South Brighton

The Flour Pot Kitchen is a slightly different take on a traditional Flour Pot shop; as well as the usual breads, pastries, and cakes is a full menu offering artisanal pizza and seasonal dishes.

This new offering straddles the line between a traditional cafe and a fully fledged restaurant, slowly transforming from one to the other as it gets later in the day.

Sitting right on the beachfront, there are few better places to spend a summer’s afternoon. This was, luckily, the time of year we tried a double espresso there, and drinking it while looking out at the sea was a wonderful experience. The new Flour Pot roast is full of dark fruit flavours, with a slight sourness, and hint of dark chocolate.

At this point, The Flour Pot are a Brighton institution and one that seem to be able to turn their hand to anything. From baking, to a new hot kitchen establishment, as well as coffee roasting, they seem to be getting everything right so far. We hope that it continues!

Tucked away on Ship Street is The Lanes Coffee House, and when we say tucked away, we really mean it. This delightful coffee house is much larger than it appears from its two entrances on the outside.

With two separate gardens, one as you approach the back entrance, and one hidden away at the back of the shop, this is the Mary Poppins bag of coffee shops.

Offering both great coffee and friendly staff, this hidden gem is well worth seeking out.

One of Brighton’s most recognisable cafes, Trading Post is the perfect spot for the city’s workforce. With extensive seating upstairs, downstairs, and outside, as well as a plentiful supply of plug sockets inside and free Wi-Fi, you have nearly everything you need to work for days. The only thing missing so far: coffee. 

In this department Trading Post offers an extensive selection as well. They have a choice of two espresso blends on their machine, with house blends that are 100% organic as well as focussing on on sustainable, fair trade coffee. There are a choice of five blends available, all roasted in-house, either on site in Brighton or nearby Lewes.

If you’re not here to work then never fear, as there’s plenty of comfy seating also available. With a full kitchen, they also offer a full menu of hearty breakfast and brunch options as well as a range of light bites and a menu especially for children.

With plug sockets dotted around the cafe, free WiFi, street art by local artist Cassette Lord atop exposed brick work, and their roaster based in the heart of the shop, this hipster’s paradise has only helped the booming Brighton coffee scene.

The introduction and expansion of The Plant Room across Brighton (and Portslade) over the last couple of years has been a welcome one. As new locations pop, it is important to recognise the Brighton Square location as the starting point, and the transformation it has taken.

A breathtaking location and great coffee has always been a winning combination, and The Plant Room at Brighton Square has both. Within, the shop is adorned with plants, pots, and pictures.

There are stools, plug sockets, and free WiFi for those who wish to work, and sofas for those that don’t. Outside, the extensive seating stretches over Brighton Square and is the perfect place to spend a sunny afternoon. 

In terms of coffee, The Plant Room serves AllPress on both espresso and filter. We’d recommend asking what is on the batch brew, as there’s usually something interesting, surprising, and most importantly delicious. The food offering is stunning, with almost everything on offer vegan, and the wide range of tea is also worth trying. 

In short, The Plant Room seem to be doing everything the right way, and Brighton Square is where it all began.

Voted “Most Brighton Venue” in 2017, Marwood Bar & Coffeehouse is one of the truly unique locations that Brighton has to offer. Quite simply, it couldn’t exist anywhere else.

It represents Brighton’s atmosphere and way of life. That award may be a couple of years old at this point, but we still think it still probably holds true.

“At Marwood we’re not what you would call normal What we are is a place to bring your friends, your mum, a friend from London, lovers of coffee, your dog, your laptop, your veggie friends, star wars fans, boozehounds or ideally your gran (we love grans). We’re a place staffed by a bunch of coffee ninjas, just trying to get by, who hope one day to sell enough flat whites to buy a greek island and spend the rest of our days drinking pina coladas. Until that day, we hope you stop by.”

Whether you’re after an afternoon coffee, or a caffeinated cocktail, Marwood is a uniquely Brighton establishment, and one that shouldn’t be missed.

There are many ways to describe it: quirky, eccentric, idiosyncratic, but none of them do it justice. Marwood Bar & Coffeehouse is a place that must be experienced first hand, and is well worth seeking out.

If the name wasn’t indication enough, Lost in the Lanes can be found tucked away in Brighton’s beautiful South Lanes. The venue itself is stunning; the combination of a glass front with an effective use of metal features gives Lost in the Lanes an open, modern feel.

The subtle design choices are reflected in their coffee service. Sitting outside on a hot day, we were brought a jug of ice water; details like this can make the world of difference. The coffee itself was light and delicate.

We tried a long black which had an elegant floral flavour, and a pour-over that was excellently paired with a dark chocolate and raspberry tart. The beans we sampled were from the always excellent Has Been Coffee.

Lost in the Lanes updates and rotates their coffee on a regular basis, given their high standard, however, this is an exciting prospect indeed.