ThaiChurch Road
Unithai
Cheap, authentic Thai hidden behind an Asian supermarket
9.4/10
Local score · A local favourite
No. 10 of 300 places to eat on r/brighton, from 57 locals across 36 threads.
92% would send a mate. Still recommended in 2026.
Overwhelming local consensus that Unithai's back-of-the-market noodle bar on Church Road is the best (and most authentic) Thai in Brighton, ahead of neighbour Chilli and Suriyas in Kemptown. Cheap and generous portions (a pad thai around £8), BYOB, but it's only open Thursday–Saturday evenings and gets busy after 6pm so grab the big table early.
- Go for
- A cheap authentic Thai noodle fix
- Heads up
- Only open Thu–Sat evenings and gets busy fast
What locals say
Not really a secret anymore but Unithai in Hove has a restaurant in the back of their small market and the Thai food is the most authentic in Brighton - speaking as someone that lived in Thailand for 6 years and has tried most Thai in the city. That being said, Chilli is also good (if you want something nicer) and has some of the same staff as…
My favourite restaurant in Brighton is a Spanish tapas in the lanes called Casa Don Carlos, I highly recommend. My second favourite would be a little spot called Unithai near Hove town hall. It's nothing fancy, actually a kitchen and a few tables at the back of a Asian food shop however the food is fantastic, it really is a little hidden gem.
As someone that lived in Thailand for 6 years, I think Unithai in Hove is the best Thai in town, followed by Chilli (next door to Unithai and some of the same staff), then Suriyas in…
Another unpopular opinion but i've consistently found the staff in Unithai to be really rude. I also got food poisoning there, the food is quite good but I think it's overrated…
Ranked from 21,200 r/brighton comments. Summaries are written by AI from what locals said; quotes are word for word. Not affiliated with Reddit. Back to the guide