Review of Dilsk's £40 lunch menu

Nutbourne tomato and goats curd tart at Dilsk, Brighton

One of my favourite fine dining restaurants in Brighton is Dilsk, located on the lower ground floor of the effortlessly stylish Drakes boutique hotel on Marine Parade, writes Nick Mosley.

I’ve been a fan since Dilsk’s doors swung open back in spring 2023; its a uniquely relaxed premium dining experience with faultless professional yet friendly service. I’ve said it before but I also think that the wine list – and curated wine pairings – are the best in Brighton and easily on par with London’s finest. However, service and wine aside, the star of the show at any restaurant is obviously the food and Dilsk never fails to impress.

Chef-patron Tom Stephens has fine dining running through his veins having worked for British culinary luminaries including Steve Drake, Tom Kerridge, Marcus Eaves, Simon Rogan and more recently Michael Bremner at Brighton’s 64 Degrees prior to opening Dilsk with business partner and front-of-house supremo Maddy Riches in spring 2023.

Much like many of his Sussex culinary contemporaries – think Steven Edwards of Etch, Dave Mothersill of Furna, Johnny Stanford of Tern, Ben Wilkinson of The Pass at al – Tom is passionate about using local, seasonal produce wherever possible but is not afraid to also use the wider bounty of the British isles. Sometimes I think today we get a bit hung-up about using hyperlocal food however we live on a small archipelago on the edge of Europe so I see no reason not to look beyond the boundaries of Sussex for great British ingredients.

My regular dining companion – Little Miss Greedy Guts – and I dropped by for lunch on a Thursday in August to sample Dilsk’s four course lunch menu which is priced at a very attractive £40. Its a really good intro to restaurant’s offering, without committing to the more pricey evening tasting menus.

To start, Little Miss GG rapidly devoured Tom’s signature laminated brioche with hand-churned, yeasty mushroom butter. Forget the now ubiquitous slabs of crusty sourdough, this is next level bread. The butter was topped with fine slithers of Hen of the Woods mushroom, adding a slightly nutty and earthy edge.

Sea bass with ricotta dumplings and courgette at Dilsk, Brighton

A tart of Nutbourne heritage tomatoes with creamy goats curd and shellfish bisque followed. For the uninitiated, Nutbourne farm in West Sussex is undoubtably one of the UK’s best tomato growers – that is something you certainly don’t need to look further afield for. Their focus on slow-grown, vine-ripened heirloom varieties without the use of artificial pesticides makes the flavours – and colours – pop. They are a true favourite of chefs and it's easy to see why; they taste amazing.

Fish is always the dish for me so the fillet of sea bass was the order of the day. Accompanied by ricotta dumplings, roasted and ribboned courgette, deliciously mouth-popping crispy capers and locally foraged sea greens with a rich sauce of elderflower butter and squid ink, it was as close to perfection on a plate as you’re likely to get. The skin on the fish was perfectly seasoned and crisp to a tee. This didn’t only taste delicious; it was as much of a feast for the eyes as the palate. Tom’s plating is a work of art.

Blackcurrant leaf parfait with sorbet, honey and bee pollen at Dilsk, Brighton

Dessert is not an afterthought at Dilsk. We shared a scrumptious chocolate and hazelnut tart with salted hazelnut ice cream, and a fresh blackcurrant leaf parfait with sorbet, honey and bee pollen. The latter was a party in my mouth: an explosion of fruit and a pleasing balance of sweetness and acidity.

Chef Tom yet again demonstrated he’s a master of layering flavours and textures to create well-rounded dishes that allow ingredients to sing in harmony. Nothing is too heavy or overpowering, which unfortunately I’ve experienced elsewhere all too many times at the higher end of the dining scene.

With Autumn creeping upon us, the menu has now been updated to keep those all-important seasonal ingredients at the heart of dishes. Available Monday to Thursday for dinner and also Thursday to Saturday for lunch, the four course menu is fantastic value at £40.

I heartily recommend a visit to Dilsk. Its a shining example of exemplary cooking and great hospitality.

Dilsk, 44 Marine Parade, Brighton BN2 1PE

01273 696 934 • www.dilsk.co.uk