HOTELS IN Brighton

Live music and comedy: There’s a full programme of live theatre, music and comedy events across the city all year round. For big names head to the Brighton Centre or the Dome, but if off-the-beaten-track culture is more your style, many of the pubs and bars host underground gigs. For comedy, check out the Secret Comedy Nights at the Arista Café, the music and comedy combo at The Marwood Café, or head to the Quadrant on Queens Road which delivers Clock Tower Comedy every fourth Thursday. Music lovers will find up to 14 live shows a week from jazz to heavy metal at The Brunswick in Hove, The Fiddlers Elbow is a must for folk fans, and there’s a wide-ranging choice of vintage music sets on offer at The Mesmerist in the Lanes.

Laughter yoga: Still in need of a laugh? There’s a one-hour session of interactive laughter yoga on offer at The Laughter Gym. Sessions can be combined with a chocolate-making workshop, and the programme is ideal for couples, groups and parties.

South Downs: Blow away the cobwebs and experience the magnificence of the South Downs on a cliff or beach walk. The Brighton coastal path extends five miles starting from the Brighton Pier, finishing at Shoreham Harbour, while the three-mile Undercliff Walk presents beach vistas, white cliffs and the chance to feel the sea spray on your face at high tide.

Ghost Walks: If you’ve any energy left, wander into The Lanes at night and take in the Ghost Walk, which runs every Wednesday to Saturday at 7:30pm from The Druid's Head, Brighton Place. An actor in full Victorian costume presents the spooky history of the tiny historic streets.

Beach Box Sauna: Possibly Brighton’s best kept secret is the Beach Box Sauna, a tiny gem of an experience that combines proper pampering treatments in an ingeniously designed set-up. From saunas in converted horseboxes and hidden cabanas to a plunge pool, cold showers and a fire pit, it’s all here within a few steps of the sea.

Botanique: The best of fine dining – and it’s vegan. Menus are dictated by local harvests producing such temptations as tempura d’aromatics, mushroom with beet top marmalade and blackberry and lemon pavlova, in a beautiful, pared-back setting.

Rockwater: For traditional seafood right on the seafront, Rockwater’s hip roof terrace is the place to be. Feast on oysters, lobster and caviar upstairs, or tuck into more budget-conscious Buddha bowls and fish and chips in the Bar and Kitchen downstairs.

Cin Cin: Pasta fiends will love both branches of Cin Cin, one in Brighton and the other in Hove, where you can watch chefs creating your ricotta tortellini in front of your eyes.

Shelter Hall: If you can’t agree on the cuisine for your night out, Shelter Hall reopened in 2020 and houses seven different food stands under one roof, right on the beach.

Artisan coffee shops: You’re never more than a few feet away from an artisan bakery or coffee shop in this town, but check out The Plant Room, The Flour Pot Bakery, Presuming Ed, and Black Mocha to name a few

Seven Dials: Beautiful architecture houses Kate Langdale Flowers, the Seven Cellars Bottle Shop, and tiny antique emporium Treasure and Trash.

Central Hove: This is where you’ll find Audrey’s, one of the best chocolate shops in the world, the award-winning Book Nook children’s bookstore, and a range of quirky lifestyle boutiques.

KempTown Village: The village has a true community atmosphere, including a thriving indie bookshop and the Trading Post bohemian market.

The Lanes: Probably Brighton’s best-known shopping quarter is The Lanes, a historic labyrinth of antique shops, galleries, and cafes. Look for Brass Monkeys ice cream, Baroque Bespoke jewellery, Pecksniff’s Perfumery, and Papillon Living for creative one-off pieces to take home.

The Palace Pier: The last remaining of Brighton’s four original piers is a blast from the past, and still worth a look. Opened in 1899, it was a thriving tourist attraction and entertainment venue from 1922 to the 1970s before being damaged by fire in 1973. It was reopened as an amusement park with fairground rides and rollercoasters and remains popular today, featuring in many films and TV series. Its familiar, nostalgic framework and signage is in stark contrast to the sinister (if alluring) burned-out skeleton of the West Pier, which stills stands out to sea.

The Old Police Cells: For more historical thrill-seeking, The Old Police Cells Museum is a fascinating glimpse into the past, with collections of police memorabilia and atmospheric exhibits from Brighton’s criminal history. Look into real cells, see where Brighton’s first Chief Constable was murdered and examine the graffiti of the mods and rockers.

Art Galleries: Around every street corner in Brighton, you’ll find some form of art exhibition, gallery or ad-hoc display. Run by artists for artists, IO represents over 100 artists at any one time, featuring glassworks, ceramics, paintings and more. One Network for Conservation and the Arts (ONCA) in Blaine Street hosts provocative shows on activist and political themes in a beautiful setting, and the Sallis Benney Theatre and Gallery in Grand Parade showcases student work and end-of-the-year shows as well as retrospectives of well-known artists.