food and service, as ever, top notch Great addition to the Brighton food scene

Great meal and service this is our second visit and would highly recommend a visit when in Brighton 👍

Outstanding service throughout, and some very good recommendations re food choices from our lovely waitress. The restaurant is deceivingly large, with a beautiful cocktail bar at the front, which then leads up to two very large dining areas, where you can’t fail to be more than impressed with the beautiful decor and ambience. We were there for Sunday lunch, which was fabulous, all washed down with a reasonably priced Malbec. Will definitely be back in the New Year. Thank you to all the lovely attentive staff.

What happened to the Coal Shed? Really really dislike this rather chavy rebranding with the new location! Coal shed in Boyce street was a staple for us, one of our favourite restaurants in Brighton for the amazing food and great location. The new location, what a nightmare! As you come in, you feel like you are in a club, the clientele has completely changed, loud banging music. The only excellent thing was service, we had a lovely gentleman attending our table. Food was a disappointment too: the smallest roast portion (3 tiniest pieces of chicken,2 thin slices of beef), served cold (didn't want to make a fuss of it as my aunt was visiting from Paris and she was treating us to dinner) - before the roast came in generous portions and served in a black stoneware which kept it sizzling hot, now ours was cold even before reaching out table. Terrible disappointment, won't be back.

Love the new space! The Sunday roast was magnificent and the cocktails are Fab!

Amazing food and great service with a great enviroment!

Fourteen of us dined at The Coal Shed on Sunday. Because of the large party, we were given private dining. Our waitress, Hayley, was superb, and the food and atmosphere were exceptional. We will be returning in the near future.

Fantastic place you can really feel the atmosphere as you walk in great cocktails too the Majito is a must !! My starter of black prawn toast was light and delicious my sister had the Tuna tarter and commented that it was very tasty We all had rib eye steaks that was cooked to perfection so well done to the chefs The service was excellent and there was no long wait even though they were very busy Will definitely recommend and return