Brighton can be a loud and colourful place, where people compete for attention and like to push boundaries. In such a noisy city, it is often the quieter and more reserved places where you’ll discover something truly exceptional, something that’s clearly true of The Little Fish Market. This fabulous restaurant, run by chef-owner Duncan Ray, is situated down an unassuming side street on the Brighton and Hove border, and you could be forgiven for passing it by.
The name is taken from its previous life as a fishmonger and, as the name suggests, the food is primarily fish-based. There is perfectly good reason for this – Duncan is the sole chef in this twenty-cover restaurant, and to work alone he had to focus on something that would cook quickly. This was not just a case of convenience, however; Duncan prepares fish dishes with all the skill and elegance of a chef who has Michelin star experience.
‘Fish is so delicate – everything on the plate should be there to give it that gentle push towards being perfect and not overpowering it,’ he explains. ‘Marco Pierre White used to say that fifteen seconds is a lifetime and it really is. Fifteen seconds can be the difference from your fish being perfect to completely destroyed. You don’t get that with a joint of beef in the oven. Cooking fish constantly is not easy work.’
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Brighton's prize catch: The Little Fish Market