Tinto Taperia

You'll find yourself on New Road, that slightly scruffy stretch between the station and town centre that's quietly become one of Brighton's better dining corridors, pushing through the door into warm terracotta walls and the kind of convivial chaos that means everyone's having a better time than they expected. The menu reads like someone actually knows Spain—not the Instagram version, but the real thing—with croquetas that have proper bechamel weight, jamón that tastes like it matters, and montaditos that don't pretend to be anything fancier than they are. The sherry list alone justifies the trip; they take it seriously here, which means you'll probably end up trying something that isn't a dry fino and discovering it actually makes sense.