Pinello

On Brighton’s seafront, Pinello brings the sunlit ease of the Mediterranean to the Sussex shore. Family-owned for over forty years, it cooks with conscience, championing locally sourced, sustainable fish, shellfish and meats. Views sweep across the beach to the iconic West Pier ruins, setting a scene at once breezy and romantic.

In the kitchen, flavours roam from shoreline to trattoria: moules mariniere and pan-fried king prawns in garlic, chilli and tomato; seared seabass with capers alongside a deftly crisp chef’s cod and chips. From the oven come classic pizzas — margherita and a fiery diavola — and comforting pastas, from linguine arrabbiata to the house’s linguine alla Pinello. Risotto alla pescatora and well-charred steaks reward unhurried appetites.

This address hums with cinematic history. Once the Pandora Gallery, later Victoria Hall, it hosted in 1896 the Parisian brothers August and Louis Lumiere, marking Britain’s first public film exhibition outside London. The British Film Institute plaque now honours the milestone, so guests dine where Brighton’s love affair with the moving image began.

By day, sunlight dances off the Channel; by night, the pier’s silhouette frames convivial tables, tiramisu and crème brûlée, and glasses raised to easy company. Settle in, savour the view, and let Pinello’s coastal storytelling do the rest — book a table and roll the credits in style.