Sussex


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-lowdown">THE LOWDOWN</h2>



<p>Pearly&nbsp;Cow&nbsp;has been ensconced on Brighton’s Regency seafront for almost a year now,&nbsp;in a prime spot just opposite the iconic West Pier. Its Executive Chef is Andrew MacKenzie, who apprenticed at Gleneagles and has cooked in kitchens from Tbilisi to Sydney, working with the likes of Michelin-starred Anton Mosimann and Paul Heathcote. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Pearly-Cow-interior-1000x667.jpg" alt="Pearly Cow, Brighton" class="wp-image-80948" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Pearly-Cow-interior-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Pearly-Cow-interior-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Pearly-Cow-interior-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Pearly-Cow-interior.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>As you’d expect, the menu is an enticingly eclectic mix. It&#8217;s anchored in first-class local produce that&#8217;s in bountiful supply, with fishing boats in sight and the lush green farmland of the South Downs virtually on the doorstep. Dry-aged steaks and ultra-fresh seafood dominate, cooked simply on an open-flame or served raw on ice, but on Sunday, roasts rule. There&#8217;s also a serious cocktail list.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-vibe">THE VIBE </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Pearly-Cow-bar-1000x667.jpg" alt="Pearly Cow, Brighton" class="wp-image-80946" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Pearly-Cow-bar-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Pearly-Cow-bar-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Pearly-Cow-bar-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Pearly-Cow-bar.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p></p>



<p>Brighton’s seafront can get pretty lively but all-season planting means that Pearly Cow’s alluring calm cocoons you before&nbsp;you’ve&nbsp;even made it through the door. Once inside, you get the instant impression that this is a place you’ll want to linger in. With intimate nooks and&nbsp;leather&nbsp;banquettes aplenty, the restaurant’s cosy rooms flow organically into one another, unified by the softest shades of sage and peach, and just-so lighting. Décor-wise it’s quirky but uncluttered – not the easiest combo to pull off, ditto its blend of design-savvy comfort.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The service is immaculate but unobtrusive – nobody’s going to loom over you here and demand to know how everything is just as you take your first bite, but if you need anything, someone will appear, genie-like, without a wait. It’s also worth noting that if you are in the mood for chatting, the level of knowledge and passion for both food and drink is genuinely impressive.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Pearly-Cow-front-room-1000x667.jpg" alt="Pearly Cow, Brighton" class="wp-image-80947" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Pearly-Cow-front-room-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Pearly-Cow-front-room-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Pearly-Cow-front-room-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Pearly-Cow-front-room.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>One other winning detail: there were at least two parties of regulars among the diners when I visited, making it feel a bit like a private member&#8217;s club – and we&#8217;re all on the list.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scoff-amp-quaff">SCOFF &amp; QUAFF </h2>



<p>A Sunday roast was calling, and what better excuse for a leisurely girls’ get-together with my mum, my daughter tagging along. Sometimes, the true test of a restaurant is how it fares when you veer away from the signature dishes. Pearly Cow’s beef, for instance, is a menu showstopper sourced from nearby Trenchmore Farm, but how would&nbsp;their chicken be? We also had a vegetarian in our party.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="667" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Pearly-Cow-chicken-zoomed-out-667x1000.jpg" alt="Pearly Cow Sunday roast, Brighton" class="wp-image-80942" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Pearly-Cow-chicken-zoomed-out-667x1000.jpg 667w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Pearly-Cow-chicken-zoomed-out-533x800.jpg 533w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Pearly-Cow-chicken-zoomed-out-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Pearly-Cow-chicken-zoomed-out.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 667px) 100vw, 667px" /></figure>



<p>For openers, oysters are the star but you’ll also find starters including beef fillet tartare and a mushroom parfait. We were pacing ourselves, determined to save space for pudding – a consideration given how lavish the roasts’ accompaniments are here at&nbsp;Pearly Cow. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="667" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Pearly-roast-chicken-own-667x1000.jpg" alt="Pearly Cow Sunday roast, Brighton" class="wp-image-81041" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Pearly-roast-chicken-own-667x1000.jpg 667w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Pearly-roast-chicken-own-533x800.jpg 533w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Pearly-roast-chicken-own-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Pearly-roast-chicken-own.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 667px) 100vw, 667px" /></figure>



<p>Half a chicken, tenderly cooked to golden perfection, was served with all the essentials and plenty of vegetables including braised red cabbage and some verdant seasonal greens. A creamy cauliflower cheese could easily have been a limelight snatcher had the competition not been so tough. The roasties were beauts, and the Yorkshire puds deserve a special mention, roomy enough to hold any amount of gravy.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="667" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Pearly-Cow-nut-cauli-667x1000.jpg" alt="Pearly Cow Sunday roast, Brighton" class="wp-image-80944" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Pearly-Cow-nut-cauli-667x1000.jpg 667w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Pearly-Cow-nut-cauli-533x800.jpg 533w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Pearly-Cow-nut-cauli-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Pearly-Cow-nut-cauli.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 667px) 100vw, 667px" /></figure>



<p>The same sides flanked the nut roast. A tricky dish to get right, this one was noteworthy, matching dense, layered flavours with plenty of textural intrigue and a casing of light, flaky pastry that was tasty without relying on richness alone.&nbsp;</p>



<p>From the pudding menu, a passing cheese plate looked seriously tempting, all of it British, but we couldn’t resist two of the sweet options. Mascarpone added creamy decadence as well as a tangy note to the crème brûlée, a dish whose burnished elegance should never be underrated, and a scoop of sour cherry sorbet made a perfect foil. A blackberry and apple crumble was no mere supporting act either, its ratio of chunky, tart fruit to crispy topping – a goldilocks of a challenge – perfectly judged. It wasn’t overly sweet either, allowing its zingy flavours to sing and ensuring that the custard and &#8216;milk ice cream&#8217;, both of which came with, didn’t seem too much (as if!).&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="667" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Pearly-Cow-custard-pour-667x1000.jpg" alt="Pearly Cow Sunday roast, Brighton" class="wp-image-80940" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Pearly-Cow-custard-pour-667x1000.jpg 667w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Pearly-Cow-custard-pour-533x800.jpg 533w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Pearly-Cow-custard-pour-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Pearly-Cow-custard-pour.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 667px) 100vw, 667px" /></figure>



<p>The wine list is relatively compact but reads like a who’s who of favourites from home and abroad, with cameos for off-beat options. Guided by a livewire bar maven who declared himself responsible for ‘all things booze’ and was fully up for the challenge of finding a pairing that worked for both chicken and nut roast, we enjoyed a light Chilean grenache, served on the cool side to bring out notes of raspberries and cranberries. An inspired pick – organic, too – it proved incredibly quaffable.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="667" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Pearly-martini-667x1000.jpg" alt="Pearly Cow Sunday roast, Brighton" class="wp-image-81042" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Pearly-martini-667x1000.jpg 667w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Pearly-martini-533x800.jpg 533w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Pearly-martini-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Pearly-martini.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 667px) 100vw, 667px" /></figure>



<p>Rude not to begin with a cocktail though – especially when Pearly Cow’s bar comes not only with apricot velvet perches but a thoughtfully curated seasonal cocktail list, full of meaningful twists and jazzed-up standards. A Mirabelle Old Fashioned was warmed by plum and sherry, while a Seaside Martini was downright revelatory. It was conceived of as a gateway drink for the martini-averse – that’s definitely not Muddy but even so, the combination of gin (Brighton Gin, naturally) with nori-infused vermouth, pear eau de vie and the merest whisper of pineapple was a breath of sea air.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-kids">KIDS </h2>



<p>Children can choose from a ‘Pearly Calves’ menu, whose Sunday iteration runs to mini roasts and a chocolate brownie&nbsp;dessert&nbsp;option that’s&nbsp;intense enough to satisfy grownup tastebuds ­– not that there’ll be anything left of it! Colouring supplies materialise unbidden but kids are generally treated like diminutive adult diners here, and when Muddy was in, they responded by behaving at least as well as their accompanying adults. My daughter was impressed by the mocktails briefing she received from the barman – and equally chuffed with her Pal-no-ma when it arrived, gorgeously garnished with a slice of dried grapefruit. Under 6s eat for free.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-accessibility">ACCESSIBILITY</h2>



<p>The restaurant is set slightly below pavement level, distancing it from the hurly burly of the seafront. This does entail steps but they’re few in number and staff are ready to help. Once inside, everything is on one level (visit-worthy loos included), with plenty of space to manoeuvre.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-out-amp-about">OUT &amp; ABOUT </h2>



<p>Cross the street and hop aboard the i360 for some elevated views or strike a pose against the silhouette of the old pier. There’s an expanse of seashore to promenade along but you could also walk off pudding with a spot of shopping: along with the spruced-up Churchill Square mall you’re moments away from the city’s historic Laines, chockfull of indie boutiques and other curiosities.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Heading down from further afield? The train station and its links to Gatwick and London is less than 20 mins away on foot, and if you’re combining boutique shopping with bracing sea air, maybe even a show at the Theatre Royal or the Dome, a Pearly Cow pitstop for lunch or cocktails would be the making of a mighty fine daytrip.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-muddy-verdict">THE MUDDY VERDICT</h2>



<p><strong>Good for:</strong> Anyone with a yen for elevated yet unpretentious classics, seriously good cocktails, and a seafront setting that&#8217;s sublimely sophisticated. Service sticklers can relax here, too.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>Not for:</strong> Diehard traditionalists convinced that a Sunday roast isn’t complete without a roaring log fire and a dog or two. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-damage">THE DAMAGE</h2>



<p>Obviously it&#8217;s pricier than a pub but at £38 for two Sunday roast courses and £45 for three, it’s in line with the competition and feels pretty reasonable when you consider the quality of the ingredients. No one’s going to rush you here either, and that alone feels like added value.&nbsp;</p>



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Review: Sunday roast at Pearly Cow, Brighton

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