While living in Brighton, it became very clear that if we wanted to have a local experience, we’d need to take part in the local cafe culture. Because Brighton is all about the cafes, bakeries and coffee shops!
This city runs on coffee – and not the stuff you find at Starbucks or any old chain.
I’m talking independent cafes run by locals serving freshly ground roasts and unique pastries, all inside beautiful shops; perfect for when you need a break between vintage shops or to take with you on a street art appreciation walk.
We lived in Brighton for two months and, not wanting to miss out on the local scene, we tried 30 different coffee shops and cafes in that time. Many of them we visited multiple times and at multiple locations.
So yes, we ate a lot of pastries and drank a lot of coffee, but someone has to do it!
Because it can be hard to narrow down which cafes to visit in Brighton (there are so many good ones!), I’ve put together my full Brighton cafe guide below. I’m sharing reviews of each of the cafes we visited, grouped by location, as well as photos of what we enjoyed, and things you can skip.
Brighton is the place to find that perfect cup of coffee, a pastry you can’t live without, charming booths and outdoor seating, plus something that works for your vegan, gluten-free or dairy-free diet.
If you’re a cafe lover like I am, get ready to drool and mark your map with the best cafes in Brighton!
PS: And if you’re looking for a great meal to have after your caffeine fix, check out my guide to the best restaurants in Brighton.
North Laine cafes in Brighton, UK
We lived in North Laine during our two months in Brighton, so naturally got to try many of the coffee shops there. Lucky for us, this Brighton neighbourhood is full of cafes!
North Laine is extremely walkable with tons of restaurants, independent shops, funky street art and, you guessed it, cafes. A few of the streets are pedestrianized during the day, so you can take a break, grab a coffee and people watch.
North Laine is also right by the train station and central in Brighton, so it’s the perfect place to begin exploring the city’s cafe culture.
Coffee at 33
Coffee at 33 was our local cafe in Brighton. When I say it was right outside of our door, I’m not lying. We lived in the apartment above this coffee shop! So suffice to say we were frequent customers.
During our two months in Brighton, we got to try a lot of Coffee at 33’s offerings. They had some really unique pastries, like an orange polenta cake and a bread and butter pudding, plus they specialize in Basque cheesecake.
My favourite treat was their gluten-free brownie. I ordered it a few times and it was always so decadent, moist and super chocolate-y. I also really enjoyed their cardamom bun!
In addition to pastries, Coffee at 33 also has sandwiches. I was a fan of their smoked salmon bagel. And, of course, they serve coffee too! Colin enjoyed their oat milk cappuccino and I liked their chai latte.
The people working at Coffee at 33 were always so kind to us. They started to recognize us, always had big smiles for Baby C, and wished us well when it was time for us to leave Brighton.
I also found the prices at Coffee at 33 very reasonable! We once ordered a ham and cheese croissant, smoked salmon bagel and white chocolate blondie, and the total bill was £13.50. Other cafes would charge that much for just the bagel!
Red Fish Fine Art & Coffee Shop
Red Fish is a quirky little cafe in North Laine that has a window full of tempting pastries, baked goods and sandwiches. It was this window display – and the fact that they were one of the few cafes open on a holiday – that first brought us in.
We tried their ham and cheese toastie that came fully loaded, featuring a very strong cheese. They had lots of other toasted sandwiches available, including many vegetarian options.
But the showstopper was the red berry strudel. This strudel was stuffed full of apples, red currants, blackberries, blueberries and raspberries. The pastry was thick and the filling was so flavourful.
We went back for that incredible strudel a few more times, plus tried the almond croissant (with slivered almonds on top and a delicious almond paste inside) that was nice and flaky.
Inside Red Fish you’ll find a few tables squished together and lots of art on the walls (and available to purchase).
Bread & Milk
I loved the look of Bread & Milk when I first spotted it on Trafalgar Street. It was always teeming with people, so is clearly a local favourite!
We sampled their cinnamon bun and salted caramel brownie. The cinnamon bun was nice once I warmed it up (though not my favourite cinnamon bun in Brighton).
The brownie was soft and tasty, without that overpowering salty flavour that some salted caramel products have. Unfortunately we didn’t make it back for a drink or sandwich, but they looked great!
Black Mocha
Black Mocha is a little coffee shop in North Laine where I popped in to do some work one morning. Despite their small street-front appearance, they have tables in the back and an upstairs seating area.
I was there about 9am on a Tuesday in the winter, so it was pretty quiet. They do allow laptops on weekdays but not on weekends, so keep that in mind if you’re looking for a cafe in Brighton to work from.
I ordered a hot chocolate, as it’s one of the drinks they’re known for. It did taste authentic and homemade, but wasn’t quite sweet or rich enough for me. Though I liked the little latte art cat they made on top!
I brought Colin home an oat milk cappuccino, which he enjoyed. They did also have a full display case of pastries and sandwiches, plus a good pastry and coffee combo deal.
The Botanist Coffee Co.
When our friends Holly & Ollie came to visit us in Brighton, we met at The Botanist because Holly had heard that it was some of the best coffee in Brighton. She and Colin both ordered coffees and agreed that it was delicious!
I’m not a coffee connoisseur, but Holly just might be, so I’d take her word for it. Add The Botanist to your Brighton cafe crawl.
Besides good coffee, they also have a small selection of pastries and a few tables inside. It’s not a big place, so probably best for drinks on the go. They also have a second location in Hove.
Milk No Sugar
Milk No Sugar is one part Vietnamese restaurant (and so featured on my Brighton restaurant guide) and one part cafe. It’s also just underneath Brighton’s train station, so a convenient first stop to caffeinate before you explore the city.
I like my coffee sweet and strong, so a Vietnamese iced coffee (espresso, ice and condensed milk) is right up my alley. I ordered this drink twice from Milk No Sugar and thoroughly enjoyed them.
Both times the coffees were very strong and very sweet – exactly like they’re supposed to be – and a good size. They were also only £3.50, which is a steal for a coffee in Brighton!
Coffeetzar
I had read that Coffeetzar has the best cakes in Brighton so of course we had to make our way to this North Laine cafe. Even if I hadn’t read about it beforehand, the shelf full of cakes in the window would’ve drawn me in!
I loved looking through all of the cake options, plus the table full of sandwiches and savoury baked goods. It’s the type of cafe where the food is the main draw, though of course they also serve drinks.
At the staff’s recommendation, we went for the the banana chocolate cake and the millionaire cake (chocolate, caramel, ganache, shortbread). I probably would’ve picked out ten more things, because they all looked so good!
I liked the millionaire cake but didn’t like the salt on top (but that’s a personal preference). The banana cake was tasty, but I wanted a bit more from the flavour.
Bee May Bakery
Bee May Bakery is a cute little spot with friendly staff and a homey, casual vibe. They have a few tables and a sofa at the back if you stay in and a counter full of baked goods to tempt you with.
We first visited when my mother-in-law was in town, trying a chai latte, cappuccino and flat white. All of the drinks were delicious and served in cute, mismatched mugs. I also got a chocolate chip cookie that was dense, cake-like and very chocolate-y.
I popped into Bee May Bakery again when one of the moms at Baby C’s swim class mentioned how much she liked their pastries.
While I was very tempted by their croissants, I ultimately went for a cinnamon bun. The icing was nice but I think the bun itself was a tad stale. Guess I should’ve gone with a croissant!
Ease Coffee Brighton
I visited Ease with my dad when he was visiting us in Brighton, after walking by it many times and admiring the simple but cool interiors. I loved the dark green and wood accents – and loved them even more when the owners told us they built everything themselves!
I went for a berry danish and my dad got a pain aux raisin and a latte. We then brought home another latte and a white chocolate raspberry blondie for Colin. Everything we had was delicious – Colin’s blondie might have been the highlight.
Ease was a great place for my dad and I to sit and chat on a Tuesday morning in late January. There were only a few people in the cafe but it does get more bustling in the afternoons and almost overrun in the summers.
Being the gregarious guy he is, my dad got to chatting with the owners. They shared how they had moved from Italy to the UK to open their own cafe.
It had taken them longer than they thought but they eventually found this location, worked very hard to open it up and have kept it running just the two of them for the last 1.5 years.
It was really nice to get to know them and to see their dream cafe come true. So when you get to Brighton, please pop in and support this awesome local business!
Jolliffes Coffee Shop
Jolliffes is a little coffee shop on Kensington Gardens, one of the main pedestrian streets in North Laine. We saw their plates of cannoli in the windows and were immediately drawn inside!
Colin went for a pistachio cannoli which he said had a nice flavour to it. I thought the pastry might be soggy since the cannoli were pre-filled, but he assured me it was not.
Inside they have lots of other pastries, both sweet and savoury, plus a full drink menu. It’s a great stop if you need a sweet treat on a shopping break in North Laine.
Puzzle Bored
Puzzle Bored is so much more than just a cafe. They describe themselves as “a Brighton based neurodiverse aware and inclusive coffee shop, where you can make puzzles and play games over your coffee.”
Unfortunately, we didn’t hang out at Puzzle Bored long enough for any games or puzzles. At a year old, Baby C wasn’t quite ready for that. But it looked like such a cool place to hang out!
I did, however, buy a triple chocolate chip cookie from the very kind man running the cafe. It was thick, chewy and delicious!
Puzzle Bored also hosts events, has rooms available to rent, and sells their own puzzles that feature local artists’ artwork. How cool is this place?
Flint Owl Bakery
We stopped at Flint Owl Bakery on a sunny day in Brighton, the fresh loaves of bread in the window calling our names. Inside we found even more bread, pastries, sandwiches and a mezzanine level with seating.
I went for an orange cardamom bun that was super soft and flavourful. Colin chose banana bread, which was moist and tasty. He received two pieces, which I’m not sure was an accident or just a generous serving size.
My one tiny complaint was that I didn’t find the staff at Flint Owl Bakery to be very service-oriented. No one greeted us and, despite there being no one else in line, it took a while for us to be acknowledged and served.
They weren’t rude, just more interested in talking amongst themselves than their customers. It wasn’t a big deal, but was notable compared to almost every other Brighton cafe where the service has always been friendly and warm.
Real Patisserie
Real Patisserie is a small pastry shop with display cases full of cakes, donuts and other sweet treats. There’s nowhere to sit, so this place is takeout only.
On my first visit, I left with a bostock bar (almond and brioche) and a date and orange flapjack, both at the recommendation of the very kind staff working at their Trafalgar Street location.
Both bars were nice but, honestly, not my thing. They were a little bland and the flapjack almost felt like it was trying to be healthy. If I’m going to a patisserie, I’m looking for sugar-filled indulgence!
The next time I visited Real Patisserie, I got a vanilla custard donut. The donut was light and fluffy with a flavourful custard. It was stuffed full of the custard, meaning I made a huge mess!
I got Colin a salted fudge brownie which he loved. It wasn’t too salty, had a great chocolate-y taste and a perfect fudge texture. So skip the bland bars and go for a donut or brownie instead!
Blend & Brew
Just next door to Real Patisserie is Blend & Brew, another of Brighton North Laine’s coffee shops. The interior was really charming with brick walls, archways and industrial lights.
Their line-up of sandwiches looked very impressive, but unfortunately I only had room for a small dessert. I went for a brownie that was solid and chocolatey. It wasn’t too mushy and there were no nuts, which is my preference.
Colin got a cappuccino, pastel de nata and a cannoli. He liked the taste of the pastel custard but found the pastry a bit burnt. And the cannoli was nice and crunchy, but the cream tasted fake.
So some wins and some losses at Blend & Brew. I’d go back for the brownie, the cute interiors and to try one of their sandwiches.
LOAM
Sadly, we saved LOAM for our last full day in Brighton, which means we only got to visit once. And this was terrible news because I’m ready to declare that LOAM has the best cinnamon buns in Brighton!
LOAM is a cute little coffee shop on Gloucester Road that has a very trendy and minimal vibe inside. They have a small selection of baked goods, a drinks menu, and a shelf full of homewares and food products.
When I asked the staff for a recommendation, they told me to definitely get the cinnamon bun. And they were not wrong! The bun was soft and fresh, full of cinnamon flavour, and with a frosting that was perfectly sweet but not too sweet.
Colin got an oat milk cappuccino, which he said was also very good. But the real star is definitely the cinnamon bun.
Brighton cafes in The Lanes
The Lanes is a series of twisting alleys, like something out of Harry Potter, with brick streets, independent shops and lots of jewelry stores. There are also a few restaurants and cafes in this little Brighton labyrinth.
The Lanes are just to the south of North Laine. But don’t confuse North Laine with the Lanes, even though they sound the same. Some people call this area South Laine or South Lane, but that’s incorrect.
North Laine is named after a laine, which is an agricultural field, that used to surround the centre of Brighton. The Lanes are named for the narrow lanes and passageways that were once the centre of this old fishing town.
Now that you’ve got the names straight, let’s move onto the cafes!
Brass Monkey Ice Cream
Brass Monkey is technically an ice cream store. But it’s also a really good cafe! In addition to their incredible ice cream they also have cakes and coffees available.
Because we were living in Brighton in the winter, we didn’t eat a ton of ice cream. But passing by Brass Monkey and spotting the cakes on display through the window, I had to stop and try them.
While choosing my cakes, the lovely employee offered to let me try some of their ice cream. I tried the honey lavender, which was super unique and made from real lavender, and the lemon curd, which was so tart and authentic.
I’d definitely come back here for ice cream in the summer!
As for the cakes, I went with a slice of the ginger rhubarb and the chocolate caramel. The ginger rhubarb was incredibly moist and flavourful. I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did!
The chocolate caramel wasn’t as moist, but was very tasty with a nice thick fudge, light cream and dark caramel. It almost had a bit of an alcoholic or burnt taste to it, but in a really yummy way.
Despite Brass Monkey being known for their ice cream, I think these were actually my favourite cakes I tried in Brighton!
Knoops
Knoops is a chain of cafes in the UK that specialize in custom chocolate drinks. You start by choosing to create either a hot chocolate, iced chocolate, milkshake or mocha.
Next you select the type of chocolate you want, all with different percentages of cocoa and different tasting notes. There are 20 different chocolates to choose from!
Lastly, you can choose the type of milk you prefer and any fun extras you want to add. They have everything from the ordinary, like marshmallows, whipped cream and orange, to the more obscure, like pink pepper, Szechuan chilli, turmeric, ginger and lime.
We first visited when my mom was in town and had so much fun creating our own custom drinks. Colin and I both got pretty standard hot chocolates with 43% milk chocolate for him and 36% milk chocolate for me.
And they were delicious! I found mine to be super rich, perfectly sweet and deeply chocolate-y. I know Knoops is a chain, but it was my favourite hot chocolate in Brighton!
My mom was a bit more adventurous, getting a dark chocolate mocha with orange. She also ordered the carrot cake and an almond croissant. I found the cake a bit dry and the croissant just okay, so maybe stick to the drinks only.
We went back to Knoops two more times, trying different variations of their drinks and a few more pastries. Colin ordered a milk chocolate mocha, which he enjoyed, and I tried an iced chocolate, which was very indulgent and delicious!
Trading Post Coffee Roasters
There are a few Trading Post Coffee Roasters in the city, including their Roastery in North Laine, but we first tried them at their Lanes location on Ship Street. This is a big location with lots of seating on the main floor and second floor.
We lined up and ordered our food and drinks, which were then brought to our table. In addition to drinks and pastries, they also have sandwiches and a small food menu available.
I went for the Lotus Biscoff Caramel cake, which was really delicious! The icing and caramel sauce were sweet and decadent. The cake was a bit dense, but I believe it was vegan, so perhaps the missing dairy contributed to the texture.
I also got a winter spiced apple tea which smelled nice, but tasted a bit bland. Colin got his go-to oat milk cappuccino, which he reported was good. He also got a ham and cheese toastie that was, in his words, “nice but nothing special.”
Brighton coffee shops on London Road
London Road is one of the main streets in Brighton. It seems like every bus in the city comes down this road – including the long distance buses, like the one my mother-in-law took from Heathrow Airport.
You’ll find tons of secondhand charity shops on London Road – perfect for browsing in between cafe stops – as well as Brighton Open Market, The Level park and playground, and a few big churches, like St. Peter’s in my photo above.
This area feels more local than trendy, so if you’re looking to do some secondhand shopping, sit in a park with a coffee, and hang out with Brightonians, head to London Road!
Cloud 9
Cloud 9 has two locations in Brighton, one in North Laine and one on London Road. And lucky for me and my sweet tooth, I got to visit both!
Cloud 9 is known for their brownies, though they also serve cupcakes, drinks and ice cream. They even do custom cake orders. I loved the variety of brownies they had on offer – everything looked so cute and hard to resist!
I went for a triple chocolate brownie that was perfectly rich and chewy. Colin chose a cookie dough brownie, which he enjoyed, but he did find the cookie dough part a tad too raw.
On our next visit, I couldn’t pass up another triple chocolate brownie. It was that good! Colin got a cappuccino that was also quite nice.
Their London Road location is much larger with lots of indoor seating. I loved how stylized the interiors were with bright colours and floral wallpaper. It totally matched all the cute cupcakes and brownies on display!
Heavenly Desserts
Colin and I were looking for an open-late dessert place for a little date night one evening when my MIL was in town to babysit. And we found the perfect place on London Road at Heavenly Desserts!
This cafe is quite large with lots of tables and booths decorated in pretty pastels and marble. They have an extensive menu with desserts, drinks and brunch. I wish we had come back to try more!
Colin went for a make-your-own custom cookie, choosing cookie dough, chocolate sauce, raspberries and hazelnut gelato. The cookie dough was partially baked, so perfectly gooey and warm. He loved it!
After studying the menu for quite a while, I went with the cinnamon monkey bread, served with apple compote, toffee sauce and vanilla gelato. It was delicious! Though I would’ve liked a few more apple pieces.
Fika
Every Saturday, you’ll find a delicious stall set up inside Brighton City Open Market called Fika. They specialize in Swedish pastries, as their name hails from the Swedish tradition of fika: taking a break to enjoy a sweet and some good company.
I was a big fan of fika when I was in Stockholm and Southern Sweden, plus couldn’t walk past these stunning buns without stopping. After chatting with the owner and her daughter, I landed on a vanilla raspberry danish.
The danish was very soft with a lovely vanilla flavour and hint of raspberry. I wish I had been more adventurous, as they also had cardamom buns, saffron buns and Semla buns with cream that all looked amazing.
The Little Loaf
Also inside Brighton Open Market is a little bakery called, fittingly, The Little Loaf. They are a take-out only place with fresh breads, pastries and desserts on offer.
Colin went for a brownie with walnuts that had a great, rich, chocolate-y flavour. I’m personally not a fan of nuts in my sweets, but Colin really enjoyed them. And while we liked how moist the brownie was, it was right on the verge of being undercooked.
You can see just how gooey the brownie was from my squished photo of it above!
Pelicano Coffee Co
Pelicano Coffee Co is another Brighton cafe with a few locations around the city: North Laine, Lewes Road and one at the entrance to The Level park off London Road.
May 2026 note: The Level location now appears to be called WOLFOX Coffee on Google Maps, but still has the photos and reviews of Pelicano. It’s also still listed on Pelicano’s website. If you visit, let me know if it’s the same place or not!
Colin and I first popped into their North Laine location for hot drinks and baked goods. I got a mint chocolate latte that wasn’t quite as minty or as chocolatey as I would’ve liked. But that might’ve been because my brownie overpowered it!
I ordered a cinnamon caramel brownie that had more of a cake-like texture than a traditional brownie. The caramel icing on top was so indulgently sweet!
Colin got a cappuccino and a chocolate brownie. This one had more of a normal brownie texture and lots of good, rich chocolate flavour. I also loved how our drinks were served in cute mugs and our pastries came out on these adorable little boards.
My mom and I went back to Pelicano a few weeks later, drawn in by their beautiful cakes in the window. We tried three cakes: chocolate orange, lemon and raspberry, and carrot.
All of the cakes were extremely moist – and I believe at least one of them was vegan, but you couldn’t tell anything was missing. What you could tell was missing was flavour.
All of the cakes could’ve used a little boost on flavour: more orange in the orange chocolate cake, more lemon in the lemon raspberry cake, and more spice in the carrot cake.
Preston Circus cafes & coffee shops
Preston Circus – where London Road and Preston Road meet leading up to Preston Park – is a quieter area of Brighton. It’s not as busy as North Laine or London Road, but there are still some awesome cafes worth visiting!
While you’re in the area, don’t forget to snap a photo of Duke of York’s Picturehouse, the oldest theatre in the country. Even better, go see a show there!
And you can take your drink and snacks to go and enjoy them in Preston Park, a beautiful green space with a rose garden, clock tower, Georgian manor-turned-museum, and Brighton’s only waterfall!
Curio Cafe and Bar
Just across the street from Duke of York’s is the small but extremely charming Curio Cafe. This place was very busy when we visited on a Monday in early January, so you know it’s a local favourite.
I ordered a chai latte and honey butter toast. My chai latte had a great spice to it and the honey butter toast was amazing – thick, sweet and a great crunchy exterior with a soft interior.
Colin ordered his usual oat milk cappuccino and tried the cinnamon and orange roll. We couldn’t really taste the orange in it and some bites tasted more stale than others. So I’d skip that and just order the honey butter toast!
Curio is also a full-service bar, so you could kick up the fun on your cafe visit with a little booze. They also serve a small food menu on weekday evenings and weekends.
Cielo Cakery
Closer to Preston Park is where you’ll find Cielo Cakery inside of a converted church!
This has to be one of the coolest locations for a Brighton cafe. Besides the cafe, St. Augustine’s also has an event space, art gallery and other local businesses housed in the building.
Cielo Cakery Coffee House has a very cool look to it, with lots of tables and couches for people to hang out on. The main attraction is, of course, their huge display case full of brownies and other baked goods.
Colin went for a triple chocolate brownie and after much deliberation, I landed on a teacake brownie. Both brownies were very tasty. They were thick and more substantial than most of the other brownies we’ve tried around Brighton.
My teacake brownie had frosting, cookie crumble and marshmallow on it – which on second thought was probably a little too sweet to have on top of a chocolate-y brownie. My only regret is not getting a second brownie to compare.
In addition to the brownies, we also bought a little seagull keychain from Cielo Cakery, as they had a shelf with some local products for sale. The staff also gave us a stamp card so we could come back and try more brownie flavours, as they change them up often.
Brighton coffee shops on Queens Road
Queens Road is probably the main street in Brighton. It’s where you’ll find the Brighton train station and if you walk down it, Queens Road will lead you straight to the beach.
On your walk you’ll pass tons of restaurants, shops and cafes. There’s the historic Jubilee Clock Tower (pictured above) and Churchill Square Shopping Centre, just off of Queens Road.
While not as quaint as North Laine or The Lanes, Queens Road is definitely worth a visit to be in the hustle and bustle of Brighton. Plus, it’s awesome to see the sea view as you walk from the train station to the beach!
Julien Plumart
If you’re looking for a French patisserie in Brighton, stop into Julien Plumart. This small cafe has beautiful French pastries on offer, including an entire display case of macarons.
We couldn’t decide, so ordered both pastries and macarons. For our pastries, we chose the salted caramel brownie and a chocolate mousse cake that the staff told us was very poopular.
The brownie was nice and soft, though not my favourite brownie in Brighton. I prefer brownies to be a bit more dense and chocolatey. I liked the chocolate cake better, and appreciated the layers of crunch and raspberry to break up the mousse.
But the macarons were my favourite! We tried hazelnut praline, raspberry, red berry and passionfruit. Each one had such a soft, delicate texture and the flavours were so powerful and authentic.
Julien Plumart also offers an afternoon tea menu. While I loved the afternoon teas we had at The Grand (so much so that I put it on my list of best restaurants in Brighton), the Julien Plumart option also sounds delicious!
Filtered
Just off of Queens Road and across from Churchill Square is Imperial Arcade, a covered alleyway of shops and cafes. And inside this arcade is where you’ll find Filtered.
Filtered is one of the larger cafes I’ve seen in Brighton, with tons of tables, comfy chairs, a wall of coffee products to take home, and even a giant coffee roaster on site.
It was also one of the more affordable coffee shops we visited. We paid £10 for two pastries and a drink which is a steal compared to most of Brighton’s cafes.
I got a vanilla latte and was surprised by how big it was. It was served in a very cool melamine mug that clicked into the saucer it came with. And it was delicious!
I also got a pain au chocolate which was nice, but a touch too crispy. Colin had better luck; he got a brownie that was delicious and very chocolate-y!
Brighton cafes by the beach
It truly doesn’t get better than enjoying a coffee and a pastry while you stroll along the boardwalk of Brighton Beach! This is one of my favourite areas in the city – and definitely a busy spot in the summer.
Here you’ll find Brighton Palace Pier, the Brighton i360, the Upside Down House (pictured above), Brighton Bandstand and, if you walk really far, the colourful Hove Beach Huts. It’s also where you can watch the nightly murmuration of starlings!
Along the boardwalk you’ll find lots of little shops, art galleries, cafes and restaurants. There’s even a fishing museum!
Since we lived in Brighton in the winter, I loved having all of these other things to enjoy at the beach when it wasn’t sunbathing weather.
The Flour Pot Bakery
There are a few Flour Pot Bakeries in Brighton, but we frequented the one in North Laine and the one down by the beach. As a bakery, they have a delicious selection of sweet and savoury pastries, sandwiches, cakes, and fresh breads.
On my first visit, I tried two of their cookies. The mini chocolate chip was decent but the white chocolate, cranberry and rosemary cookie was the highlight. It was such a unique flavour combo!
My dad visited The Flour Pot while he was staying with us in Brighton and reported that they serve the best Americano in the city. And he went out for a coffee once or twice a day, so I’d believe him!
Baby C, my dad and I visited The Flour Pot again, this time sitting in with our drinks and pastries. My dad got a latte and a muffin and I went for an apricot raisin danish.
My dad enjoyed his latte but I found my danish a touch on the stale side. Though once again, I liked the unique addition flavour combination – where else do you find apricots and raisins in a danish?
Brighton i360 Cafe
While walking into the Brighton i360 for our ride up the glass elevator, we walked through the i360 Cafe and I was immediately impressed. I loved the large space, comfortable couches, cool seating options and unique drinks menu.
Unlike some tourist attraction cafes that are small and overpriced, the i360 Cafe seems really intentional. It’s clear that people come just for the cafe, even if they aren’t riding up the i360.
After our ride, I got a butterscotch hot chocolate off of the winter specials menu and a caramel brownie. Both were tasty, but not my favourite hot chocolate or brownie in the city. Colin went for a cheese twist, which he loved.
I love the idea of just coming to this cafe to hang out, without having to ride the i360. Not only do you have a full food and drink menu – including a bar – but you also have great views of the beach, West Pier, and the i360 going up and down.
Check out my full review and guide to the Brighton i360!
Bird & Blend Tea Co
Bird & Blend Tea Co. has a few locations throughout the UK with two in Brighton: one in North Laine and one along the beach. If you’re a tea lover, this is the place to come!
As it’s more of a tea shop than a tea room, there isn’t space to enjoy your drink at Bird & Blend. You can order a warm or iced tea to go and purchase bags or loose leaf tea to make at home.
While shopping around their beachfront location, we sampled their carrot cake tea plus tried a pink matcha and a green matcha in honour of Wicked: For Good being in theatres.
These aren’t teas I would usually order, so I loved having the chance to try a few sips.
The staff member helping us was so knowledgeable about teas and really took his time. He let us smell tons of tea leaves, advised on the different sizes we could buy, and helped us settle on creme brulee as our winning option.
Wrapping up: The five best cafes in Brighton
It’s hard to narrow it down from the 30 different cafes we got to try, but if I had to, here are my top five favourite cafes in Brighton, England:
- Coffee at 33: This was our local spot, so of course it makes the list. I loved the delicious and unique baked goods, yummy drinks, reasonable prices and super sweet staff.
- LOAM: For the best cinnamon bun in Brighton, head to North Laine’s LOAM.
- Brass Monkey: Go for the delicious ice cream but stay for the sleeper-hit: their moist and flavourful cakes!
- Cloud 9: After sampling many options, I believe the best brownies in Brighton are found at Cloud 9. Though Cielo Cakery is a close second!
- Ease: And for overall great vibes, tasty food and drink, and very nice owners, visit Ease on Gloucester Road.
Brighton is all about the cafe culture. Even though we sampled 30 different cafes during our two months in city – visiting many of them multiple times – there are still so many more cool coffee shops to try.
If you’re planning a trip to Brighton, I highly encourage you to spend as much time cafe-hopping as possible. It’s such a fun way to get to know the city – the perfect refuel as you explore the beautiful streets and independent shops.
After a day of cafes, street art and shopping, pop into one of my favourite Brighton restaurants for dinner. In my guide I’ve organized the restaurants by cuisine-type, so you can find exactly what you’re craving!
