All about Brighton
There’s no place like Brighton and Hove on Earth – the city that has it all!
Maybe it’s the salty sea air, the beautiful views of the English Channel and the Sussex Downs, or the stunning Regency architecture, there’s something about Brighton and Hove that breeds excitement and entrepreneurial spirit.
Our wonderful city lives up to it’s nickname of London-by-Sea. Brighton is about enjoyment. With great tourists attractions and more pubs, clubs and restaurants per head of population of anywhere in the UK outside London, our city is the place for good times.
Ride the Brighton Wheel
Brightons' answer to the London Eye, this 50 metre-high wheel boasts 36 air-conditioned enclosed glass gondolas and one special VIP gondola situated right on the beach next to the pier. The wheel gives revellers stunning views of the sea and of Brightons' stunning architecture.
Shopping
From designer boutiques in the North Laine to the many jewellery shops in the beautiful Lanes, to all the big stores in Churchill Square, Brighton has got something for everyone.
North Laine is an area that grew up in the 1830s when Brighton first became famous because the Prince Regent turned a modest farmhouse into a glittering exotic royal palace. In the mile between the Pavilion and Brighton station you will find 300 shops, 37 cafes, 22 pubs, four theatres and a world-class museum. North Laine is also home to the cultural centre of Brighton with the new library and piazza in the jubilee complex.
Once the heart of the old fishing town of Brighthelmstone, Brighton's historic quarter – The Lanes – is an intricate maze of twisting alleyways, offering an extraordinary mix of antiques, jewellery, interior design and famous labels. In the hidden squares, elegant arcades and winding passages, you can find bespoke perfumes and fragrant herbs mixing with freshly roasted coffee and the aroma of Italian cooking.
Brighton’s city centre shopping centre, Churchill Square, has 85 big name stores under one roof, including HMV, H&M, Levis, BHS, Debenhams, Virgin Megastore, WH Smith, Borders, Superdrug and Habitat.
If you want to take a bus ride along the coast for a few minutes, you can head out to Brighton Marina, where you’ll find bars, restaurants and cafes to hang out at as well as a few clothing shops.
Cinemas
Almost 100 years old, this is the oldest working cinema in the UK. The Duke of York’s focuses on art house and foreign movies, with the occasional box office smash. The seats are comfy, you can buy a beer or wine and the homemade cakes are great!
Brighton’s city centre multi-screen cinema showing all the big releases.
A short bus ride or taxi ride to Brighton Marina, this is Brighton’s newest and biggest cinemas, showing all the new releases. There are bars, restaurants and a bowling complex at the marina too.
Clubs
Brighton’s coolest club perhaps, with quality house, breakbeat, indie and student nights.
Brighton’s newest seafront club on the site of the legendary Zap.
The Honeyclub
The Honeyclub is on Brighton beach in front of the Thistle Hotel. By day it's a beachfront bar with large terraces, at night it’s a friendly nightclub which was listed in DJ magazine as Number 14 in the worlds Top 100 clubs!
Pussycat Club
Running since 1995, The Pussycat Club is a wonderful beachfront club playing mainly house and electro. Resident DJ Nippa has played at the club since it opened.
Funky Fish
Open on Friday and Saturday nights, Funky Fish plays funky music from the last three decades, from funk, soul, jazz and Motown. Unlike clubs which focus on décor and yearly refurbishments, the Funk Fish has only four ingredients for a great night out: great people, great music, great customer service, a room to dance in.
Funky Buddha Lounge
This seafront club is tiny, but renowned for it’s stomping after-parties that go on until 8am on Saturday and Sunday mornings. In the two interlinked arches you’ll hear a mix of upbeat house, R’n’B and disco.
Casablanca Jazz Club
Just back from the seafront, Casablanca Jazz Club is two floors of fun, playing jazz, funk, Latin and disco.
Brighton’s alternative club and gig venue. Deviant on Fridays pulls together metal, industrial and goth music, while the monthly Classic Rock nights on Saturdays are a real experience.
Oceana/Liquid
The UK’s largest group of clubs moved into Brighton in November 2007, revamping part of the seafront complex that contains the Odeon cinema. Oceana and Liquid are two separate clubs offering state-of-the-art visuals and sound systems and a mix of club nights.
A chain club with a Moroccan theme to the décor, this place has gone through a transformation to become a home for cool house, electro, indie and pop nights.
Can’t chose?
Want to work out where to go out? DrinkInBrighton is a handy website listing what’s going on at pubs and clubs across the city.
Restaurants
The city of Brighton and Hove has hundreds of restaurants to choose from, from the cheap and cheerful to establishments that give London’s top restaurants a run for their money. Here’s just a couple of our favourites close by to Seadragon Backpackers:
The Arrogant Frog
The Arrogant Frog is the creation of Rosario Guarneri, a local French restaurateur who brings a lifetime's love of wine and gastronomic cuisine to Hove.
Pintxo People
Pintxo People (pronounced 'pincho’) serves Basque bite-size tapas downstairs, and pricey, but amazing Spanish food upstairs.
Due South
Voted the Best Seaside Restaurant in Britain by Observer Food Monthly in 2006. One of only a couple of proper restaurants right on the seafront, the menu only serves in-season food, with around 95% of it coming from Sussex.
Alfresco
Right by Brighton’s dilapidated West Pier, sit outdoors here in the Summer and watch the sunset with some great Italian food.
Leonardo
There must be at least a dozen Italian restaurants between here and Hove town centre, and this is one of our favourites. Good prices and a nice atmosphere.
Coriander
This hidden-away restaurant in Hove uses in-season ingredients hand-picked from the best local food and world cuisine. The owner has a fondness for North African food.
Oki Nami
One of DJ Norman Cook’s favourite restaurants, this Japanese eaterie does authentic Asian food, a million miles away from Yo Sushi’s conveyor belts. The bento boxes are a real treat.
The Real Eating Company
This place has won two reader awards from Observer Food Monthly. Great breakfasts, posh dinners and deli food to take away upstairs too.
Aumthong Thai Restaurant
This is a fantastic Thai restaurant with great service, a cool atmosphere and one of the best Thai green curries around.
Red Snapper
Just a couple of doors down from Seadragon Backpackers, this Thai restaurant looks tiny from the outside, but stretches over three floors.
Kambi’s
Lebanese and Persian food that’s a favourite with locals on a tight budget. Amazing food, incredible prices!
Watersports
Kayaking
Head down to between the two piers and hire kayaks and stand-up paddle boards by the hour from Brighton Watersports
Windsurfing, yachting, powerboating
Hove Lagoon Watersports offers a range of water sports from a lagoon in Hove and from Brighton Marina. Try Zapcatting – taking control of a lightweight, fast and nimble powerboat – you’ll love it!
Brighton Pavilion
Modelled on the Taj Mahal, Brighton Pavilion sits in the heart of Brighton, between The Lanes and North Laine shopping areas. The seaside residence of George IV started life as a farmhouse, but was transformed into an Indian-style palace by John Nash between 1815 and 1822.
Visit Brighton
Brighton’s official online tourist guide can give you the low-down on restaurants, entertainment, shopping and travelling around Brighton and Sussex.
