Great British Breaks: Brighton
Great British Breaks: Brighton
Why?
Brighton is more than just a seaside town: it’s a state of mind. The last word in dirty weekends, and Britain’s capital of camp, this is a city with its skirt hitched above its knickers, and it couldn’t be more chuffed about it.
Brighton is more than just a seaside town: it’s a state of mind. The last word in dirty weekends, and Britain’s capital of camp, this is a city with its skirt hitched above its knickers, and it couldn’t be more chuffed about it.
Despite all that sea-air saltiness, the city retains a sense of style. Even its palace is chic. Its boutiques are always ahead of the curve, and the food, from Venetian tapas to vegetarian haute cuisine, is as adventurous as it is tasty.
In the Regency era, fashionable society flocked to Brighton during winter. We suggest you do the same — the crowds all but vanish, the sunburnt flesh of your fellow Brits is nowhere to be seen, and the seductively cosy corners of the city’s discreetly classy hotels are all yours to enjoy.
What you do
Wintertime Brighton was made for browsing — purchases optional. But the shops in the Lanes, down by the seafront, tend to be pricy and pretentious: if you’re less into Farrow & Ball and more into foraging, head to the North Laine, where prices are lower and innovation levels much higher. Sydney Street and Kensington Gardens are two of the best roads. Artisan cheese vies with handmade Peruvian jackets and gobstopper semiprecious stones for your wallet’s attention.
Wintertime Brighton was made for browsing — purchases optional. But the shops in the Lanes, down by the seafront, tend to be pricy and pretentious: if you’re less into Farrow & Ball and more into foraging, head to the North Laine, where prices are lower and innovation levels much higher. Sydney Street and Kensington Gardens are two of the best roads. Artisan cheese vies with handmade Peruvian jackets and gobstopper semiprecious stones for your wallet’s attention.
Tap into Brighton’s love of music at Resident, which has rack upon rack of discoveries on CD and vinyl (resident-music.com), or duck through jangling mosaic lamps and throws into Yashar Bish, where you’ll find beautiful Afghan jewellery, Turkish tiles and Persian rugs (yashar-bish.com).
Also in the North Laine area, Snooper’s Paradise stocks all things retro, from art deco lamps and second-hand books to a photo booth, complete with props. The “attic” upstairs offers vintage clothing and jewellery (snoopersattic.co.uk). And it’s hard not to love Indie Mart, at 16-17 North Street, which sells old ships’ steering wheels alongside paintings and, for the discerning gentleman, organic beard oils (indie-mart.co.uk).
Take some of the Brighton look home with you by checking out the city’s excellent interior-design shops. If you’re feeling adventurous, Brighton Architectural Salvage has some real treasures, including front doors with stained-glass details and antique mirrors (brighton-architectural.co.uk). Anyone with a passion for Cool Britannia bulldog ornaments and pop-art cushions should dip into the Lanes for England at Home (englandathome.com).
Those in need of inspiration should visit the Royal Pavilion, a simultaneously bonkers and beautiful example of the work of some of the pioneering interior designers (£11.50; the audioguide is worth the extra £2; brightonmuseums.org.uk). Designed by the party animal Prince Regent (the future George IV), the oriental-themed palace’s banqueting hall will make you catch your breath, with a 30ft chandelier suspended from the claws of a silver dragon. All that gawping is thirsty work, so pop into the tearoom for a pot of something to warm you up, and a huge slice of homemade cake.
For an extra cultural hit, grab a History Pass at the pavilion, which also gets you into the Brighton Museum & Art Gallery (£13.50; valid for two days;brightonmuseums.org.uk). The museum has a fab photography exhibition on Britain’s pleasure piers (until February 21), as well as Dali’s lips sofa and recordings of an escort discussing the history of the dirty weekend — check to see how yours is measuring up.
In the evening, further proof of Brighton’s bawdy charm can be found at Komedia, on Gardner Street (it’s easy to spot, thanks to the giant neon cancan legs sticking out of the sign), which hosts cabaret and club nights (komedia.co.uk). The Mesmerist, a burlesque-inspired gin palace, is also a fail-safe place to have a good time, with live music almost every night (drinkinbrighton.co.uk/mesmerist).
If you’d prefer a more relaxed atmosphere, head to Dead Wax Social, which has artisan pizza, craft beer and absolutely no digital music — it’s BYO vinyl here, so make sure you pick up something good at Resident (drinkinbrighton.co.uk/deadwaxsocial).
You might feel a bit fuggy the morning after. A windswept walk will sort that out. Just five miles north is Devil’s Dyke, with outstanding views across the South Downs and the Weald: but we’d settle for staying in town and a stroll to Kemptown, then back up Marine Parade — shining Regency stucco on one side, glittering Channel on the other, and, at the end of it, fish and chips at the old-school Regency (£4.95,theregencyrestaurant. co.uk). When in Rome...
Where you stay
Some claim to have had the best meal of their lives at the luxurious Artist Residence. You may have the best bath of your life, too — be sure to book a room with a rolltop tub. The hotel was decorated by local artists, and it has warm wooden furnishings, big armchairs and even bigger beds (doubles from £75, B&B, 01273 324302,artistresidencebrighton.co.uk).
Some claim to have had the best meal of their lives at the luxurious Artist Residence. You may have the best bath of your life, too — be sure to book a room with a rolltop tub. The hotel was decorated by local artists, and it has warm wooden furnishings, big armchairs and even bigger beds (doubles from £75, B&B, 01273 324302,artistresidencebrighton.co.uk).
We’d check into Motel Schmotel for the breakfasts alone — there are seven to choose from, you can have them served in bed, and they’re all vast. They’ve even won an AA award. The rooms here are small, but bright, stylish and clean, and the location is superb. It’s a bargain, too, with doubles starting at £53, B&B (07557 947449,motelschmotel.co.uk).
Where you eat
Bastion of the Brighton food scene is the vegetarian restaurant Food for Friends — I ate lunch to a soundtrack of delighted exclamations from the woman at the next table. Order the open ravioli: light, fresh pasta laid over butternut squash and spinach, in a creamy cheese sauce (mains from £12; foodforfriends.com).
Bastion of the Brighton food scene is the vegetarian restaurant Food for Friends — I ate lunch to a soundtrack of delighted exclamations from the woman at the next table. Order the open ravioli: light, fresh pasta laid over butternut squash and spinach, in a creamy cheese sauce (mains from £12; foodforfriends.com).
The Ginger Dog, in Kemptown, serves cracking gourmet gastropub dishes — cod with braised artichokes and gnocchi, and masala mutton pie (mains from £15.50;gingermanrestaurants.com).
Polpo’s London restaurants do Venetian tapas so well, you can never get a reservation. In Brighton, where it recently opened, you might just be in luck. Its take on arancini(fried risotto balls) is a must, as is a glass or two of the signature spritz (small plates from £4; polpo.co.uk).
Rebecca Myers was a guest of Artist Residence
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