THE Little Fish Market has been crowned best in Brighton and Hove.

It won Best Restaurant award at Brighton’s Best Restaurant Awards held at The Komedia.

Chef Duncan Ray, who set up the Hove seafood restaurant in Upper Market Street, Hove, 2013, was named Best Chef.

He said: “It was quite surreal hearing hundred of people cheering so loudly when we won. These awards are really special because they are voted for by my peers. To win both Best Chef and Best Restaurant means so much.”

The dynamism of Brighton’s dining scene was reflected by a host of new names in this year’s top 20 list, which is voted for by almost 200 local experts.

Petit Pois, Murmur, 1909 and Pike and Pine all made it on to the list for the first time along with Pascere, which also won the Best Wine List award. Hove fine dining destination Etch, from Masterchef winner Steven Edwards, took the Highest New Entry award finishing seventh on the top 20 list.

More established restaurants also did well with Bincho Yakitori, the popular Japanese grill, holding on to second place, while last year’s number one 64 Degrees took third place.

Hove gastropub The Ginger Pig won the Rising Star award, leaping five places from last year to number ten.

The pub’s sister restaurant Gingerman also made the list 20 years after it was first opened by Ben and Pamela McKellar.

The couple’s influence and achievements in the city’s restaurant industry were recognised with an Outstanding Contribution Award.

Other winners included Jake Goldstein, bar manager at the Plotting Parlour, who won Best Barkeep, and Cin Cin owner David Toscano, who scooped the Best Welcome award for the second year in a row.

The Best Sunday Lunch category was won by the Dizzy Gull at the Brighton Beer Dispensary pub, while The Chilli Pickle’s fragrant Keralan platter, Al and D’s Toddy Shop, created for the OctoberBest restaurant festival, was named Best OctoberBest Dish.

Full list of winners

1) The Little Fish Market

2) Bincho Yakitori

3) 64 Degrees

4) Cin Cin

5) The Set

6) The Chilli Pickle

7) Etch

8) Pascere

9) The Salt Room

10) The Ginger Pig

11) Silo

12) Isaac At

13) Plateau

14) Red Roaster/Pike & Pine

15) Fatto a Mano

16) 1909

17) Fourth and Church

18) Murmur

19) Petit Pois

20) The Gingerman

Category winners:

Outstanding Contribution – Ben and Pamela McKellar, Ginger Restaurants; Best Chef –Duncan Ray, The Little Fish Market; Best Barkeep – Jake Goldstein, Plotting Parlour; Best Welcome – David Toscano, Cin Cin; Best Wine List – Pascere; Best Sunday Lunch – Dizzy Gull; Rising Star – The Ginger Pig; Highest New Entry –Etch; Best OctoberBest Dish –Al and D’s Toddy Shop, The Chilli Pickle.