IL Bistro
A family run steakhouse brasserie that specialises in the best available British beef, prime cut meats and seafood dishes.
IL Bistro has worked with local food suppliers since 1976
and prides itself on being one of the longest serving independent restaurants in Brighton.
Set in a fisherman's cottage which dates back to the 18th century in the reign of George I the restaurant is situated in the heart of the lanes in Market street and is within walking distance from the beach, Churchill square, the Royal Pavilion and the Theatre Royal and is open for pre theatre dining, breakfast and lunches seven days a week.
Popular dishes
Chips
1 reviews
Traditional Fish Cakes
Salmon, white fish, onions & fresh herbs blended & fried in breadcrumbs. Served with a sweet chilli dip & a small salad
1 reviews
Pâté Maison
Creamy chicken liver & bacon pâté served with pitta bread
1 reviews
Quietly tucked away, good, fresh food, pleasant choice. Worth a visit.
Afraid to say the only thing Il Bistro gets right is the steak. The rest of the menu is like a journey back to the 70s, when we didn’t know anything about food. Co-op salad with no dressing would be one example. Dreary starters another. And it’s not cheap either. All the sides are extra. £65 a head would get you a lot more at the Coal Shed. Sorry
Food was lovely! The low ceilings with beams and the candle light made for a really warm and cosy atmosphere
Lovely restaurant with friendly staff and atmosphere
The management was fantastic he seemed to really enjoying hosting the evening. Made our anniversary a lovely evening to remember.
I can’t say enough about our my sister in law and myself experience with Il Bistro .
They phoned us to confirm our booking earlier in the day ..
On our way to the restaurant we were lost as it was our first visit to Brighton.
On route we phoned the restaurant to let them know we were lost but hoped to be with them soon ..
What should have taking 15 minutes to walk ,ended up taking us 1 hr 5mins .
It was a very windy night with torrential rain.
We were soaked through and all but giving up ever finding the place when the restaurant called us again,
They asked us where we where , told us to stay where we were and they would come and get us .
The manager came and got us in his uniform,no coat on and took us to the restaurant.
Now ,you might think that the restaurant wasn’t very busy with his kind gesture but when we arrived,the restaurant is over two floors and was full to capacity...
That kind of service was above and beyond, exceptional...
Once we got dried off a bit , we had thee most amazing,delicious food and service.
Couldn’t fault anything about Il Bistro ..
Will definitely be visiting again when back in Brighton..
Thank you ...
Rosalyn & Morag.
Xx
We enjoyed Avery pleasant meal here. The location is great and the food was good.
Great service, lovely food.
Lovely food, great service. Small menu covers all bases.
The welcome from the staff was so friendly from the moment we arrived. The food was sensational and the cocktails to finish were great as well! No bad words for Il Bistro, 10/10 would recommend!
First trip to Brighton with my partner and we were pleasantly surprised! The cosy feel with the stoned walls and beamed ceiling - candles adding to the ambience. It was a fantastic evening & the staff were lovely. I believe it’s family owned which added to the experience and service we received. 10/10 would recommend!
Very nice restaurant .The waiter made us very welcome even though we were quite a bit earlier than our booking time. Food was very good and we thoroughly enjoyed our evening.
Very nice cosy restaurant. Good food and to complement that, fantastic service. Really really good service! Portions are a good size too although I thought the steak should come with chips or salad given the price. But aside from that, it was great.
Ordered calamari which was abit thick and chewy, Arancini were sloppy, I'm scilian so I know a good Arancini! Had the ribeye steak which was poor and sent it back so had the fish and chips as did my partner which was fantastic. Service was very good and understanding. Maybe just unlucky but overall just very average for my visit.
Lovely food and the staff are brilliant. The owner is great fun and it deserves to be fully booked every night. Go it’s a great restaurant.
It was just so perfect. Such lovely attentive, fun waiters. Gorgeous ambience and the food is just divine. So glad to be able to be back dining at Il Bistro X
Great service. Very relaxed. Great food.
Lovely relaxed and safe environment t9 enjoy great local food on a warm balmy evening .
Great friendly helpful staff
Wine list isn’t extensive but very good
Restaurant was nice but extremely hot with no air con or fans
Absolutely amazing... food had full flavour and great timings... definitely book as it is very popular!
Food was overpriced and average and service was slow, wouldn’t recommend
Excellent food and well located
Great service, lovely food. Very attentive & friendly staff. Would definitely book again next time we’re in Brighton
Lovely welcome and knowledgeable staff. Cosy and we saw some regulars being warmly greeted, so they do understand about making customers feel valued. Food was nice enough.
We had a lovely meal and the staff were really nice and friendly. It was our first visit and we will go back!
Really tasty food and a really nice atmosphere. I would recommend
Tasty well presented food with helpful and unintrusive service. Well worth a revisit next time we are in Brighton.
It’s was prefect for a quite meal with my girlfriend and the food was beautiful
Great steak.
Lovely food, servers were great considering the large party they had in.
Thank you
Lovely food and the lunch time set menu is excellent value. Generous portions, cooked to perfection. Shame the restaurant was quiet but then again it was a rainy Monday !! Would definitely recommend and will be returning soon.
My partner and I had a lovely meal here. Food was great. The staff were friendly, approachable and efficient. The ambiance was really good too. I definitely recommend this place.
what a lovely little restaurant in the Lanes - food was exceptional and the owner's welcome and service was excellent - will definitely go back when in Brighton
We had another delicious meal at Il Bistro in Friday. Fantastic food in a lovely restaurant and a special mention has to go out to Joe as he is a great host. Thank you.
We were celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary and were disappointed. The price-£74 for 2 courses, a beer and a glass of wine we thought very expensive. The garlic bread was stale but the steak was good. The sea bass was also good, but paying extra for vegetables is not on. We live in London and expect better value for our money
We go every year to celebrate my birthday and anniversary alsway welcome and amazing foog
Very nice, but don't seem to understand how OpenTable works...
All I can say is fantastic highly recommended for any occasion
Loved it
Great service, great steak in a great little restaurant. Will definitely go here again next time I'm in Brighton.
Great food and service. Unfortunately they had run out of Barolo.
FAQs
IL Bistro is rated 4.5 stars by 206 OpenTable diners.
Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable. Due to local restrictions, this restaurant may not be accepting reservations at the moment.