The Knowhere Guide

Eating and Drinking in Brighton, East Sussex*

Brighton, East Sussex Pubs, Cafes, Coffee Shops and Restaurants

Food

• always wagamamas
• China China restaurant on Preston Street provides large portions, fast and cheap. Not the most delicious food, but very convenient to feed guests. Also grab a discount card at www.sussexmenu.com for 2-4-1 meals at other local restaurants.
• mcd's
• Pizzaiola in Mackie Ave, Patcham, Brighton. Quality pizza delivery and take away! You always get a discount here (if you ask)! Try it!
• Donatellos!
• definetly cafe laziz in the lanes, something like £3/£5 for a pizza/pasta buffet- really nice food
• Pokeno Pies Cafe. pie and mash to die for - yum yum.
• The Hop Poles - yum, again somewhere in a lane by the sea!
• If you want mexican dont bother with Santa fe, unless you fancy the traditional mexican fare of steak and ale pie followed by apple crumble!
• Italian cafe at Hove end of seafront is good (past the lavs.) begins with an 'M'! Great ice-cream too! Chip shop on Western Road (opposite Norfolk Square) is very good.
• if you like shit cheap food mac donalds
• cant remember it's name but the indian restuarant 2 streets down from the west brighton hilton is pretty cheap and the service is great.
• I really really recommend La Cucina at the top of Temple Street as the best Pizza takeaway in Brighton. It really is authentic and very reasonable for the Price and extra's you can get - see their menu! The food always turns up hot and tastes like it is freshly made -Yummy, unlike certain other Pizza companies who serve cold, greasy pizza in a fat soaked box.
• cheeky chicken - preston st. chip wrap. nuff said.
• cheeky chicken, it's you last chance to pull! ive taken a few ladies home from here - just remember to throw them in a wheelie bin bid before they wake up.
• Golden Grill, Western Road, Hove. Nice chicken burgers etc.
• bona foodie. mucho dollar but tastes awsome dude
• Hennies in the old lanes is amazing
• La Fourchette - western road with our countries finest chef Pascal Benamari! Daffy
• Again, the Laines have a wide variety of food from different cultures and expense. A great tapas bar can be found on North Street by the Pavilion Gardens or for amazing Italian food go to Fat Leo's or Donnatellos in the Lanes
• La Cucina (proper Italian pizza delivery)
• Lucys, nr West Pier
• The information about The Black Chapati is insultingly incorrect and very, very out of date. I have worked there on and off for 5 years and am a complete foodie. The owner is the father of fusion cooking and the restaurant is not an Indian. It's far and away the best restaurant in the city and people come from London just to visit it. Please do go! Or at least look at the menu in the window
• macs cafe in whitehawk for some good hungover feed after a heavy night out.
• Grubbs by St Peter's church is pretty good, though expensive, the one in St Jame's street variable according to the mood of the crusty bint behind the counter.
• french patiserie - trafalgar st
• Infinity foods
• off beat
• Moshi Moshi - for 1st class sushi, even if it does cost an arm and a leg; or china garden - for their ability to charge you a fiver for as much dim sum as you can eat!
• Jasons on North Street does the finest sandwiches/baguettes in the Solar System at a reasonable price. Avoid their chocolate slices if you're planning to go on a diet in the next decade. Bombay Aloo, just off North Street is a superb all-you-can-eat vegetarian Indian, only £4.50 (£3.50 for students) and the food is excellent. There's the Hogshead on London Road - two BIG meals for £6.50 and there are usually tables free. For 24 hour eating there's Buddiens on the seafront about two minutes walk from the main clubs, and the market diner up near the Ocean Rooms. Also try out Genghis Khans in the South Lanes - all you can eat Mongolian - try the Cayenne Pepper if you dare! Downsides - it is physically impossible to buy a decent kebab in Brighton, and anyone who claims otherwise has either never eaten a decent kebab or has found some obscure shop I've never been in. There is a pretty good kebab shop up by the Seven Dials, but that's a hell of a hill to climb if you're hungry.
• If you want EXTREMELY generous portions in your sandwiches and baguettes, then it has to be Options Express on St.James St., just up from the Steine. Also the most authentic baguettes around (French flour makes all the difference), and the lovely Ilona (Elona?) who always serves with a smile. Amazing value for money, too - £2.40 gets you a baguette with two fillings plus salad and condiments...
• Terre a Terre served me one of the most unpleasant dishes it has ever been my misfortune to try to eat - and I speak as an extremely greedy, non-picky vegan! Their prices are pushing the upper limits of believability too... The best restaurant in town has to be Aum Thong Thai on Western Road. Fabulous. The Sanctuary, Brunswick Street East, heaps plates full of good nutritious food at a low price, though the surroundings are not so plush. And the best Italian is Zapherelli's on New St. Try The George Pub on Trafalgar Street for the best in pub grub - you'll never setytle for a baked potato again.
• Veggie Nosh (Places to take the parents so they can pick up the tab)- Food for Friends - always a favorite Terre a Terre - much more classy Trogs - the best for posh nosh and cafe grub, right on the sea front near the West Pier
• Best indian take away this side of Goa is: Nishat tandoori, Goan specialist. Especially recomended is the Chicken Peri Peri
• SHEZAN sell the best kebabs
• You can eat all night at the all night diner and have a pukka fry up! It's in Kemp Town.
• Terre a Terre do excellent vegetarian food. Krakatoa if you want something oriental. Moshi moshi for good sushi. Wok Wok for some nice noodles.
• Elm Road Chippy, Portslade yummy! Hove Curry House extra yummy!
• bloddy good!Best in Southern England and cheap. Try "terre a terre" vegetarian restaurant in East Street Better than France!Superb run by ex londoner.
• Dominos Pizza near to The Gloucester is class.
• cactus canteen has kick ass food.
• Food and a Pub! The Smugglers in Ship Street has a Chinese Restaurant and Take away in residence... Good Food at a Good Price, well worth a visit!
• Blind Lemon Alley- cool, chill out kinda place!! great food, tasty waitresses!
• Council and Police and general evil establishment types closed the Sub down about 6 months ago. The Sandwich shop. Best pizza for 1.50GBP. Bond Street, North Laines. Harrys English restaurant. Great for Salmon and scrambled eggs on Sunday mornings, or full evening meal. Top food. Terre a Terre. Veggie place, great food, beautifully presented. Cuba, crap expensive food, usually stale, usually served after aeons. The Sanctuary, veggie, great soups, top coffee, some interesting stuff, plus the have film showings and music. Esprit, there are two, either are good. Good sandwiches and fresh coffee. Ashoka, fairly good Indian although there are better... ...like The Ganges next door. Otellos, Hove, everyone recommends it. Grubbs, burger joints all over Brighton. The one nearest the Wick is the best.
• For all you funky trendsetters try Surfers paradise, a futuristic cafe/restaurant which has nothing to do with watersports.It is situated in the North Laines and, in addition to its 'interesting' menu, has a cocktail bar plus computers set up for internet users.
• Bankers-great fish and chips. Browns-ace burgers. Havana-variable service but good food. Surfers Paradise on Bond St.
• Tiffins,Numerous sandwich bars, Macdonalds,KFC, Burger King etc.
• For your traditional fish'n'chips its got to be Bankers Restaurant the best chippy in sussex and at the best orices as well!
• Cafe Uno - North St. Where Garfunkel's used to be: very tasty, reasonable prices, friendly and relaxed, Italian food!
• Moons in the Lanes serves fantastic food and drinks at great prices. They also do evening meals and their banoffi pie is fantastic.
• There is a fairly new all night cafe on the seafront called Sub Cafe, Tel: 01273 777388. This is situated near to the Zap Club.
• The Black Chapati on Preston Circus. Can be quite expensive, but it's an Indian Restaraunt rather than a curry house. Has some interesting food, all traditional dishes. Sundays, all you can eat for 6 (last time I was there).
• Shapla Tandoori, St James St. 1/2 price good curries until 10pm and staff who hear 2 poppadoms as 10 and a half as a pint.
• Mayhem, Middle St. - Insanely huge sandwiches & intense milkshakes.
• The Regency, corner of Regency Square on the front. Far more than just an up-market chippie.
• The Greys.
• Anywhere on Preston Street, the main eatery in Brighton.
• Bystanders by the Station and on Preston Street - open til 3 am.
• Market Diner (aka the All Night Caff) opposite the fruit and veg market - open 10pm 'til 6am.
• Time Out Diner on East Street, opposite the Greyhound.

Pubs

• The Zone Bar on St. James's Street - enter at your perile - aggressive management who swear at customers.
• The Golden Cannon in Kemp Town is a friendly, old school chav-free boozers' local with a very mixed crowd of regulars, excellent food, and beers kept in excellent condition by its legendary big bald landlord Stuart. Worth the trek up the hill from the Steine.
• Definitely visit Shakespeare´s Head (Chatham Place)! Fantastic atmosphere and very friendly people!
• Hi There I have just published a guidebook entitled "Brighton's Best Pubs", written by Brighton residents. We think that it has a good appeal to locals, tourists, students, skateboarders and visitors alike. The book is a comprehensive guide to the pubs, bars and nightclubs of Brighton. It covers an amazing 300 pubs and bars within the city with details on each one and the results of a unique pub rating system. This is the ideal time to publish, with the city the most popular and fashionable it has ever been. No complete guide to the pubs of Brighton exists and certainly not one with such a detailed and objective scoring system. The system is based on the scores of seven jurors, all Brighton residents, who have personally visited the pubs of Brighton. The scores are amalgamated to produce a rating for each pub in six categories: Atmosphere, Beer, Barstaff, Entertainment, Décor/garden and Food. These categories are then weighted for importance and an overall rating for each pub is produced. The information is completely up to date, having been constantly updated as pubs change and new pubs open. The book features an introduction, explanation of the system, a description of the top ten pubs and a guide to twelve areas of Brighton, with the best pubs in each. There is a section on the best pubs by category (e.g. the best pubs to go for food) and crucially the core of the book is an A-Z of every pub and bar in Brighton illustrated with photographs of some of the pubs. In addition to all this there are eight suggested pub crawls, a section on drinking games, some pub jokes, a guide to the night-clubs of the town, amongst other things. For more info: www.pubjury.co.uk or the blog www.brightonpubs.blogspot.com or contact the publisher Pen Press on 0845 108 0530 or info@penpress.co.uk. You can buy it on Amazon! Thanks Tony Editor Brighton's Best Pubs
• Shepard & Dog, Poynings/Fulking.
• The Bear on Lewes Road is a nice place, and they still have the offer that anyone dressed as a Bear can drink for free. They do remember you, so you can't just buy a bear outfit and have free drinks for life; it's a one-day-only thing. However, it's well worth the investment to get a decent bear costume between a few of you, and take it in turns to reap the rewards. Other than that, the Evening Star is cheap, cosy and gushing with real ale like an active volcano.
• Snafu 23 is definatly the place to go ... any night of the week
• THE IRON DUKE, Waterloo St. The premier drop off point for the free-form Brunswick care in the community project!! Oh so special, even post-Bob it shines like a beacon for all to 'enjoy'. The day centre is open from 11 and if it gets too much you can have a doze in the bar or else rent a room upstairs and stay on 'til dawn. Quiet during the day but ramps up as closing time draws near. And never has there been such a broad spectrum of unlikely (if not unique) characters seen together in one bar. Drinky-drinky, take your medicine like a good boy :)
• The Evening Star. One of a dieing breed of Brighton pubs. Its brews its own, does some of the cheapist pints in town. But more importantly its resisted all attempts at Nathan Barleyisation, and thus doesn't have a deejay playing the latest hip tunes (thats probably Electro-Clash as while thats 7 years old its still fashionable in ol' Brighty)
• King and Queen, Pav Tav! Basketmakers (opposite from Gamesuite)The Eagle (good food)
• so many to choose from, getting out of town is usually a good idea, hanover, and hove area
• The Pedestrian - north laine pub with pool table and good beer
• Santa Fe bar in East Street has a fab 2 for 1 on cocktails most evenings. Although they do have an obsession with leaving the doors open in the winter so wear a coat!
• The Bear Pub, Lewes Road, Brighton. I used to visit the bear at least 3 times a week, but have recently stopped. The pub has gone downhill bigtime, its prices have increased by about 50p per pint over the last month. The place is dirty, the toilets are never cleaned properly. Glasses are served with scum around them and the place is generally run down. Trade has suffered. I was in there last friday night to meet someone and there was less than 10 people drinking in there. This used to be a very good pub a year ago, but cannot reccomend it to anyone the way it is now.
• Alley cats is good for music and crowd. Sidewinder likewise, but it was better before their refurbishment which has taken the character out of the place.
• st jameses
• The Font! sometimes plays live bands, great atmosphere, nice people. The Walkabout before 9 on a Friday evening has 2-for-1 on everything, but is usually frequented by idiots.
• If you are 'fresh faced' you might like to try the volks (sweaty gurners association), i had a dream that they let me in when I was 16!!! mad!
• Medusa, Preston Street
• hectors house near the ocean rooms and the gloucester is always a favourite. the hop poles has a great atmosphere. the dorset is another wicked public house, friendly staff n'all. riki tiks sometimes enjoyable but the atmosphere can feel a little pretentious and manufactured with all those ultra twendies about.
• Golden Lion is good for a lunchtime pint, fairly cheapish. Most Brighton pubs charge a fortune for a short pint of watered beer in a filthy glass, and all you tossers are queueing up for it!!!.
• Yates, Wetherspoons, zone bar all in west street
• The Hobgoblin- fantastic pub for all you alternatives. Attracts an assortment of individuals on a fri/sat night, popular with a few goths. An overall good all round pub, does occasional band nights, open ltill 1 on a sat. If you like your alternative pubs come here, good for goths, a few punks and some indie-kids useually hang in the corners, get a few good wierdos also. Lokk out for Dick at the bar.
• The Railway Hotel, Ditchling Rise, Brighton (opp London Rd Stn) - try it, you'll definitely like the chilled out atmosphere, great beer garden, great beer! Wicked Sunday roasts. Big screen for sports & pool & darts too!
• Evening Star in Surrey Street! Best beer in Brighton, even has it's own brewery! www.eveningstarbrighton.co.uk Cheers, Calvin.
• The Rosehill Tavern, Rosehill Terrace (just off Preston Circus) - Go there, what's the worst that could happen?
• The hop poles The pressure point
• office
• Has to be 'The Prodigal' (on the seafront, south lanesish) on a Wednesday night, one pound a drink, ALL NIGHT LONG!
• If you're around the Brighton Uni area, the Bear, the Lecturn, No Mans and the Gladstone are all rocking pubs with their own crowds. Further in towards the town is the Pressure Point which is a fabulous watering hole, and the FreeButt which is a pub seemingly run by students yet charging premium prices. Further in towards the town are the George and the Office in the North Lanes, which are both great pubs that serve food. Prices start to climb in the town centre - Weatherspoons is excellent for cheap drink but is full of Kevs, and avoid the other bars down West Street as they're a bit up their own backsides, so to speak. The Squid in the next street along is a nice bar, as is the Smugglers which is somewhere around there. The Prodigal is a nice place you could make your ritual home, as is Alleycats which is underneath it. There are so many pubs and bars, you just have to experiment, find some you like and make them yours.
• The Battle of Trafalgar near the station is cosy and friendly. The Belle Vue lives up to its name and is a good tip for fine views on fireworks night. Steer clear of the Compton at Seven Dials unless dribbling, stumbling old men are your chosen companions.
• Don't go to the one on the pier, it's a rip-off! Go to the following: -Font&Firkin. Theme pub with a difference, used to be a church. Good for sport on TV and on Weds cheap pints. -The Cricketers. Oldest pub in Brighton. Cosy and with red interior and bed pans in the ceiling. -Smugglers. Extremely cosy. Has unusual decoration, always cool music and is right on top of the cool Jazz Rooms (club)
• THE STANLEY!!!!!!
• On the way out in favour of juice bars and restaurants
• Go to alleycats...near ABC cineam. Funky pub full of sk8'ers and darn good totty
• The Pond, behind North Road sorting office (Check out those bedpans!), also the Cliftoville, George St, Hove.
• The Belle Vue near the station has been recently done up. It is no longer an old man's pub, but a cool place to relax, with comfy sofa's and friendly staff.
• Lion and Lobster. nice pub. The Quadrant. Good beers inc Hoegarden. nice. recommended The Albion, Hove. fish tank inside with a cross section of society similar to the Queen vic, loads of wannabe 50 yo gangsters/car dealers. Blimey O'Reillys, good guiness, small but friendly, lots of shorts deals. Vats. Small dingy dodgy, with the feel of prohibition. Below the Star of Brunswick. Late license till 1. Great drinking den. you HAVE to go here at least once. The Plaza. Another late night bar, but the other end to the spectrum to Vats. Posh, cocktails, sometimes live music. Get hammered and watch nouveau riche trying to be classy. Great Martinis, always shaken, nice olives.
• Go to the albet in trafalger street (near the station) if you like heavy rock music theres always a band playing
• Try the Font & Firkin in the Lanes - the layout is really cool (it used to be a church - that'll freak out your granny) has live music - loud music & or so I heard cage dancers on some night or other. Horatios has gone down hill drastically over the past year or so & needs a rethink.
• To find the beautiful people got to be Greens down west street. Cool tunes being mixed by resident DJ and good alround atmosphere. Go there on a friday before 9pm to avoid queueing. After that move on to the squid'n'starfish and then down to the ZAP or the Escape.
• If you are near the Lewes Road area of town the best ones to try are The Bear (worth becoming a regular!), The Bugle, and The Park Crescent (recently done up). Don't set foot in the New Market, The Counting House or any others round there... it's not worth it!
• Horatio's bar on the pier is a storming place with bands, discos and karaoke every night.
• Leek And Winkle, located on the Level, is a lively pub with a good mix of students and townies. Loud House music is played on friday and saturday nights. Good Sunday lunches.
• Try the Rutland pub on Rutland Street, Hove: nice quiet drink with pool table. Also the Railway pub in Brighton.
• The George - Roper / student types with veggie food. Busy but entertaining.
• Heart in Hand, North St - Always cool with a good juke box
• St James Street for gay bars, King and Queen or the Pavillion Tavern for hooking up.
• The Greyhound on East Street. Music occasionally. Best beer in the town centre.
• The Greys - live music Sunday lunch and Monday evening and some of the best food in town cooked by a Belgian Chef. Good selection of beer, small but very friendly. Say hello to Mike, Chris or Iain.
• The Geese (Irish - good Guiness, packed on St Patricks day) Southover Street
• Also, check out "The Albion" on Albion Hill. Another popular real-ale pub, which has been in every edition of the good beer guide.
• An essential visit is the "Hand In Hand" in the Kemptown district. It's a tiny place with old newspapers instead of wallpaper. Well kept real ale, and it also has its own micro-brewery at the back.
• The London Unity is a Brighton pub on the web.

Cafes and Coffee Shops

• infinity foods cafe does fantastic organic fairtrade coffee and well yummy vegan and gluten free cakes. i also had the marinated tofu burger which is also organic. a real nice alternative to the usual veggie burger. check it out !
• Mint Leaf Cafe in the Lanes.
• Hot Wheels Snack Van, Braypool Lane.
• The Tin Drum - best cappuchino I've had in years. Laid back atmosphere & nice chairs to sit on.
• donatellos - great italian resteraunt and cheep but Quality
• Kensingtons is the best cofee shop, in kensington gardens in the lanes, they play a lot of underground music in there
• Pokeno Pies Cafe, Gardner Street, has wicked coffee too!
• Ha ha canteen and bar has nice cheapish food with decent service. Tip: stay away on a friday and saturday evening as its favoured by hen nights
• The Mock Turtle near Est Street does a good sanie and cake!
• fruitfix!! gorgeous fruit smoothies, bit pricey but it's great watching them being made right in front of you
• Capers in Bond Street. The lady who runs it is always there and smiling, good all-day breakfasts, excellent coffee.
• starbucks its kl
• bonafoodie. expensive and very tasty food. worth it. st jameses st.
• Brightons answer to the perfect Italian Espesso is Caffe Alba. never have i experienced in England an espresso served true italian style.
• kensingtons, nice nice food and a good atmosphere.
• I would avoid the Market Diner if you don't enjoy contracting food poisoning.
• Kai Organic Cafe in Gardner Street, North Laines does a fantastic range of organic sandwiches, salads, cakes and soups. They don't use microwaves and everything is freshly prepared. Unique range of wheat and gluten free sandwiches and cakes too. The only cafe in the south east licensed by the Soil Association - so they really are 100% organic!
• The cornish pasty shop on Duke street
• hudsons
• Sanctuary Cafe off Western Road - cool almost veggie cafe, good art and atmosphere - poetry reading and music in basement.
• Kensingtons in the north lanes is the place to go for a chilled out brighton atmos
• Anywhere in North Laines is a good bet!
• Goodbean coffee makes brighton what it is!
• Goodbean do the best cappuccino in town if you like a strong one.
• The Meeting House Cafe which has (had?) the most gorgeous cheesy garlic bread and superb cherry pie.
• Infinity Foods caff in Gardner Street (I think?)
• gotta mention Cha in North Street for the tea lovers!! fab flavoured cold teas and brilliant scones with clotted cream
• Disco biscuit has the best hot choclate ever. Maybe 3 quid but you get a bath sized mug and marshmallows on top
• On the corner of Queen's St and Dyke Road, there is a tasty little coffee bar.

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Last updated: 2008-04-11