Burnt Orange

Burnt Orange in Brighton is a warmly-lit, buzzy restaurant-cum-cocktail bar with a cosy, enclosed patio. The textured orange walls, dark wood and green leather furnishings are reminiscent of a French bistro.

Staff are friendly and welcoming and the large wrap-around bar and open kitchen mean you can watch the chefs work their magic.

The menu at Burnt Orange features an exciting array of wood-fired sharing dishes, with influences from Europe and the Middle East. We opted for the £35 set menu - which is a bargain considering the quality and quantity of the food. The table quickly filled up with vibrant dishes, featuring aromatic spices and smokey, barbecue flavours.

The first thing we tasted was the warm flatbread with sweet, nutty sesame brown butter, with notes of caramel. When the bread is this good you know you're in for a treat. Other standout dishes include the miso aubergine with crispy onions, fresh pops of pomegranate, sour cream and toasted sunflower seeds and the lamb cigars - tender meat, wrapped in light, crispy pastry served with smokey padron yoghurt, sweet golden currents and a smattering of spices.

Pork skewers with a sticky, spiced barbecue glaze and crunchy fennel were also noteworthy and the cheesy garlic and herb potatoes felt like proper comfort food.

We often find desserts a little disappointing compared to starters and mains, but this wasn't the case at Burnt Orange. The burnt lemon tart tastes like a light version of lemon meringue pie but with the paper-thin, crunchy, caramelised top of a crème brûlée.

It's also exciting to find a restaurant where the drinks are on par with the food. We sampled the North Breeze (£10) - Burnt Orange's take on the Aperol Spritz but with Campari, clementine juice, apricot brandy and fizz. It was refreshing and perfectly balanced - not too sweet, not too sour.

In summary, Burnt Orange is a lovely, cosy restaurant with delicious food and expertly-mixed cocktails. A wonderful addition to Brighton's food scene.

With an all-day menu plus late-night drinking and a fun music programme, Burnt Orange is more than just your average restaurant.

Found just a stone’s throw from the seaside, this buzzy new dining destination is just a few streets from the historic Lanes of Brighton and right at the heart of the city's bustling streets. While the food options are at the forefront of the offering at Burnt Orange, this is also a place to come with friends to enjoy drinks (accompanied by those all-important nibbles) well into the evening - part bar, part restaurant.

The idea has been conceptualised by acclaimed restaurateur Razak Helala – the man behind The Salt Room and the duo of The Coal Shed restaurants. When it comes to the menu, dishes have been designed with sharing in mind, for plates that are perfect for grazing on over the course of an evening. Seafood is given the gravitas it deserves in such a spot, with things like crab and samphire fritters featuring alongside snacky bits such as creamy Stracciatella cheese with burnt bread, lardo and salted cherries.

If you’re not a fan of sharing your dinner you might prefer something from the wood-fired grill section which heroes larger plates. Here you’ll find combinations like shawarma pork belly with date molasses and a pickled fennel salad or a charcoal roasted octopus dish which is finished with a harissa butter and pine nuts.

In keeping with the restaurant’s ethos as a entertainment destination there is a music programme that has been headed up by none other than Fatboy Slim. On his decision to get creative with the format of his latest venture Helala said: “Over the past couple of years, I’ve had countless conversations with friends and loyal customers about the need for a totally new space. Something different - not quite a restaurant, not quite a bar - but somewhere that combines great food and amazing drinks with the right music. It’s somewhere you can catch up with friends, hang-out and just have fun!"