The Set

Brighton isn’t short of great restaurants, but even in this eclectic city there’s nothing quite like The Set. Dan Kenny’s moody restaurant lies out of the city centre towards Preston Park, but make the journey north and you’ll find one of the most unique, ambitious restaurants anywhere in the UK.

The rustic, dimly-lit interiors and mismatched furniture have quite a unique vibe and if you’re longing for a restaurant that is warm, cosy and inviting, The Set may not be to your tastes. That said, there’s a special resourcefulness happening here that is worthy of note - the space doubles up as a cafe during the day, but The Set takes over on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings with a unique, Asian-flecked tasting menu. Dan and sous chef Marcin dive in and out of the tiny kitchen during service, using a small barbecue outside to cook many of the dishes.

Given the limited capacity of the restaurant and equipment, some of the food they turn out is remarkable. A handful of single bite snacks set the scene, including a crispy oyster katsu and a clever combination of beef with a bearnaise croquette. The Set is all about big, bold flavours and from here, the menu doesn’t let up, from the intense, delicious scallop tikka masala to comforting chocolate and miso pudding at the end. There’s a danger of The Set being all brawn and no brains, but there’s clever thinking on the menu too, as shown by a bread course of milk bread and cheese burger butter, and a Delica pumpkin pre-dessert.

With only a handful of tables, very rustic interiors and a single sitting on three evenings a week, The Set might not coalesce with exactly what everyone looks for in a restaurant. If what you care about is great food, we’d recommend you book a table - you won’t be disappointed.

The Set in Brighton is an intimate dining experience that serves just one ever-changing tasting menu from Wednesday to Friday. The restaurant takes great care when it comes to sourcing and provenance, focusing only on micro-seasonal British ingredients, heritage slow grown vegetables, sustainable seafood and native rare breed meats. Serving between 16-20 courses in the evening to just 18 customers, eating at the restaurant is a unique experience that takes guests on a journey of never-tried-before flavours.  

Because the menu is dictated so closely by the seasons, it constantly changes depending on what’s fresh and local at the time. Each description of the dishes is succinct yet brief so as to retain the element of surprise when diners are presented with each plate. Examples might include dishes entitled chalk stream sushi, set breakfast, bread and butter, BBQ pork belly, nacho and a sweet dish simply named strawberry. Do with that what you will.  

There is an optional drinks pairing available at an extra cost, which includes a carefully selected range of delicious drinks.  

The restaurant itself is cosy and rustic with distressed wooden flooring, small wooden tables and a fireplace set against a red brick wall. Guests are able to take a seat at the counter, which overlooks the open kitchen, and enjoy a drink before dinner at one of its bar stools. The relaxed, shabby-chic feel of the space provides a rather pleasing contrast to the refined, contemporary plates turned out by the kitchen team. 

When you book a table at The Set, it is yours for the night with the recommended dining time being between 2.5-3 hours. Do note that due to a small kitchen team of two, the restaurant is unable to cater for dietary requirements.