Casa Don Carlos

3.5, the food was decent but nothing that exciting. It’s always super busy so you need a reservation, but I don’t see what all the hype was about. None of the dishes we had were anything special. We had the paella, grilled squid, and rabbit.

Meatball, slow cooked lamb, sardines, patella, and chorizo were my favorite. The croquette and octopus was bland and didn’t have much flavor.
Fast service descent portioned tapas. 5 of us ordered 10 tapas but could have ordered 8!
Definitely recommend!

I have been to Casa Don Carlos before but many years ago, I alwasy remember it to be good but WOW it was more than good, it was EXCELLENT food… There was 7 of us & I tasted the best Paella, Batatas Bravas, Chickpeas & spinach, calamari (melt in your mouth), stuffed peppers with prawn & crab, Grilled sardines, Oh & the Sangria mmmmm proper traditional sangria with all the correct ingredients, all the spirits… too good all too good!!!
Oh & the service too, was excellent! & a great & buzzing atmostphere!

It was ok. I wouldn’t get the mussels– they weren’t great– but the rabbit special was alright and the sangria was excellent. Service was great as well. Nothing particularly special but very filling, food had a home cooked, hearty feel. Portions are large– my boyfriend and I couldn’t finish 5 tapas and he can eat a lot!

We had just arrived in Brighton for a short weekend away and were feeling peckish so ventured out for a look around and to find some food. A couple of friends has told us about a great tapas place in The Lanes Brighton but we couldn’t remember the name, so we used Unilocal to see what was nearby and sure enough up came Casa Don Carlos, so we also suspected this was where our friends had told us about. We had a quick look at the reviews, mostly being 4 or 5 starts, and one stuck out with only a 2 star review — read that, but then when we got there is absolutely packed so thought that must have been a random review! Managed to get a table, even though they told us they would need it back within the hour we took it. We still had some shopping to do, so suited us nicely.
Was a very nice and cosy atmosphere is there, most staff were speaking spanish so it felt very authentic. We have been to Spain many times for tapas so knew what we were looking for. Started with a jug of Sangria and some olives. Olives were appalling, so don’t order, they were just bog standard vinegary and out of a jar. We then ordered 5 tapas, thought that might not be enough, but the dishes were actually large (much bigger than a spanish tapas dish), so even for two people with big appetites it was plenty. We had the house special which was chorizo flambaed with rum, russian salad, patas bravas, deep fried white bait and mixed paella. The house special was absolutely delicious (hence why its probably the special! :-)), the patas bravas were also good, however the rest could take it or leave it.
Waiters & waitresses were polite and fairly prompt with dealing with requests.
Probably wouldn’t come back except for the house special, would try another tapas place we saw later on that evening, down an even smaller lane!

Casa Don Carlos is much loved by our family and friends alike. It gets very very busy so book ahead or expect to wait a little while but it is worth it.
The tapas menu is varied and traditional and doesn’t take long to come out. The honey glazed aubergine is a must and melts in the mouth. The classics (albondigas, gambas, potatas bravas) are all done well but head for the specials and Catalan favourites and you’ll find the best eats.
The staff are ever friendly, welcoming and attentive and you’ll find you want to come back time and time again!

Feels like I am on holiday! Great food with traditional feel, Small venue so I recommend booking. Staff friendly and welcoming … one of my go-​to places in Brighton

A warm, family-​run Spanish restaurant nestled in the Lanes. The perfect place to stop off for a late Monday night dinner on a cold, winter Brighton night. It feels like the sort of place you would find in Spain. Not too fancy in the décor, but in a good way. The menu has a lot to offer, and there’s probably something to suit everyone. The staff were all friendly, and I’m not sure if we did meet the owner or manager but we received a warm welcome and a warm goodbye from at least 4 members of staff each time.
The Russian Salad is something I’d had in Madrid and so had to order it here, to take me back to warmer summer Spanish days. The deep fried aubergine is sinful but delicious. The fish soup was really good. The sardines were just that; grilled sardines, whole. A little bony, you have to be careful when picking them apart and eating them, but pretty authentic. We ordered a lot of different things and between three of us managed almost all of it. Not forgetting the Sangria to bring back summer, and the ailoi that goes with the bread which is always a welcome touch.
I really enjoyed Casa Don Carlos, highly recommended authentic Spanish tapas meal in Brighton!

For those of you familiar with US Restaurant chains, the most accurate way I can describe this place is the Olive Garden of tapas. In fact, the tapas were so predominantly covered in tomatoes and tomato sauce (50%) that I wondered if this wasn’t an Italian tapas restaurant? And nothing that was spicy was even remotely close to being spicy, literally not even a taste of chilies. Also beware the offerred bread and olives — they ask you straight away if you’d like them, but this isn’t a freebie and they will charge you.
Chickpeas and Spinach — literally just chickpeas and spinach in tomato sauce, undersalted
Chicken and White Wine — dry, oily, oversalted
Octopus — served on top of new potatoes?! underflavored, barely recognizable as octopus (thought it was a shrimp dish we ordered at first…)
Meatballs — literally meatballs and tomato sauce, the favourite dish of ²⁄₃ of us and the only one I have no complaints about
Spicy Potatoes — fried and almost like chips, covered in tomato sauce, not remotely spicy
Shrimp and Garlic — just what it says on the tin, was supposed to be spicy but no chilies in sight
Egg, Peppers, Asparagus, Chorizo, and Peas — 60% tomato sauce, one stalk of asparagus, no peas?!
Roasted red pepper stuffed with shrimp in cream sauce (daily special) — favourite dish of 1/​3, possibly because it was one of the only sauces that wasn’t tomato
The portions are really very large, and the service is friendly if spotty (we were asked by four staff members what we’d like to drink in a row, but then when it came time for the check it took a very long time to get it after we requested it). The price is not high for tapas, but neither is the quality high.
I mean, some people really really love Olive Garden, and if you want large portions for a large group that is cheap and cheerful rather than complex and exciting, I think you could have a great time here. But this is no place for foodies.

Just to make sure you know Carlos is a Don, his name is on all the plates.
This place down the lanes is lovely. Exquisitely authentic like true unfussy Spanish food that you’d find on package holidays when promenading the boardwalk of Alicante, or even in bars down the back streets of Barcelona.
Simplicity, Saffron and plenty of paprika is key to most of the dishes.
Flavourful and brightened with a bit too much dried thyme for my liking, but plates piqued my interest with touches of chilli and some of the flavours were joyfully, almost jerked.
For my dinner date and I, we teamed through Tapas plates of Morcilla (black pudding) a satiating nutmeggy and well seasoned must, the Cornejo (rabbit stew) was tender rich and tasty, Alchofas con jamon (artichoke sautéed and homely ham) and oh my favourite: perfectly grilled squidgy smokey squid.
Sangria was standard stuff, but fine by me! More please.
A lucky find in a popular tourist spot.
Don Carlos, Sir, due to the traffic and high turnover of tables I almost forgive your wipe down plastic covered table cloths and tatty laminated menus.

I personally feel a little underwhelmed by Casa Don Carlos; especially given the amount of glowing reviews on here. Have eaten there twice, and had an unpleasant experience during the latter. About 8 or 9 of us were there to celebrate a friend’s birthday. Plenty of bread was placed on the table and topped up constantly, which they didn’t let us know until after the meal that they would charge us for. Were rushed out of our seats by the end to make room for another booking.
The food is nice enough, but did not offer much to the few vegetarians in our group (though I wouldn’t really expect any tapas restaurant to be great in this respect).
All in all, it was OK, but I wouldn’t go back in a hurry.

Such a romantic little place to eat great seafood and paella lovely staff and atmosphere!!! Definately my favourite spanish restaurant in Brighton Its nice in the evening to sit inside and dine, dishes come out of the kitchen bubbling hot and with gorgeous presentation

Ah sweet Brighton, such a little budding foodie scene. For me, the drive to Casa Don Carlos was A) the recommendation of a friend, and B) the need of a spot for my personal Tequila Tuesday while on holiday in Brighton for a few days. Now, to be fair, Casa Don Carlos doesn’t really do tequila. Being a Spanish restaurant, the have a wide selection of wines, and as I partook, a great sangria.
All tapas on the menu, so I went for what I love. Yes please, chorizo. Line me up for calamari. Okay, let’s have a salad, because I’m trying to be healthy. To be honest, the salad was what I ate the most of, because I was desperately vegetable shy on my trip to Berlin a few days before. That being said, the calimari was very flavorful, and the chorizo… IT WAS ON FIRE! You simply must order the chorizo that they light on fire. That experience in itself sets Casa Don Carlos aside from many other, good Spanish tapas bars I’ve been to… it’s not everywhere they light a two foot fire on your table.
The restaurant itself was nice, warm and friendly staff made my solo dining experience enjoyable nonetheless. It’s in the heart of the Lanes, which is convenient, and the music in the restaurant is pleasant, and loud enough to drown out the hoopla at Font across the street (but not intrusive in any way).
So, no tequila, but yes good food and sangria. Life is all about compromises, and I think I’m totally okay with this one.

I’m giving this 3 stars because I am truly ho-​hum, in the middle about this place.
You know when you are SO hungry that the first few things you eat will always be delicious? It’s kind of how my experience with this place manifested itself. I feel my hunger may have over-​stated the quality of this food. I’ve had tapas in various places in the past (but never Spain), so my experience is limited to New York City Tapas.
My favorite: Roasted potatoes with Chili Powder and crème.
I could live without: The Paella. It was gamey, the rice was soggy/​lumpy. The shrimp looked seriously decrepit.
The bread: Not warm or toasted, but again, famished = whatever!
The sangria: Decent. Had a bit of a fizz to it
The location is in a cute sideway-​cobblestone alley. It’s tough to find if you’re not familiar with the area. The service is friendly, I’m just not sure I would run around recommending this place.

Rioja. Yup, these guys have a selection of about six on the menu. so on a short jaunt to the sea side my sister insisted that we went here for dinner. Hidden down The Lanes it screams ‘cute’ and ‘romantic’. The place was packed but some how managed to remain intimate. The food’s not cheap but it’s not over priced. Make sure you check the specials board as we scoffed about three of those dishes and they were amazing.
Warning, this place doesn’t do low fat and it crowded so it won’t be great for big groups. On warmer evenings it does have a little seating outside but it gets full up quickly.

This place is fantastic!
Because I didn’t get to go to Spain, I decided to make up for it by trying out this Spanish restaurant (truthfully, my friend and i were feeling adventurous. teehee). One of the best decisions of my life, I tell you. The food was great, and the atmosphere was cheery and bright!
I ordered lamb kidney and mushroon & garlic with bread on the side. Yeah, you might have cringed when you read KIDNEY, but that thing was delicious! But i eat everything with the exception of chicken feet, so this review may or may not apply to you, my reader. Regardless, don’t be afraid to try something new because i’m sure that everything on the menu is yummy-​licious! I dipped the bread in the sauce, and a little part of me died from overwhelming happiness. Yeah, it was THAT good.
Just couple more comments:
1. the menu says to order 1– 2 dishes to work your appetite. I don’t know how big a stomach of Spaniard is, but one dish with bread completely filled me up. I like to say i eat a regular amount for a girl, at least. and you can always order more! It was unfortunately that i didn’t get to enjoy everything properly because i was so full. Thank goodness my friend has a blackhole for a stomach ’cause he finished everything!
2. I thought the food was on the saltier side. I tend to like my food slightly on the plain side, this may be the reason why.
GO TRY IT! and let me know if you get the kidney and enjoy it as much as i do :)

One of my all time favourite restaurants in Brighton! Not exactly fine dining — instead it’s loud, raucous, and great fun!
The food is fantastic — they have a huge tapas menu plus regularly changing specials, and the portions are ginormous so you will never leave hungry. Particular faves of mine are the chorizo cooked in rum, the lamb shank, patatas bravas and the prawns cooked in garlic — it’s making my mouth water just thinking about it!
You can re-​order as you go along but I have never needed to, always ordering too much the first time around! The wine is also good, not too expensive, and compliments the food perfectly!
This is a great place to go for a relaxed and casual dinner, and is particularly suited to large groups (that way you get to taste more dishes!). The staff are friendly and fun, and keep the food coming out quickly. Do book in advance though as they are always busy!

This place is lots of fun. Nothing like some late night tapas after rolling out of the pub, or before!
The food is great. I love the rabbit (out of this world), chili potatoes, and the grilled prawns. Add some house white, and you’re all set.
The place can get pretty crowded, and sometimes feel a little cramped, but overall there is so much activity, even if you are with a date, you can kind of feel like you’re in your own world, which is nice.

This is a lovely, cosy little place serviing up some amazing tapas dishes.
It feels like an authentic little Spanish café that you might find on the back streets of a Spanish town, with tightly packed tables and plenty of old fashioned charm.
The food is served in generous portions (I find tapas portions are often small for the amount you pay, but these are different), in those little terracotta bowls that seem to be a tapas staple, and the quality is excellent. The staff are friendly too, and this is a great place to go with a group of friends for a drunken evening of sociable eating and sangria — make sure you book, though, it’s small and popular.

Dear lord, Carlos, how do you do it?!!
Without a shadow of a doubt, Casa Don Carlos is my favourite restaurant in Brighton… hands down!
I have never tasted more delicious or authentic tapas outside of Spain. In fact, I’m not sure I’ve tasted tapas this delicious in Spain! Honestly, I know I’m gushing, but the food is incredible. The décor is charming and authentic, Spanish through and through– from the red and white checked table cloths to the bread baskets and earthy ceramic-​ware, you will truly feel as if you have slipped into another world. What’s more, the owner and the waiting staff are predominantly Spanish and incredibly friendly.
I recommend the meat balls or the stuffed peppers, as well as the mussels. The patatas bravas are good, but with so many interesting options on the menu, be brave– don’t stick to safe old favourites! The specials board is certainly worth a look– there is often chorizo dishes as well as octopus! I would suggest ordering two tapas each and sharing.
In the summer there is outside seating and what better place to enjoy a meal on a balmy summer’s evening, than the cobbled streets of the South Lanes? I did just that with my flatmate this summer and as soon as the Sangria hit our lips we were overcome with ‘that holiday feeling’.
Be warned, this place is POPULAR, so you’ll need to book at the weekends! I suggest you get yourself to Casa Don Carlos immediately! It’s just divine…