If you take a look around the tables at many of the good restaurants in Brighton these days, the chances are you’ll see a sizable number of diners looking at the screens on their mobile phones and tablets. This, I think, is a worrying development, and it’s one that makes me rather sad. When I visit the various gastropubs in Sussex, I like to savour the company as much as I like to enjoy the food, and I can’t do that if my fellow diners’ minds are elsewhere.

 

When it comes to fine dining Brighton eateries are generally pleasantly casual and informal, so you’re unlikely to see any signs in restaurants telling you that mobile phone use is to be discouraged. While I applaud the laid-back atmosphere at the various restaurants and pubs in West Sussex, I can’t help thinking that I wouldn’t actually mind it if they were somewhat stricter about focussing on the meal, the wine and of course the company. I have a notion that when it comes to evening dining Brighton could be even better than it already is.

 

The main problem isn’t the eateries themselves, of course, it’s more to do with society and the way we live our lives these days. We seem to be getting ever more interactive thanks to social media platforms, and this is a trend that looks set to continue for many years to come. If we’re enjoying a sumptuous meal at the best place to eat in Sussex, we are often more likely to tweet about it or put a photo on Facebook rather than comment to our fellow diners about the perfection of the moment. It all seems very strange to those of us who prefer to concentrate on the meal itself at our favourite Sussex gastropub.

 

The best place to eat in Sussex could be anywhere in the county

 

With so many restaurants and pubs in Sussex to choose from, those who like a little variety are in seventh heaven if they live on the south coast of England. Whether you’re in the mood for something hearty or perhaps a light bite, the chances are you’ll find it with ease. There are so many eateries in the major towns such as Brighton, Eastbourne, Horsham and Crawley, not to mention of course some wonderful rural Sussex pubs in the villages and hamlets of the South Downs National Park.

 

But there is still something a little unsavoury for me when I see people chatting on their phones or checking their statuses on Facebook rather than enjoying a conversation at the table as they dine. There was a time when the best Sussex gastropubs contained people who focussed on the food rather than the Internet, but I guess that’s just the way of the world in the 21^st century. There is nothing someone like me can do about the situation, so I suppose I just have to live with it. I have to say, though, that I know the day will never come when I’d rather take a picture of my steak rather than eat it.

 

For me, fish is better than Facebook, tagliatelle is better than Twitter and smoked salmon is better than Snapchat. Call me old school if you want, but I don’t care. When I’m in one of the pubs around Devils Dyke enjoying a meal, that’s exactly what I will be doing. I have a mobile phone, of course, and I enjoy social media platforms, but when I’m in a restaurant the phone will be staying in my pocket.