If you read this post, you’ll know I’ve launched a new Brighton and Hove neighbourhood guide series on the Ellie & Co travel website.
Today, in the first instalment, we’re getting to know London Road, the overlooked Brighton neighbourhood no one thinks to visit, but should and why.
This area of Brighton isn’t as well-known outside the city as other neighbourhoods, but its distinct personality makes it well worth exploring.
You’ll find it in northeast Brighton, just south of Preston Park (home to a secret Brighton garden and waterfall you’ll love discovering) between the New England Quarter and The Level green space with its skate park.
London Road, Brighton: A Neighbourhood Guide
On the surface, London Road is not the most attractive neighbourhood in Brighton, often described as ‘edgy’. But what it lacks in charm and looks it makes up for in atmosphere.
It’s unique for its big student community, the large concentration of charity shops, and a covered outdoor market promising a global feast. Let’s explore…
Things to do in London Road, Brighton
watch a film at the vintage Picturehouse
At the Preston Circus end of London Road is a distinctive Edwardian building that stands out from the crowd for the set of stripy can-can legs sticking out the roof. This is the Duke of York’s Picturehouse, known locally as The Duke’s.
An independent cinema that opened in 1910, it’s thought to be the oldest surviving purpose-built cinema in the UK. It once had 800 seats but now has 278 including a balcony with sofas. Check the listings here.
Find The mysterious London Road Stone Circle
London Road in Brighton is home to the starting point – or end depending on which way you approach it – of an art installation hidden in plain sight. If you live in Brighton, you may have walked over countless times without realising.
Next time you’re in the vicinity, take a moment to look down and you might just spot one of 50 numbered stone paving slabs, set in a circle around the area as wide as the road is long, known as the London Road Stone Circle. Read more about it here.
Discover Queen’s Place
Unless you do yoga at Studio IO, you might know not this tiny hidden Brighton street of six black flint cottages exists. Discovering it feels like you’ve stepped back in time to another era when Brighton was a little fishing village.
Going on a hunt to find it makes a peaceful detour away from the noisy end of London Road near MacDonald’s and Aldi, on your way into the centre of town. Read about other hidden Brighton streets, here.
Catch a gig at the Rose Hill Tavern
This is a secret Brighton venue, in that few people know about it. It’s also little-known due to its hidden location along a residential street – you wouldn’t walk past it unless you were taking a quiet route in and out of town.
This is a thriving music venue, recording studio and arts hub in the former Rose Hill Tavern. It’s run by artists and musicians and opens most days of the week for small live music, spoken word and other events. Find The Rose Hill at 70-71 Rosehill Terrace, Brighton BN1 4JJ
Where to eat in London Road
Café Rust
With its rustic facade, Cafe Rust stands out from the crowd of utilitarian shops on unpretentious Preston Road. It’s decorated like a French farmhouse: think worn wood floors, light-washed walls, tiny vases of dried flowers on rustic chairs and tables, and the odd string of fairy lights for good measure.
It’s open for breakfast and lunch and serves beautifully presented food – even a Full English comes dressed like a work of art. Salad bowls are served with different toppings like spicy chicken. Chunky homemade cakes – think orange and rosemary – decorate the counter. Order a mimosa at brunch if you’re feeling fancy. Find Cafe Rust at 50 Preston Road, Brighton BN1, 4QF
The Open Market
The covered Open Market is a global feast under one roof: there’s tasty Korean at Korpan, heart-warming bowls of Greek stews at Kouzina, fresh Mexican tacos at Taquitos Casazul, home-cooked Bangladeshi and Goan dishes at Mohammad Spice of Life.
Meanwhile, you’ll find flaky, buttery croissants at French-style bakery The Little Loaf, handmade confections at Rainbow Chocolates, homemade houmous and falafels at Smorl’s, speciality sausage rolls at This Little Piggy (the secret is they’re deep fried for a unique taste and crispness), and Green Valleys local honey.
(Side point: I was the first to put the Open Market on the map, describing it as a global feast under one roof, a term many newspapers and magazines quote in similar articles without credit. Just saying.)
Semolina
This laid-back cafe-bistro is one of Ellie & Co’s favourite restaurants in Brighton. It’s a good choice for all events: a relaxing mid-week catch-up, weekend date night dinner, family celebration or a get-together with friends. The husband-and-wife team are so welcoming, and I’ve had some lovely evenings here.
Thoughtful dishes like black bream, saffron fregola, ink sauce and spring veg; roasted hispi cabbage, feta, pine nuts; coconut and lime tart, and tarragon granita, fill a Mediterranean-infused menu. The cocktails are excellent, too. Try the Brighton Negroni. Find Semolina at 15 Baker Street, Brighton BN1 4JN
KitGum Kitchen
This postage-stamped size restaurant, Kitgum Kitchen, near The Joker Pub started life as a pop-up in The Signalman Pub nearby. Thankfully it survived Pandemic challenges, proving just how good its small, shareable plates of East African, Gujarati and Ismaili food are.
Don’t miss the Daal palak – warming split and washed moong daal, spinach, spices served with a spinach purée, and carrot pickle; and the Kitgum Fried Chicken: coated in spices served with masala dill pickles and masala ketchup. Find Kitgum Kitchen at 9 Preston Road, Brighton BN1 4QE
Bardsley’s Fish and Chips
I’ve been raving about Bardsley’s – Brighton’s back-street chippy open since 1926 – since I started the Ellie & Co website in 2016 (here and here), well before The Guardian and others started talking about it. It has a quirky dining room filled with old music hall memorabilia and the staff couldn’t be more welcoming.
The secret to their success is in the freshness of the food. Everything is cooked to order, served crispy, golden and piping hot – and you can order wine! It’s worth reserving a table at the weekend. Find Bardsley’s Fish and Chips at 23A Baker St, Brighton BN1 4JN
Where to drink in London Road
L’Atelier du Vin Wine and Cocktail Bar
On the same row as this flamboyant Mexican restaurant, is a mysterious shop with a black facade that stands out for its preserved signage. It’s home to L’Atelier du Vin, a Prohibition-era-style cocktail bar with a peaceful candlelit ambience.
I tend to stop here for a pre-dinner refreshment stop on my way into town. And I love that they nurture indecisive types: name your favourite spirit and mood, and they’ll build you a perfect tipple. They’re usually spot-on, too. Find L’Atelier du Vin at 10 St George’s Place, Brighton BN1 4GB
Brzn Arms
One of Brighton’s newest pubs is also its smallest, inside an old Travis Perkins builders’ merchants office at the northern end of London Road under the viaduct. The Brzn Arms is run by four guys behind the Brzn Brewery located in a tiny container lockup in Richardson’s Yard.
They serve their home-brewed beer made in small batches. Inside it’s cosy for winter supping and has a big back terrace hung with string lights for summer sundowners. Find the BRZN Arms at 62 Beaconsfield Road, Brighton BN1 4QJ
Where to Shop on London Road
Atelier 51
Tucked behind Costa Coffee on Providence Place is Atelier 51, a unique artists’ studio and shop, started by local printmaker, Sarah Young, and her partner, Jon Tutton.
It hosts five resident artists in its studio spaces, whose work you can browse in ‘The Hand Made Shop’ at the front. A nice spot for escaping the shopping crowds on London Road. Find Atelier 51 at 51 Providence Place, Brighton, BN1 4GE
Charity shops
London Road may have the highest concentration of charity shops in any Brighton and Hove neighbourhood, thanks to its big student population. In the quarter-mile stretch of street starting near the BRZN Arms (see above) alone, you’ll find 12.
Here they are in no particular order: British Heart Foundation, Mind, Martlets Hospice, Oxfam, Cats Protection League, The Sussex Beacon, Age UK, Scope, Chestnut Tree House, British Red Cross, PDSA and DEBRA UK.
The Smallest Bookshop in Brighton
Brighton’s Open Market is home to a lovely bookshop which claims to be The Smallest Bookshop in Brighton. Only true Brightonians know of this diminutive bookseller I discovered quite by chance one Saturday on a wander through to pick up croissants from an amazing hole-in-the-wall French bakery, The Little Loaf.
The bookshop is the size of a market stall and my new favourite place to browse. They stock second-hand books at reasonable prices including plenty of classics as well as more obscure cult reads.
Where to stay in London Road
Most Brighton hotels I like to recommend are located nearer to the centre of the city, but there are a few nice unique Brighton AirBnBs nearby worth considering.
The closest to London Road is this sleek yet cosy and peaceful apartment set inside an old Victorian corner shop very close to my favourite vintage cinema. It’s great if you like to be on the fringes of the city-centre action, a good night’s sleep and local neighbourhood life.
Alternatively, a little further away near Preston Park are these options: this colourful period apartment full of character is your best bet if you like to leave the city behind at the end of the day and access the countryside, or this secluded garden flat in a Victorian terrace. A good choice for regular visitors who enjoy the feel of staying in a leafy suburb.
Final tips
London Road in Brighton is a small neighbourhood and easy to walk around, so pack some comfy shoes. It’s 10 minutes from the North Laine shopping area, Brighton station and central Brighton, and 20 minutes from the seafront.
You’ll find a useful map of London Road independent shopping and nearby addresses of note, here.
If you want more inspiration, my secret guidebooks will get you excited.
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