Our Review Of Permit Room Brighton: A Beautiful All-Day Dining Spot By Dishoom

The Lanes are home to some of the best restaurants, bars and pubs in the city. A wonder around the winding paths will always lead you to an incredible food spot, whether it's a hearty full English from The Breakfast Club or a delicious slice of Italy from Donatello. 

As someone who has recently moved from London, there are a few food spots that I can't help but miss from the Big Smoke. So when I found out that there was a Permit Room - the sister restaurant of the famous Dishoom - I knew I had to visit. Permit Room is Dishoom's more casual sister brand with an all-day cafe vibe. First opening its doors in November 2023, Permit Room has quickly become a Brighton staple that allows you to eat your way through Bombay, without the need to leave the country.

This might be the most beautiful restaurant in The Lanes.

DesignMyNight's Review Of Permit Room Brighton

First off, this restaurant is beautiful. The peachy exteriors, giant glass windows and outdoor seating were instantly inviting. From walking past previously, I always imagined the restaurant to be incredibly small and quaint on the inside, but I couldn't have been more wrong. Much like the Brighton Lanes, this restaurant winds around into little pockets that don't ever seem to end - similar to Doctor Who's TARDIS.

Once we found our seat by the window, we wasted no time and delved straight into the cocktail menu. I went for the Clover Club (£12.90), a sweet - but strong - sip with raspberry and lychee liqueur, Beefeater gin and lemon oil. The best part? It was topped with a coconut foam which not only made it look amazing, but made it that tad bit sweeter. My sister was instantly drawn in by the Kiwi Colada Shimmy (£11.50), which was a twist on the coconut classic. This amalgamation of kiwi, lemongrass and ginger was one of the best flavours we'd ever tried. It was no surprise that she ordered two more after finishing the first, it was that good.

The Permit Room's cocktail menu has sips garnished with coconut cream and delicious frozen numbers.

After much deliberation, we finally managed to decide on our starters and sides. Firstly, the chilli cheesy garlic naan bites (£5.90) were the perfect way to start. These little cheddar-stuffed bites packed a punch and they melted the second they touched my tongue, I could have eaten these forever.

Another favourite was the chilli broccoli salad (£7.50), that was both refreshing and fiery - the perfect combination in my opinion. We also made our way through the aloo tikki chaat (£8.90) - a combination of smashed potato patties, sweet yoghurt, green chutney, tamarind and papdi - which we fell in love with. 

A strong contender for the best curry in Brighton.

And if you think we stopped there, you would be mistaken. When the vegetable samosas (£7.20) and crispy chilli chips (£6.50) came out, we knew we were in for a treat. These had quite the kick, and although my sister claims she can't handle her spice, she managed to devour the majority of the bowl. Now for the curry. I chose a Dishoom classic, the Dishoom chicken ruby (£17.70) which was packed with the creamiest flavour and was sprinkled with bites of tender chicken. This was, hands down, the best curry I have ever eaten.

My sister went for the prawn moilee (£18.50) - a dish of coconut milk, tumeric, curry leaves, fresh ginger and the juiciest prawns ever. It was so warming and delicious, with the perfect touch of spice. You can make this dish vegan by replacing prawns with cauliflower and I'm sure it would still be incredible.

Although the desserts looked dreamy, we didn't manage to make room for a sweet treat. The mango lassi soft serve caught my eye though and I will certainly be heading back in for a portion in the near future.

Overall: Permit Room Brighton

This place is simply beautiful. With everything from the delicious Indian cuisine to the incredible service, I couldn't fault a thing. You can tell how much love, care and attention goes into making the Permit Room such an incredible restaurant. I will be recommending this place to everyone and will be back to consume even more kiwi coladas in the future.

Discover more of the best Indian restaurants in Brighton here.