The redesign brings a lighter, brighter feel to the restaurant, with terracotta floor tiles, off-white lime-washed walls and a stronger focus on natural light from the sea.
The Salt Room’s 60-cover terrace has also been fully weather-glazed to allow year-round dining.
Kim Woodward - the Gordon Ramsay Group alumnus appointed executive chef of The Salt Room owner Black Rock Restaurants last year — has overseen a major overhaul of the food offering.
The previous starter-main-dessert structure has been replaced with a more flexible, section-led menu format.
Seafood remains central to the offer, with produce sourced through Brighton & Newhaven Fish Sales at Shoreham Harbour and the local inshore day-boat fleet.
The daily-changing fish board will feature species including turbot, brill, John Dory and locally landed octopus, priced by weight.
Returning dishes include oysters, whole grilled fish to share and shellfish platters.
Coal-fired cooking remains a key part of the restaurant’s identity, with seafood, British meat and vegetarian dishes all cooked over fire.
British wagyu sharing cuts will also feature on the menu.
New additions include a chef’s table and increased tableside service, including a turbot dish finished using a fish press with juices flambéed tableside.
A new central bar has also been added as part of the refurbishment.
The cocktail list will change seasonally and feature coastal botanicals and herbs, while the wine list will include wines from Sussex producer Wiston Estate alongside other local wineries.
“For me, it all starts with the plate, what’s on it and how we get there. The new open kitchen completely shifts the dynamic,” Woodward says. “Guests can see it all unfold, the fire, the fish, the team in action. It’s like a live show. That kind of openness is really inspiring to me.”
“Then there’s the terrace, the sea right at your feet. It all adds to the experience. We’ll be working with local fish, that’s landed fresh that morning, just down from the coast and preparing it in a way that honors its quality.”
Black Rock Restaurants founder Razak Helalat added: “There’s a feeling you get on holiday by the sea, where everything slows down, the food tastes better, and for a moment, life just feels easy. That was the starting point for this refurbishment. We wanted to create a space that captures that feeling here on Brighton’s seafront; somewhere bright, generous, and unhurried, where the sea feels part of the experience. We’ve always had the view. Now we finally have the space to match it.”
Launched by Helalat in 2015 following the success of his debut restaurant The Coal Shed, The Salt Room is one of Brighton’s best-known and most successful restaurants.
Black Rock Restaurants’ portfolio also includes Burnt Orange, Tutto and the recently launched Crazy Goose.
The Salt Room officially reopens on 22 May.