Rating: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5 stars)
🌿 Vegetarian? Yes
🥬 Vegan? Yes, but you need to inquire
🌾 Gluten Free? No
Address: 90 Dyke Rd, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN1 3JD
TLDR 🇹🇭
- Authentic Thai dining experience with fresh, local ingredients
- Family owned with decor featuring art from Thailand
- Must-visit for Thai food enthusiasts
- BYOB (Bring Your Own Beer/Wine), with corkage fees
- Call ahead to book a table
If you’re after an authentic Thai meal, you can’t go wrong with Red Snapper in Seven Dials, Brighton. Family owned, it was opened by Panwad Manateepho and her family has been in the game for three generations. Red Snapper isn’t just a restaurant – it’s an experience with a real sense of identity and that’s also thanks to Panwad’s husband, Philippe who has decorated the interior with art from Rayong street artists and has used recycled materials to give it a unique aesthetic.
They source all their ingredients from England, except for one secret citrus zest that’s key to their flavour – we don’t know exactly what it is, but it’s apparently essential! They apparently fly back to Thailand often to restock and bring it back to Brighton. It’s strangely reassuring to know that they’re making these trips, never stray far from the culture which is apparent in the authentic dishes.
Let’s Check Out the Menu 📖
The menu is a bit of an adventure, whilst it does have structured categories such as Nibbles, Small Plates, Noodles, Curry etc. The host explained that you can basically just do what you want! Picking something from here or there, mixing things up to your own preference. If this seems a little perplexing for un-travelled westerners, the staff are super approachable and are quick to give recommendations.
You Bring the Wine, or Pick a Drink! 🍾
You’ll see on Google maps reviews and Tripadvisor that guests often refer to the fact that it’s a BYOB spot, with a corkage fee. This keeps the cost down and ensures you’ll be drinking something that you like, but they do also offer a range of fun homemade drinks: Thai lemon ice tea, Thai oat ice tea and Lychee-tiser. We were more than happy to pay this, and service charge also wasn’t included on the bill – but there’s always an option to tip!
We opted to pop-in to the local wine merchants just down the road and picked up a couple of bottles of orange wine.
First Impressions – Starters 🍽️
To start, we ordered a smashed cucumber salad which was one of the temporary specials. It was an impressive start to the meal, covered by a large rice cracker and underneath, a plethora of flavours. This included soy chunks, large slices of cucumber, cashews, onions, mint leaves and cherry tomatoes – all within a rich tamarind sauce with a tangy, spicy punch. To date, I’ve never been a fan of ordering salads when eating out, but this dish has changed my perspective!
We also ordered a portion of corn fritters which were accompanied by a sweet chilli dip. This was for me, an unconventional way to start a meal as they were slightly desert-like. Though, totally delicious and a fun plate for sharing.
Now, we should talk about the prawn crackers. It was a positive sign when they arrived and were not pure white, but a beige colour which implied they were made here rather than store bought. They had a strong taste of prawns and fishy smell, which is not something you usually get from this simple side. They were basically just “proper” prawn crackers. It was nice to see this attention to detail.
The Mains 🍛
The mains were ready promptly and we opted to have them whilst we were still finishing our starter, as we were keen to get stuck in. I was joined by a few veggies at the table and yet the menu enticed me to shamelessly order a crispy chicken massaman curry. Meanwhile the others at the table ordered crispy tofu massaman and a tofu green curry. Resulting in an impressive spread of mains.
Crispy Chicken Massaman Curry 🤌
The crispy chicken was well textured, moist inside but with a satisfying crispy skin. There was a subtle creamy peanut texture on the coating and this tasted great with the onions in the curry. The dish was intentionally spiced, for flavour rather than for the thrill which didn’t leave me chugging water. Buried deep within the massaman, there were also some chopped new potatoes with the skin on, acting like a sponge to soak up all of the flavours and adding soft texture between the crispy chicken chunks.
Crispy Tofu Thai Green Curry 👍
I did also help myself to some of the others dishes so that I could try the tofu, I particularly liked the green curry where the tofu chunks were served in a variety of shapes and sizes. There was more veg in the dish, featuring fresh spinach, green beans, carrots, bamboo shoots, broccoli and courgette. Giving a more earthy flavour overall in comparison to the massaman that I was tucking into.
The tofu was cooked wonderfully, with a good density which provided a slight bounce to each bite, and it was covered in a light layer of crushed peanuts to add some interest. There was also a lot of tofu in each dish, in fact the portions were all pretty generous.
Rice Dishes 🍚
We decided to try all three of the rice dishes, from the simple steamed jasmine rice, coconut and sesame rice, as well as the controversial egg fried rice (with curry). This was a great shout as it gave the meal a fun twist where we could mix these up to our liking.
My partner is from Bali and has much higher standards of rice dishes than I (who grew up eating microwaved Uncle Ben’s), she gave a rare nod of approval, implying it’s pretty legit.
The coconut and sesame rice was my favourite, with refreshing and bright flavours that contrasted perfectly with my curry that had a bit of a kick to it. The sesames on-top provided a slightly charred flavour which I always enjoy. The egg fried rice was also fantastic, perfectly moist and flavourful, leaving a reassuring and thin layer of oil at the bottom of the dish (that’s how you know it’s good).
Get Yourself Over to Red Snapper 🏃
Red Snapper wasn’t on my radar before and so I’m glad that it was suggested to me. I’d highly recommend that you pay a visit, if you’re a fan of Thai food – but even if you’re not! As you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the flavours and laid back atmosphere. It’s always a treat to have something that is made well.
The staff were attentive and genuine, which really made the whole experience more chilled (also because of the incense in the room). Overall, our table collectively agreed that the experience was “a sticky, sweet and beautiful combination of flavours” and some of us could be seen tipping dishes upside down to get the remnants.
With filled bellies and empty plates we agreed to come back again soon. Next time, I’ll be trying the fish!
Thanks for reading Brighton Bites Back!
Based in Brighton since 2023, Mitch is all about uncovering hidden gem restaurants and supporting independents over chains. With a seasoned palate developed from years of eating out, he’s your go-to for discovering the best local spots.
