Meet the Chilli Pickle, the trendy restaurant that’s been spicing up Brighton’s food scene for a delicious decade
Fun, vibrant and full of character – Chilli Pickle is an award-winning Indian restaurant in Brighton that took the city by storm when it first opened ten years ago.
Run by English husband and wife team, Dawn and Alun, the duo launched the restaurant in 2008 after moving back from Dubai. Don’t be fooled by their British heritage – the food here is as authentic as Indian cuisine gets.
Having expanded the site numerous times, the duo will now building on their success and taking Chilli Pickle further afield with numerous sites planned over the next 12 months, the first of which will be an exciting Guilford opening this July.
Make the trip to Brighton and put this restaurant at the top of your foodie hit list this summer – to celebrate its decade in dishes, Chilli Pickle has recently undergone a bright, bold interior refresh. Think creatively vibrant interiors, with hand-painted Tamil stencil graphics and A2 roadside-style posters.
Believing it’s impossible to be bored of Indian food, the couple’s annual discovery trips to new destinations help develop the popular local restaurant’s menu, creating fresh versions of authentic regional dishes. With dishes as diverse as the Indian terrain and landscape, menu highlights feature a range of tempting treats.
These include:
• Momo steamed dumplings from Nepal
• Keralan coconut curry
• Old Delhi-style butter chicken
• Hyderabadi biryani
• Oxtail madras
• Crispy pork belly vindaloo
Diners can also spice up their lunch lives by spending lunch hour grazing on their Grand Thalis or Railway Trays – which feature a choice of freshly-made curry served with snacks, pickles, chutney, salad, rice, raita, papad and naan.
The Wordrobe caught up with Alun himself to find out a little more…
What inspired you to become a chef?
My grandfather was in the merchant navy and travelled the world, the stories he told me as a young lad filled me with early wanderlust and a hunger for adventure.
Being a chef was a way to do this and notable greats chefs at the time fuelled the passion. Anton Mossimon, Pierre Koffman, The Roux Brothers, Raymond Blanc…
Where did you train? Tell us more about your culinary background…?
I went to catering college but I would say it wasn’t until I entered the world of work that my training really began.
My first proper job was in Switzerland. Classical old 5 star luxury hotels, large brigades and very hierarchical. The more senior the chef the bigger the hat. As a young English man I would say that discipline was very much drilled into me during these early years. I then went on to work in 8 countries in 4 continents.
What can guests expect from the menu at The Chilli Pickle?
A taste of India with great produce and an opportunity to experience some of the many regions and styles that it has to offer.
What does hospitality mean to you?
Great food and service but also an experience and an atmosphere where you feel comfortable and relaxed. A restaurant where you have the scence you need to be clipped and on your best behaviour not one we wanted to create.
Describe your cooking style in three words
Colourful, big flavour, flamboyant.
Name three of your favourite restaurants
1 Dum Pukht- ITC Maurya Delhi.
2 Murugan’s Idli Shop – Chennai
3 The Wolseley – London
Do you have any role models?
To be honest I respect so many great people in the industry. Generally they will also believe in hard work, passion and integrity.
What’s next on the cards?
Heads down for now to make Guildford the best it can be, as well as flying the Chilli Pickle flag at our Flagship Brighton site.
Now try it for yourself
With daily lunch and dinner sittings every weekday, the Chilli Pickle is now serving all-day on weekends. Get your foodie fix anytime from 12pm – 10.30pm on Saturdays and 12.30pm – 9.30pm on Sundays.
Make it happen
Where: 17 Jubilee Street, Brighton BN1 1GE
Bookings: Click here or phone 01273 900 383 to make a reservation
