Brighton’s food scene is about to get a serious upgrade. Well-known Thai chef Bookie Mitchell (Namo Eats) is opening her first solo restaurant in the city, taking over the old Dos Sombreros site on Ship Street at the end of August.
Bookie’s already been wowing the city with authentic Thai dishes with residencies at several Brighton pubs (Namo X at The Sidewinder and Namo Eat at The Eagle) and as executive chef at No No Please, and now she’s bringing Namo to the Lanes as a full-service restaurant.
And her food’s critically acclaimed, too – it’s a regular in the top 30 of Brighton’s best restaurants and was featured in BBC Good Food Guide’s list of 20 top places to eat and drink in Brighton earlier this year.
‘Honouring Thai traditions’
But the Namo restaurant will be a “totally different concept” to Bookie’s pub residencies. “It will be refined and premium, but not super-expensive,” she said. A meal is expected to cost around £50 a head including drinks.
Interestingly, the word Namo is spoken in prayers and blessings in Thai culture, signalling respect, gratitude and care.
“We chose it because it reflects the heart we put into every dish. We honour Thai traditions while bringing fresh vibrant flavours to the table. Every plate is made to feel like a small offering of warmth and hospitality,” the restaurant wrote on their Instagram page.
The new spot’s currently undergoing a full makeover and renovations are still underway, but the restaurant’s apparently on track to open later this month (fingers crossed the paint dries in time).
Expect a menu that’s still true to Namo’s modern Thai street food roots, made for sharing, but with a deeper dive into flavours from northern Thailand (where Bookie grew up), family recipes, and dishes Bookie discovered on her travels.
Brighton, get ready to grab a seat, share some plates, and taste the streets of Thailand without leaving the city.
Now open
24 Ship Street, Brighton, BN1 1AD
Namobrighton.co.uk
