Best Italian Restaurants in Eastbourne

For a special sit-down meal

The town’s best-loved Italian for a proper evening out is La Locanda Del Duca on Cornfield Terrace, established back in 2001 and full of old-world charm with its exposed stone walls, wooden beams and wine-stocked alcoves — diners often say it feels more like the Italian countryside than the middle of Eastbourne. The menu spans pasta, gnocchi, meat and fish alongside a good Italian wine list, with well-rounded vegetarian and vegan options and popular set menus. Nearby, Anema e Core is a relaxed spot run by a husband-and-wife team who bring the flavours of the Amalfi Coast to Sussex, with Italian cheeses, cured meats, homemade ravioli, artisan pizzas and a proper tiramisu.

Pizza, pinsa and family favourites

For a family night out, Pomodoro e Mozzarella — sister restaurant to La Locanda Del Duca — is a bustling, welcoming trattoria with over a hundred homemade dishes, hand-spun pizzas, generous portions and a genuinely child-friendly attitude. Something a little different awaits at Gianni’s on Terminus Road, billed as the first certified pinsa restaurant in the UK: pinsa is a light, crispy Roman-style flatbread pizza made from a special flour blend and a long fermentation, and it’s earned Gianni’s a devoted local following (with excellent homemade gelato at the front, too). Solo Pasta, a cosy family-run place also on Cornfield Terrace, is another reliable choice for authentic, freshly made dishes, and for a dependable central standby there’s always Pizza Express.

Local tip: Cornfield Terrace, just off the town centre, has become something of an Italian quarter, with several of these restaurants within a couple of minutes’ walk of one another — handy if your first choice is fully booked.

Gelato and Italian cafés

No Italian tour of Eastbourne is complete without gelato, and the town’s most famous name is Fusciardi’s on Marine Parade — a much-loved family institution serving authentic Italian ice cream and coffee, and a seafront ritual for generations of visitors. Gianni’s gelato counter is a worthy rival for a scoop, and you’ll find more Italian-style ice cream dotted along the front. They make a perfect finish to a stroll along the promenade — see our guide to the best cafés and coffee shops in Eastbourne for more sweet stops.

Tips for eating Italian in Eastbourne

The most popular restaurants fill up quickly at weekends and during events like the tennis and Airbourne, so it’s well worth booking ahead — especially for a Friday or Saturday evening. Most of the independents cater well for vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free diners, and several offer good-value set or early-evening menus. For more places to eat across the town, see our guide to the best restaurants in Eastbourne.

Good to know: opening hours, menus and prices change through the year, and some smaller places close on quieter days — it’s always worth checking current details and booking directly before you visit.

Italian restaurants in Eastbourne: FAQs