The Coconut Island

You'll find yourself on Western Road in the thick of Brighton's restaurant mile, walking into something that feels genuinely different from the usual suspects. The Coconut Island does Sri Lankan food properly—none of that diluted stuff. You're getting kottu roti that's got actual technique behind it, lamprais that tastes like someone's nan made it, and curries built on proper spice foundations rather than heat for heat's sake. It's unpretentious, busy most nights, and the sort of place where regulars know exactly what they're ordering before they sit down.