SORA Malmaison Brighton opens on the water this summer — and Brighton Marina turns out to be exactly the right setting for it.
With the boats sitting quietly in their moorings, the city felt distant — not far away, but somehow unhurried. It is the kind of setting that asks you to slow down, and on the evening of SORA’s launch at Malmaison Brighton, that feeling was exactly what the restaurant delivered.
So Who is SORA Malmaison ?
SORA is Malmaison’s contemporary Japanese dining concept — already established in York and Manchester Deansgate — arrived in Brighton yesterday for a limited summer residency from 21st May to 31 August 2026.
The concept blends sushi and robata grill cooking with a more social, shareable style of dining — built around long evenings of cocktails, sake and live weekend music. Designed as a day-to-night destination, the restaurant is intended to feel less like a traditional dinner booking and more like the kind of place where the evening naturally stretches on.
With its harbour views and shifting light from late afternoon into night, Brighton Marina provides a fitting backdrop for exactly that atmosphere.
First Impressions
The first thing you notice at SORA Malmaison Brighton is the ease of it.
There is no pressure, no formality, no sense that you need to be anywhere other than exactly where you are. The interiors are warm and relaxed — deep wooden tables, candlelight, the soft blue of Brighton Marina visible through full-length windows. Outside, the open terrace overlooks the water directly, with the robata grill firing in the evening air and the marina stretching out beyond.
It is a different pace to the city centre — and deliberately so. SORA at Brighton Marina offers something that is genuinely rare in Brighton: the chance to eat well, drink well and simply decompress, with the harbour as a backdrop and no particular reason to hurry.
The Food SORA Experienceir
The menu at SORA is designed for sharing and grazing rather than formal courses — and it works.
The sushi arrives beautifully presented on a signature silver heron stand that has become something of a visual signature for their unique concept. Prawn nigiri, avocado maki and Wagyu sliders from the robata grill made up the tasting selection at the launch — precise, clean flavours with quality ingredients throughout.
The robata grill concept feels particularly natural in this setting. With dishes cooked live over open flame on the terrace against the backdrop of the marina, the fire-led cooking brings an added theatrical and sensory element to the evening — one that feels perfectly matched to the space.
Menu highlights across the full SORA offering include:
- Tuna nigiri and kingfish sashimi
- Signature rolls — Green Dragon and Firecracker Maki
- Miso-glazed black cod and Loch Duart salmon teriyaki
- Sticky pork belly with burnt apple purée and sesame
- Yorkshire Wagyu burgers from the robata grill
- Korean cauliflower, crispy rice bites and Asian slaw
- Japanese-inspired afternoon tea — exclusive to the summer residency
The Verdict
SORA Malmaison Brighton is exactly the kind of opening Brighton Marina has been waiting for.
The food is confident and well executed, the setting genuinely striking. But it is the atmosphere that lingers most — relaxed and unhurried, with harbour views, strong cocktails and the kind of ease that makes the space feel both fresh and immediately familiar.
For a summer evening in Brighton, particularly one where you want to step away from the noise of the city centre, this is one of the best options the city now has.
SORA runs until 31 August 2026. Book early — it will fill quickly.
📍 Malmaison Brighton Marina, Brighton BN2 5WA 📅 Open now — until 31 August 2026 🔗 Book via malmaison.com
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