etch. by Steven Edwards

Verdict: A Michelin-Plated tasting menu in a former bank — worth every pound if you book far enough ahead

At ££££ per head, etch. by Steven Edwards is the most ambitious meal you can book in Brighton and Hove. You are paying for technique-driven tasting menus — five, seven, or nine courses , delivered from an open kitchen in a converted bank building that underwent significant refurbishment in 2021. For a special occasion dinner on the south coast, etch. sits in a different tier to most local competition. The question is whether the price and the demanding booking process are worth it. For most diners planning a celebration or a serious night out, the answer is yes , provided you plan ahead and arrive knowing what the format demands.

The Room

The 2021 expansion gave etch. more dining room space and a basement bar called the Ink Bar, named for the tattoo parlour that occupied the premises before the restaurant moved in. The aesthetic is monochrome Scandi minimalism: spare, deliberate, and serious without being cold. The open kitchen is the focal point of the dining room, with chefs delivering some plates personally. Energy levels run high , this is a lively room, not a hushed fine-dining temple , which makes it a better fit for a celebratory dinner with conversation than a quiet business lunch where you need to hear yourself think. If you want atmosphere alongside the technique, etch. delivers. The Ink Bar downstairs also carries cocktails, making it a reasonable option for a pre-dinner drink on the same premises.

The Food

Steven Edwards won MasterChef: The Professionals in 2013, and while that credential is now over a decade old, etch. has built a reputation that stands independently of it. The Michelin Plate (2025) signals food worth seeking out: technique in place, ambition present, but not yet at star level. That framing is useful , you are eating at a restaurant that is cooking seriously without the price floor that comes with Michelin star territory.

The tasting menu format is fixed, with courses notified in advance, and the booking process is described as demanding. Come with a clear view of how many courses you want and flag dietary requirements early. A vegetarian menu is available and is worth serious consideration. The signatures , Marmite brioche with seaweed butter, the dippy egg course , appear regularly and have become the kind of dishes that regulars return for. The wine list is arranged from highest price to lowest, which is either a confidence move or a minor irritation depending on your outlook; either way, be prepared.

The Wine List: Sussex First

The wine program at etch. is one of the more considered aspects of the operation, and a genuine reason to choose etch. over comparable Modern British venues in the region. The list earned back-to-back Star Wine List recognition , ranked at both #1 and #2 in 2024 , which is a verifiable credential worth taking seriously. The English sparkling wine section covers both Sussex and Kent producers, accompanied by a map of the south-east wine region. This is not a token local gesture: the south-east of England has produced commercially and critically serious sparkling wine for over two decades, and etch.'s list reflects that with genuine depth.

For a special occasion dinner, opening with English sparkling wine from a producer local to Brighton and Hove is a coherent choice , geographically relevant, technically credible, and meaningfully different from a default Champagne. If wine matters to your group, the list here gives you more to work with than you will find at Dilsk or most other ££-£££ restaurants in the city. Compare this to places like Ginger Pig or Wild Flor, where the wine offer is solid but not built around the same kind of regional editorial stance. If wine is a priority alongside the food, etch. is the right call in this city.

In the broader context of Modern British fine dining, etch. sits below the wine program depth you would find at CORE by Clare Smyth or L'Enclume, but the Sussex-focused curation gives it a regional specificity that those London and Cumbrian lists cannot replicate. For its price tier and geography, the wine list at etch. is a genuine asset.

Special Occasion Suitability

etch. is well-configured for celebrations: the room has energy, the format is theatrical enough to feel like an event, and the open kitchen gives the meal a sense of occasion without requiring silence. A birthday, anniversary, or a significant dinner with a partner is exactly what the format is designed for. The fixed tasting menu means there is no decision fatigue on the night , courses arrive, the kitchen is in control, and the experience moves at the restaurant's pace. That is a feature for some diners and a constraint for others; know which category you fall into before booking.

For broader context on what else is available in the city for a special night out, see our full Brighton and Hove restaurants guide, our Brighton and Hove bars guide, and our Brighton and Hove hotels guide if you are making a full trip of it. For day visits, our experiences guide and wineries guide cover the surrounding region.

How It Compares

FAQ

• How far ahead should I book etch. by Steven Edwards? Book at least four to six weeks ahead, and longer for weekend slots or special dates. etch. holds a Michelin Plate, operates on a fixed tasting menu format with limited covers, and carries a 4.8 Google rating across nearly 500 reviews , demand is consistent. The booking process is described as demanding, so read the requirements carefully when you reserve.
• Can I eat at the bar at etch. by Steven Edwards? The Ink Bar in the basement carries cocktails and is a separate space from the main dining room. etch. operates a fixed tasting menu format, so the main dining room is not a drop-in option. If you want a drink on the premises without a full dinner booking, the Ink Bar is the right entry point.
• Does etch. by Steven Edwards handle dietary restrictions? A vegetarian tasting menu is available and is worth serious consideration as a standalone choice, not just a fallback. Flag all dietary requirements at the point of booking , the fixed menu format and advance course notification mean the kitchen needs this information early. Contact details are not available in our current data; check the restaurant's website directly for specific allergy enquiries.
• Is etch. by Steven Edwards worth the price? At ££££, etch. is the most expensive restaurant in Brighton and Hove's Modern British category. The Michelin Plate (2025) and back-to-back Star Wine List recognition in 2024 confirm the quality is there. Compared to Michelin-starred Modern British restaurants like hide and fox in Saltwood or Hand and Flowers in Marlow, you are paying less for a comparable level of technique and ambition. For Brighton and Hove specifically, it is the right choice if you want serious cooking and a considered wine list in one sitting.
• What are alternatives to etch. by Steven Edwards in Brighton and Hove? For a less formal night out at a lower price point, Dilsk (Modern British, £££) is the closest in style and is easier to book. Burnt Orange (Mediterranean, ££) and Amari (Spanish, ££) offer good meals at significantly lower spend. If you want to stay in the Modern British fine dining register but are open to travelling, hide and fox in Saltwood is worth considering for a Michelin-starred comparison.
• Is the tasting menu worth it at etch. by Steven Edwards? Yes, if a fixed tasting menu is your preferred format. The five-course option is the lower-commitment entry point; the nine-course is for diners who want the full picture. The signatures , Marmite brioche, the dippy egg course , are repeats that regulars actively return for, which is a reasonable signal that the format holds up across visits. The vegetarian version is also specifically noted as worthy of serious attention, not a secondary option.
• Is etch. by Steven Edwards good for a special occasion? It is one of the better-configured options in Brighton and Hove for exactly that. The theatrical open kitchen, the fixed menu format (which removes decision fatigue on the night), the lively atmosphere, and the option to extend the evening in the Ink Bar downstairs all suit a birthday or anniversary dinner. The wine list, with its Sussex sparkling wine focus and Star Wine List credentials, adds a regional dimension that makes the occasion feel specific to place.
• Is etch. by Steven Edwards good for solo dining? The tasting menu format works for solo diners who are comfortable with a longer, multi-course meal. The open kitchen gives you something to watch, and the lively room means solo dining does not feel isolating. That said, the ££££ price point makes this a deliberate solo splurge rather than a casual option. If you want a shorter, more flexible solo meal in Brighton and Hove, Dilsk at £££ offers more flexibility on format.