The Set Brighton Opens Its First Permanent Home After 11 Years — Everything You Need To Know
The Set and Cafe Rust share the space at Preston Road Brighton. The Set opens its first permanent home on Wednesday 27 May 2026. Image: @theset_restaurant via Instagram.
After 11 years of pop-ups, collaborations and residencies across Brighton, The Set is opening its first permanent home this Wednesday 27 May at 9 Preston Road. Chefs Dan Kenny and Marcin Miasik have spent over a decade cooking some of the best food in the city without a fixed address. That changes this week.
The new restaurant seats 12 people. It is the smallest top-end restaurant in Brighton and Hove. Five seats on each side of a counter, two window seats and a semi-open kitchen at the rear where Kenny and Miasik will cook for every service. Georgia Fenwick handles front of house. Three people. Twelve covers. No phones allowed.
Who Are Dan Kenny and Marcin Miasik?
Dan Kenny has been cooking in Brighton since 2015, when The Set first opened inside the Artist Residence Hotel on Regency Square. The concept was simple from the start: one tasting menu, served to a small room of people, with bold flavours built around local produce and influences from Kenny's time living in Asia.
The pandemic forced The Set out of the Artist Residence in 2021. Kenny found a new home inside Cafe Rust on Preston Road, where he and Miasik continued to cook until the decision was made to find their own space. 9 Preston Road, the former home of Senor Buddha and Kitgum Kitchen, is that space.
Kenny has described the new site as not an obvious location for a restaurant like The Set, but says he and Miasik like the area. The space was chosen deliberately for its size. Running a full tasting menu five or six nights a week in Brighton does not work financially, Kenny told Restaurant Magazine in January. The small format is a solution to that problem, not a compromise.
The Menu and Weekly Schedule
The Set is sharing 9 Preston Road with Masu Omakase, the Japanese concept run by chef Tony Tsang. The two operations divide the week between them, meaning the restaurant operates a different offer on almost every day.
Sunday is an all-day a la carte sushi concept from Masu Omakase. Monday evenings see an izakaya-style offering from Masu, created specifically with the city's hospitality workers in mind. Tuesday sees the space made available to a local charity. Wednesday offers a smaller and more affordable set menu from The Set for both lunch and evening service. Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings are The Set's flagship service — a 12 to 15 course tasting menu built around local produce, priced at around £100 per person, served at the counter with a full view of the open kitchen.
The tasting menu changes regularly and is driven by whatever produce Kenny and Miasik can source locally. Previous menus have included dishes like scallop tikka masala, milk bread with cheeseburger butter and chocolate miso pudding. The cooking is serious without being precious. Big flavours, fire and umami are the recurring themes.
The No-Phone Policy
Phones must be put away during service. This is not a suggestion. It is a condition of dining at The Set.
In a city where photographing food has become almost automatic, this is a deliberate and meaningful decision from Kenny and Miasik. They want their guests at the table, not documenting it. It is a policy that is becoming more common among serious tasting menu restaurants across the UK and Europe but remains unusual enough in Brighton to be worth knowing before you book.
Why This Matters for Brighton
Brighton has one of the strongest independent restaurant scenes in the UK. Terre a Terre on East Street won Best Brighton and Hove Restaurant at the 2026 BRAVO Awards, voted for by over 71,000 members of the public. 64 Degrees on Meeting House Lane has been one of the city's most celebrated restaurants for years. The Little Fish Market in Hove is consistently regarded as one of the best seafood restaurants in the south east. Cin Cin serves handmade pasta from a short seasonal menu and has built a loyal following across both the city centre and Hove.
The Set adds something different to that list. It is not just a good restaurant opening a permanent site. It is a concept that spent 11 years being refined without a fixed address, surviving on the quality of the cooking and the loyalty of the people who followed it from venue to venue. A permanent home at this point is a graduation, not a compromise.
With just 12 seats per service and flagship services running Thursday to Saturday evenings only, the weekly capacity for The Set's tasting menu is 36 covers. In a city of 280,000 people with a strong food culture and a constant flow of visitors, those seats will be hard to get.
2026 Has Been a Strong Year for Brighton Restaurant Openings
The Set joins a growing list of significant new openings in Brighton and Hove in 2026. Roti King, the celebrated Malaysian street food brand, opened its first location outside London at 57 Ship Street in The Lanes. The Golden Peacock opened at 71 Ship Street as a contemporary fine Indian dining destination. The Crazy Goose opened on the original site of The Coal Shed as a gastropub from the team behind The Salt Room and Tutto. Stem opened on Church Road in Hove as a British bistro and wine bar focused on seasonal sustainable sourcing. Tofu Vegan brought Sichuan and Cantonese plant-based cooking to Meeting House Lane.
The 2026 BRAVO Awards gave a clear picture of where Brighton's existing food and drink scene stands. Terre a Terre took Best Restaurant. Jo and Co won Best Brunch. Starfish and Coffee took Best Cafe. The Signalman was named Best Pub. MOGUMOGU won Best International. Fatto a Mano was recognised for Best Value. Embers won Best Roast.
How to Book
The Set opens Wednesday 27 May 2026 at 9 Preston Road, Brighton. Follow them on Instagram at @theset_restaurant for booking information and updates. Given the 12-cover capacity, booking in advance is essential for all evening services. Wednesday lunch and evening offers a smaller and more affordable entry point for anyone wanting to try The Set without committing to the full tasting menu.
9 Preston Road is close to Preston Park station and a short distance from the Seven Dials neighbourhood and the North Laine area of Brighton.
For the full picture of where to eat in Brighton right now read our Best Restaurants in Brighton 2026 and our guide to Brighton's Best Cheap Eats. For everything happening in the city this summer read our Brighton Events Guide 2026 and our complete Brighton Travel Guide 2026.
The Set. 9 Preston Road, Brighton. Opens Wednesday 27 May 2026. Instagram: @theset_restaurant
