Sri Lankan Restaurant in Brighton — The Coconut Island
Our original home by the sea — Sri Lankan street food, tropical cocktails and island energy in the heart of Brighton.
Find us
103 Western RoadBrighton BN1 2AA
Phone: 01273 009488
Email: hello@thecoconutisland.com
Opening hours
- Tue — Sun: 12pm – 12am
- Monday: Closed
What Brighton knows us for
The plates people come back for, and the ones they photograph before they touch them.
On Western Road, between the shops and the sea
We are at 103 Western Road, on the stretch that runs from Churchill Square down towards Brunswick and Hove — a five-minute walk from the seafront and about the same from The Lanes. If you have walked between the shops and the sea on a Saturday, you have walked past us.
It makes us an easy first stop and an easier last one: lunch between shops, dinner before a gig, or the table you end up at after the beach when everyone is hungry and nobody wants the same thing. The kitchen and bar both run to midnight Tuesday through Sunday, which in this part of town is later than most.
Getting here
- Brighton station is about a fifteen-minute walk downhill, or a short bus ride to Churchill Square.
- Buses along Western Road stop within a minute of the door.
- The nearest large car park is Churchill Square, two minutes away on foot.
- Closed Mondays — every other day we open at midday.
Frequently asked questions
- What kind of restaurant is The Coconut Island Brighton?
- A Sri Lankan restaurant and cocktail bar at 103 Western Road, Brighton. The kitchen cooks island street food — hoppers, kothu, curries, devilled plates and short eats — and the bar mixes Ceylon arrack, rum and mezcal cocktails alongside it.
- What should I order the first time?
- Most first tables share short eats, then take a kothu or a curry each. Squid Game, Hot Battered Prawns and the Black Pork are the plates the kitchen is known for, and a hopper is worth ordering just to see one arrive.
- Are you open on Sundays and Mondays?
- We trade Tuesday to Sunday, 12pm until midnight. We are closed on Mondays.
- Do you have vegan and vegetarian options?
- Yes, and not as an afterthought — a good part of Sri Lankan cooking is vegan by default. Dhal, pineapple and cashew curries, coconut sambol, chickpeas, vegan kothu and plain hoppers are all on the menu, and every dish is labelled on our menu page.
- Can I book a table for a big group?
- Yes. Book online for smaller tables; for eight or more it is quicker to call the branch on 01273 009488. We also take private hire enquiries by email.
- Do you take walk-ins?
- Always, whenever there is space. Friday and Saturday evenings fill up, so booking ahead is the safer plan.