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FOOD RECOMMENDATIONS

BREAKFAST/BRUNCH:

  • Moksha
    Perpetual winner of the Best Brunch In Brighton award; this is where we took Tom when he came to visit.

  • Kenny's Rock & Soul Cafe
    An excellent greasy spoon vibes place in North Laine which sits above some shops and has a balcony that looks out over Kensington Gardens which is probably one of the most Brighton-y bits of Brighton. If you want a hefty breakfast, this is the place.

  • The Green Kitchen
    A bit out of the way but absolutely ace vegan cafe—they make a load of the bacon etc themselves (also available in Brighton crunchiest food shops) and it's run by a very friendly lesbian couple who do morris-dancing.

  • Nowhere Man
    Probably more brunch than breakfast, this place makes probably the best pancakes I've ever had.

  • Neighbourhood
    Good hearty all day vegan breakfasts and a variety of other breakfast-y things. Sadly closed as of September '23

LUNCH:

  • Iydea
    Might be my favourite lunch place in Brighton—feels both healthy and hearty—you've definitely had some vegetables but they're always delicious and you always leave very full.

  • Wai Kika Moo Kau
    Cringe name aside, another excellent North Laine lunch spot just across from Iydea (both good to pop to if the other is full). I really really like their soups.

  • Smorl's
    Smorl's makes the world's best hummus (also available in Brighton crunchiest food shops), and they do absolutely amazing stuffed pittas with their homemade falafel.

  • Trading Post (the one on the corner of Kensington Gardens)
    Local chain, so there are a few around, but the one on the corner of Kensington Gardens is my fave—it's got a lovely roof terrace and they do a smashing vegan rarebit.

  • Bagelman
    A Brighton institution, there's a couple of these about, they just do really nice bagels! I tend to go for the VLT with no tomato.

  • Earl's
    The best bánh mì I have ever had. They also do vegan Vietnamese coffee! They often sell out of particular lunch ingredients, though, so you'll want to get in there early.

DINNER:

  • Planet India
    Probably my favourite restaurant in Brighton, and certainly the one I've been to the most (though it's at the end of my road so, y'know). Everything is the most delicious version of the thing you've ever had and the menus are hilarious. Make sure to have the bhajis, some sort of puri and the masoor dal.

  • Pompoko
    Probably the restaurant I've been to second most because I was friends with a lot of weebs in uni and we were all broke. Still great, though. Warning: cash only (which possibly has something to do with its cheapness).

  • Fatto A Mano
    Remarkably affordable and delicious pizza; a slowly growing Brighton chain (I remember when the first one opened, which makes me feel old as hell)

  • Purezza
    Ace vegan pizza, the dough balls are particularly great.

  • No Catch
    Vegan fish and chips place on the seafront; absolutely cracking and very hefty portions, I don't think I've ever fully finished a meal here!

  • Oowee Vegan/The Vurger Co
    These two are round the corner from each other; their burgers are roughly comparable but Oowee Vegan does Marmite butter waffle fries and The Vurger Co does better milkshakes, so choose based on that.

  • What The Pitta
    More a takeaway place—extremely hefty portions of vegan kebabs, this will keep you full for days.

  • The Bok Shop
    Also more of a takeaway place, these guys are the best vegan fried chicken in Brighton after Really Happy Chicken closed down.

FANCY DINNER:

  • Terre a Terre
    If you're looking for a Nice If Slightly Pricey Night Out, Terre à Terre is the grand old man of Brighton fancy veggie restauarants, in that it's literally as old as me. Make sure you get their tamari seeds if you go!

  • Botanique
    Out in Hove a bit, but really, really lovely small-plates kinda place.

  • The Little Fish Market
    I can't eat here any more bc vegan but they serve the best fish I've ever eaten.

  • Isaac At
    Probably my pick for the capital-b Best restaurant in Brighton; absolutely sensational tasting menu but with a price tag to match. Sadly closed as of the end of August '23 :(

  • Bonsai Plant Kitchen
    A newer place but maybe the best pure vegan restaurant in the city? This is one of our preferred Occasion dinner spots.

PUBS:

  • The Geese
    One of the nicest pubs in Brighton, just over the road from where you're staying, they do ace bangers and mash, 2 for £20 on Wednesdays.

  • The Basketmakers Arms
    The food's not as good as it used to be, but it's still very pleasant. Before lockdown I feel like there was legitimately a 50/50 chance you'd see Josef's dad in there if you walked past it when open, but sadly not so much these days.

  • The Hope And Ruin
    Probably the most Brighton Vibes pub, they also do extremely good vegan kebabs.

  • Easy Tiger At The Hampton
    The food bit seems to have taken over the whole pub, but we go here a bit—the food's lovely, it's very chill and it's pretty close to Kat and Josef's.

  • The Joker
    Cool pub which does very very good wings (and vegan chicken-esque things too)!

CAFES:

  • Canvas Coffee
    Cafe in the Phoenix Arts Centre that always seems to have interesting folk wandering in and out.

  • Black Mocha
    Their trademark Black Mocha is really pretty great; if you want something very very sugary their "the works" (or whatever it's called) hot chocolates are smashing.

  • Pelicano
    A Brighton chain, there are a few around but I really like the one in a hut on the Level. A former barista pal of mine told me they're the best roasters in Brighton, but that may have changed in the intervening years.

  • Bond Street Coffee
    Bit of a coffee wanker place but the coffee is very good, so,

  • Twin Pines
    epic back to the future referens. they do vegan affagato; really good cozy downstairs area

THINGS TO DO

tom asked me this and I struggled a bit and I've been mulling it over in the meantime

  • THE VOLKS ELECTRIC RAILWAY
    cm would kill me if I didn't mention the fact that the world's oldest still-operating electric railway can be found just there on the seafront! sadly only open late spring-autumn

  • THE PAVILION
    is genuinely really impressive inside, think they've been jacking up the ticket prices but seriously

  • THE BEACH
    possibly a bit obvious but man I love the beach; living nearby means I take it for granted a bit and it can be mad busy especially at weekends but since you're down in the week you might be able to see it quieter + sunny. the real lifehack here is not staying between the piers, the crowds thin out pretty quickly if you go outside that.

  • SNOOPER'S PARADISE and North Laine in general
    a tat shop par excellence, you can spend hours in there, come out with nothing and still have a smashing time. loads of the restaurants I recommended are in north laine, it's a cool place to have a wander

  • THE PIER
    a lot of bad rides and silly amusements, but it's worth a wander down to the end for the views imo

  • THE i360
    pricey but idk I think it's pretty sick, you can see for ages.

  • THE LANES
    NOT THE SAME as the North Laine one of them has an I in it, there's a really obnoxious shop window in the north laine to this effect. The Lanes are closer to the sea, and have a lot of jewellery shops but they also have some interesting shops (one that just sells rubber ducks) and a certain mazelike quality that lends itself to wandering

  • THE AQUARIUM
    the world's oldest one! some very cool fish

  • THE BOOTH MUSEUM
    This is one of those "one person's weird thing" museums—it's just a load of taxidermies animals, but a LOAD of them. very cool.