Brunch in Brighton brought to you beachside… It’s like the popular bridging meal and the iconic rainbow-hued city were made for each other.
But just where to find the best brunch in Brighton? In a place blessed with the most coffee shops per head in the UK – with 363 in total, which is one for every 800 people – it can be hard to narrow down your search for the best brunch into just one location.
Yep, there’s a lot of generic flat white and avo on toasts to be found here, but there are also some unique, delicious places to eat brunch. We’re here to help with your search; here are 7 of the best places to eat brunch in Brighton.
Mange Tout
Mange Tout might just be one of Brighton’s best-kept foodie secrets and one of the best French restaurants in the city. Just a two-minute walk from Brighton Station, this local gem is a humble, no-frills affair with a daily menu chalked up on a blackboard overlooking the room (pro-tip: take a photo). That menu details a keen selection of classic French bistro dishes that are low on fuss and high on flavour.
Meaning ‘eat all’ in French, the restaurant is considered one of the best spots to eat brunch in Brighton, opening in early the morning and doing a cracking Croque Madame (you’ll want to crack that egg) alongside a range of omelettes and other egg dishes including Royale, Benedict and anything else you’d see on a Masterchef: The Professionals skills test.
But best of all is Mange Tout’s Mediterranean version of a Full English, ‘The Full Mange Tout’, featuring Toulouse sausage, eggs two ways, tomato compote, and organic tartine (basically a slice of toast – but what toast it is!).
You’ll find both vegetarian and vegan versions of this cult classic brunch dish, which, seeing as Brighton is the UK’s most vegan friendly city, is sure to please Brighton’s many plant-based eaters.
Mange Tout is open daily for breakfast, brunch and lunch every day.
Fika Hove
And the egg procession continues…
Fika in Hove is a celebration of the beloved Swedish pastime of taking a break to luxuriate in the simple pleasure of cake and coffee. A collaboration between Backyard Coffee and Cracked Brighton, who bring their famously extravagant fried egg sandwiches to the party plus a selection of exclusive ‘brunch buns’, Fika is the perfect place to lose yourself in a morning of indulgent feasting.
The must order here? It has to be The Breakfast Bird, which boasts fried buttermilk chicken, a fried egg, smoked bacon, smoked cheese, maple syrup mayo, pickles, Korean BBQ sauce and a few more treats besides. Yep, we did say it was indulgent, but that’s what fika – and Fika – is all about.
Fika is open from 8am every weekday and from 9am on Saturdays and Sundays
Tlaloc (temporarily closed)
From popular Brighton pop-up on the edge of the North Laines to fully-fledged restaurant overlooking the sea in just three years, it’s been quite the journey for Tlaloc since they made the city their home in 2018.
Now in residency at the Selina Hotel on King’s Road (at the foot of Preston Street), Tlaloc makes modern Mexican food using locally sourced ingredients, with the menu full of intrigue and excitement.
Though we’d dine here for breakfast, lunch and dinner if they’d let us, Tlaloc’s dedicated brunch menu is our favourite meal of the day here. The Full Mexican Breakfast is a particularly hearty and pleasing plate.
For just £15, you basically get a combination of all the other items on the brunch menu – so, that’s huevos rancheros, chilaquiles, refried beans, tortillas and salsas – and a portion of their luscious lamb birria, all piled high. And the ‘move’ here? House salsas on the side for an extra spicy kick; you just have to ask.
On Sundays, bottomless brunch at Tlaloc is £45, and promises a free flow of margaritas for 90 minutes. The restaurant’s hibiscus margarita is a thing of beauty and one of the finest drinks in the whole city. With the cocktail essential on tap for an hour and a half, things can get dangerous.
They do a darn good Bloody Maria which is the restaurant’s unique take on a Bloody Mary made with Mezcal instead of Vodka. We warn you this is a strong tasting cocktail; if you’re hungover and don’t have the stomach to try something new, you can ask for your Bloody Mary to be made with vodka. We’re also huge fans of their espresso martini which is made with tequila and very possibly the best version of this coffee cocktail you’ll ever try.
Tlaloc was open every day for brunch from 10am until 3pm, though it is currently, temporarily closed.
Read: Where to eat Mexican food in Brighton
Oeuf Café
Not to be outdone on the egg options, Oeuf (translating as…. Do we need to bother?) Café isn’t perhaps as egg-centric as you’d think from the name. That’s not to say oeuf-philes won’t be satisfied here; the café offers some superb twists on egg-based brunch classics. We particularly love the oeuf and surf, which features poached egg and crab. Just delicious.
Away from the eggs, the ‘frumpets’ (a three stack of French crumpets… Yep, that one did need explaining) section of menu brings both savoury and sweet options to the table whilst things get properly interesting under the banner of specials. On our last visit, a bacon and banana pain perdu was that perfect mix of salty and sweet which any great brunch should be. When combined with Oeuf’s creative, extensive cocktail menu – sadly not featuring a single egg – this is one of the best brunch places in Brighton, make no mistake.
Oeuf Café is open every day from 9am
The Flour Pot Bakery
If you’ve ever spent even a day in Brighton, you’ll already be familiar with the ubiquitous, ever-present but reliably delicious Flour Pot Bakery. With 8 outposts in the city and counting, including one on the beach, another in the North Laines, and many more dotted all over town, the bakery has become synonymous with a lazy, hazy day (or hangover) spent in Brighton.
Though brunch at the Flour Pot Bakery is perhaps a less decadent affair than the others on our list, if you’re after a freshly baked pastry, baguettes, handmade sourdough pizzas or wholesome, hearty brunch dishes, then you’ll find it here. Or there. Or there…
The Brighton beach outpost even does beers and wines on tap, if you’re seeking a brunch of the boozy kind.
The Flour Pot’s beach location is open daily from 8am. Others branches have different opening hours.
Small Batch Coffee
Another Brighton coffee chain with a big presence in the city is Small Batch Coffee. With six cafes in the city, coffee roasted in house in small batches at their own dedicated roastery, these self-proclaimed coffee nerds bring to the city a reliably welcoming place to spend a morning or afternoon.
The good news for lovers of this carefully curated coffee is that three outposts of Small Batch have now added a dedicated brunch menu to their usual offering of pastries and cakes, as well as cocktails and other brunch-friendly alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks options.
It’s a seasonal, sustainably sourced, globetrotting affair, with sweet and savoury options aplenty. On our last visit to the Norfolk Square branch of the Small Batch empire, the plant-based Shakshuka was superb, and a real steal at just £7.45. When combined with a freshly brewed and shaken espresso martini, it’s a very satisfying brunch indeed.
Oh and if you don’t have time for brunch but need a decent, quick coffee they have a coffee cart at Brighton Street Station on Thursday – Friday.
Small Batch Norfolk Square is open from 7:30am daily. Other branches have different opening hours.
Lost In The Lanes
One of our very favourite brunch spots in Brighton, Lost In The Lanes have recently announced that, from February 28th 2022, they are closing for an exciting makeover, reopening bigger and better than ever in May. Do keep an eye out for our write-up of their new brunch offering when they’re back. We can’t wait.
The Bottom Line
Brunch in Brighton is big business and getting a table on a weekend can be hard. Some other places that we’ve heard do a decent brunch that we have yet to try include:
The New Club
133-134 Kings Rd, Brighton BN1 2HH
The Breakfast Club
16-17 Market St, Brighton BN1 1HH
Kooks
56 Gardner St, Brighton BN1 1UN
