Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3 out of 5 stars)
Address: 6-8 Meeting House Ln, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN1 1HB
📍 View on Google Maps
🌿 Vegan? Yes, quite a few options
🌾 Gluten free? Not guaranteed
TLDR
Welcome to The Chilli Pickle review! Since opening its doors in 2008 and expanding to its current location in 2010, The Chilli Pickle has become a Brighton heavy hitter. Conveniently located in the city centre, this restaurant serves some of the best onion bhajis in the UK, and the chefs know how to cook meat properly. The curry dishes are tangy and typically offer a medium level of spice. While the service is friendly, it can feel a bit slapdash during peak times (though this isn’t a deal-breaker). Although it has a slightly commercial vibe, The Chilli Pickle is well-suited for large groups, and it definitely hits the spot if you’re craving a curry.
The Chilli Pickle – Full Review:
Atmosphere & Location
Update, September 2025: Since writing this, The Chilli Pickle moved from Jubilee Street, to their original location in The Lanes. This was a great move, as originally I have some qualms with the commercial feel of the Jubilee street location. But even so, the music was good, the place had some life to it and it is fairly heavily themed inside with some nice lights that would look good on your Instagram.
The Chilli Pickle Menu
The Chilli Pickle delivers a fairly varied menu that is both familiar and innovative. From street eats and small plates to curries and tandooris. There is a good range of fish, chicken, lamb and vegetable based dishes – something for everyone. As a little tip, I found some of the side dishes to be similar in size to the mains, there wasn’t a massive difference.
Tandoori Chicken: A rich, tomato-based sauce accompanied the perfectly cooked chicken, which certainly makes a change. The dish offered a variety of textures and was tangy with a low spice level, making it accessible to most diners. Though the curry sauce did become quite intense toward the end of the meal.
Onion Bhajiis: You have got to try these, enough said… but I’ll carry on anyway! Crispy but not overly oily, these bhajis struck a balance between gooey and crunchy. The freshness of the onion shone through, not destroyed by batter. Some of the best bhajis you’ll try in the UK.
Seafood Curry: This dish featured large pre-peeled tiger prawns and chunks of white fish in a tangy curry sauce. While the seafood was well-cooked, the fact that the sauce was identical to the tandoori chicken was a little disappointing. Whilst I’m a fan of efficiency in the kitchen, a heads up from the waiter may have been nice considering we ordered two dishes with the same sauce.
Drinks to Pair
Chilli Pickle Session Lager: A light, slightly fruity lager with citrus notes. At 4%, it’s highly sessionable and pairs well with the full flavours in the food. I really enjoyed this lager and I think you will too, as I tend to be quite fussy!
Colombo’s Last Word (on the left) This cocktail was a standout with its smooth, clean finish and a unique pandan flavour that lingered pleasantly. We also tried the chai chai cocktail which was more dessert-like but also tasty (on the right)
There is also an extensive wine list, which I’ll leave for you to explore as they’ll certainly have something that you like. As well as one of my favourite local IPAs by The Lost Pier (can 330ml). A pretty decent drinks selection if you ask me!
Friendly staff, but a little rushed
Service at The Chilli Pickle was a mixed bag and whilst it was a Saturday night, the service still felt quite rushed. I will say that when I did have their attention, the staff were friendly, but it was tricky to flag them down for a drink refill. It felt a bit like catching a moving train! This meant that we missed out on ordering additional items like naan and more cocktails during our meal. When you’re paying around £50 per head, more attentive service wouldn’t have felt out of place. This could have just been because of the amount of deliveroo orders being slung out of the door and dividing the team’s attention… But looking on the bright side, it’s a good sign that the locals enjoy the food.
The service wasn’t a deal-breaker though, I’m being picky because I’m writing a review. Also as fair warning to anybody trying out the place, especially any Londoners reading who may be slightly less patient.
The Chilli Pickle has a lot to offer
The Chilli Pickle offers a fun menu filled with some big flavour. The food is tasty, but at times, it can be slightly overwhelming, as every dish has so much impact. I feel obligated to throw in a little personal detail, that my partner from South East Asia felt much the same on this point, so it’s not just my western palette!
This restaurant is a solid choice if you’re after an Indian in Brighton. It’s set-up well to accommodate big groups to start off your night out, the food is fun and it arrives at your table in a good time. Just be sure to book ahead. Despite my slight gripes with the service. I acknowledge the fact that it was peak time when I visited and so I’ll cut them some slack there. All in all, you’ll enjoy The Chilli Pickle if you’re into Indian cuisine.
Thanks for reading this review of The Chilli Pickle and keeping up with Brighton Bites Back. I’d love to hear what you thought of the food, so do feel free to get in touch! Remember to sign-up for the newsletter using the form below so that you don’t ever miss a review.
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.
