English's of Brighton

My husband insisted on taking me there as he had been there twice before and liked their fish very much. My visit however was very, very disappointing. First of all the maitre'ds were quite unfriendly and kept scrutinizing us. I ordered pan fried scallops (as starter) my favorite dish. When the food arrived I wanted to ask the maitre'd whether he was serious...i had 3! tiny winy scallops on my plate and this for a ridiculous price, I think it was GBP12 or so. We also ordered french fries which were totally burned and cold. So we gave them back and asked for new ones, which were drowning in oil and burned. I think our bill came up to GBP 50 for one dish of scallops, one dish of pan fried fish, fries and a bottle of water. I was starving when we left and terribly disappointed. I also have to say that the presentation of their dishes is terrible as there is no presentation at all! The plates and bowls have chips on them and the table cloths are dirty. I was disgusted by the restaurant and will never go back there!
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Christin
Thursday, October 11, 2007

my husband and i often go to english's for a good evening out always to be assured of good food with good service. thank goodness for english's, you wont be disapointed
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jo
Friday, September 28, 2007

My boyfriend and I had an absolutely fantastic meal - cooked to perfection, and way too much for us to finnish!

A lovely evening, sitting outside, with people singing and having a good time.

The staff were accomodating (as we had booked a table inside) and managed to squeeze us in!
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Kate
Monday, September 17, 2007

Having read some of the reviews on here I thought I would take my partner for a celebratory meal to English's. What a mistake! On arrival the maitre'd was very unwelcoming. We were sat on a table opposite other diners, my partner and I had to sit next to each other rather than opposite. The diner next to me was so close I kept being elbowed! We ordered the seafood platter, expecting such delights (as we had been told), of scallops, oysters, lobster etc. What came out was deep fried scampi, tuna which was so rubbery you couldn't even eat it. No scallops, no oysters, a lobster that must have been on a diet and a whole seabass. We sent most of it back as it was overdone and I certainly do not pay £60 for deep fried scampi no matter what restaurant I am in! The service was abysmal. The only good thing was that we were offered a sincere refund for the meal. I just couldn't understand that a chef would even send something out along those lines, do they have no morals? Will never eat there again.
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Tamsin
Monday, July 23, 2007

To celebrate a colleague's impending retirement we were recommended English's and we weren't disappointed. Yes, it was pricey but the service was excellent, the food delicious and freshly cooked.The waether was appalling and so we spent 3 hours over lunch but were never made to feel that we needed to leave. Thank you for a memorable first visit to Brighton. We will be back!
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Tuesday, July 03, 2007

I wanted to say how much my partner and I enjoyed our recent visit to English's.

The bread, pate and lobster bisque were mouthwatering, served with fragrant warm bread rolls and salty butter. And our halibut was just beautiful.

We're still talking about it several weeks later! What a treat. We'll be straight back there the next time we have an occasion to celebrate.
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Kate Naylor
Monday, June 18, 2007

Went 3rd June 2007. Visiting Brighton with wife for one night only. Unfortunately we chose English's. Poor food, the table was so small you have to sit side by side, not opposite each other. Didn't bother with coffee or pudding, went to a pub for a stiff drink! Still cost £85 for 2, including an £18 bot. wine.
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Lou Kemp
Wednesday, June 06, 2007

I thoroughly mediocre experience.

For a start it's overcrowded and it's nothing to do with the building being old. There is a way to avoid having cramped seating - don't cram so many tables in to a space that's too small for them.

The food ranged from OK to poor. Reasonable complimentary olives, bread etc. Starters fair but got the feeling much better could have been done with the ingredients. Lemon sole, overdone but not pleasant.

Didn't hang around for coffee but, thanks to the cosy seating, I could smell those of the adjacent diners and they the aroma coffee which had been sitting on the hot plate all day, burnt and bitter.

Reviewers have mentioned that English's charges London prices. I know of a few fish restaurants in London where far better food can be had at a much lower cost than this restaurant charges.
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Monday, April 16, 2007

This is a first-rate, old-fashioned fish restaurant. We went for late lunch on Sunday 4th February 2007, were warmly welcomed on arrival, and as we were 20 minutes early we sat at the small bar for champagne and oysters while waiting for our table to be ready. Bread rolls, butter, crab pate and olives were immediately produced to get us started. The restaurant itself has a Parisian feel with large murals around the walls and red velvet banquettes, and is narrow and cosy, somewhat resembling a railway carriage. Service was on the ball and the food - starters of prawns fried in butter with chillies and crab salad, mains of grilled dover sole and halibut were top-rate. Good wine list. Pricey - West End levels - but worth it. For us visitors from London, English's was a real find.
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Anthony Lambie
Monday, February 05, 2007

If you want to visit a lovely restaurant in an old and attractive building, experience old-fashioned good, friendly service and superb seafood, this is a must. Am puzzled by negative previous reviews - and no I don't have to convince myself we've had great meals here.

Situated in The Lanes, by the Sussex pub, with eating inside and out (weather permitting), this fine restaurant has an excellent reputation for fine dining. In the summer, the outside tables are regularly entertained by a dixie style jazz band, which can be great fun.

It is fairly pricy, but you are paying for what you get - the highest quality fare. If funds allow, it is our restaurant of choice, whatever time of the year, lunch or evening.

If you are into seafood, you can't go wrong. From fancy to plain, there is plenty of choice. I nearly always have scallop meuniere, which is simply scallops cooked in lemon butter. But oh what scallops! Tender, plump and tasty, my mouth's watering now at the memory! Oysters are a speciality; on my birthday a couple of years ago, I was even allowed to try an oyster for free! Although not to my taste, it was very fresh and tasted of the sea. Halibut, seabass, lobster, crab etc are all available and all of the best quality. If, like my husband, you're not a fish person, they offer a delicious Scotch fillet steak and also steak & kidney pudding.

I can't tell you what the desserts are like - we never have room!
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Anne Bond
Thursday, January 18, 2007