If you read my latest post, you’ll know I’ve launched a Brighton neighbourhood guide series on the Ellie & Co travel website.

So far, we’ve covered London Road and Kemptown. Today, in the third instalment, we’re getting to know Seven Dials, the Brighton neighbourhood I write about a lot.

Seven Dials – or ‘The Dials’, as locals call it – is an attractive hilltop neighbourhood in Brighton with distant sea views. It feels sophisticated but laid-back and there’s always a pleasant buzz about the place.

Its walkable location is one of its biggest drawcards: Brighton station is a swift few minutes away for day trips to London, while the city centre shops and seafront are easily reachable in 15, but still a nice distance away for respite.

Seven dials, Brighton: A neighbourhood guide

Its quiet, leafy residential streets – I call ‘the Notting Hill of Brighton’ – hide some of the city’s most beautiful historic architecture, while the high street is lined with a handful of great pubs, cafes, restaurants and useful shops.

It’s compact but still offers enough things to do to fill a slow day, including a couple of museums and a (mini) art gallery. Let’s explore…

This post was originally written in February 2023 but has since been updated to keep it fresh.

Things to do in Seven Dials, Brighton

find Brighton’s smallest art gallery

The diminutive Dog and Bone Gallery is set inside two once-abandoned, now beautifully restored and preserved tomato-red London phone boxes.

You’ll find them tucked away on the edge of leafy Powis Square in the Clifton Conservation Area, surrounded by white-washed townhouses. The exhibitions are curated by local artist, Amber Elise, and change regularly.

The gallery spaces are also available for hire if you’ve something to shout about.

Find out more here, and follow the Dog and Bone gallery on Instagram, here.

Follow a self-guided Hidden Seven Dials walk

A good way to get your bearings in the neighbourhood is to follow my hidden walk around Seven Dials. It’s part of the popular hidden Brighton walks series I put together during the Pandemic that went viral on Instagram.

It’s perfect if you love snooping around residential neighbourhoods, as I do and takes in the high street as well as the Clifton Conservation Area I call ‘the Notting Hill of Brighton’.

Despite how beautiful this city-centre neighbourhood is, it remains off most people’s radars as a place for a wander. You can do this walk either way around but I tend to start on Dyke Road then zigzag my way south.

Follow my self-guided hidden walk around Seven Dials, here.

Discover Anna’s Museum in a shopwindow

Anna’s Museum is a mini natural history collection in an old Victorian shop window. It’s one of my favourite secret Brighton discoveries that I always recommend visitors seek out.

The display changes regularly – think taxidermy seagulls, bones, eggs, and even includes several letters from fans.

It’s also steps away from this 70s-styled cafe with a bright-yellow shopfront you can’t miss, known for its stacks of pancakes heaped with toppings.

Read the full story about Anna’s Museum here and find it at 44 Upper North Street, Brighton BN1 3FL

Brave the Booth Museum

Stepping into the off-beat Booth Museum of Natural History on the leafy fringes of Seven Dials is like walking into a giant musty Victorian attic of a compulsive collector.

Lining each wall are 300 dioramas of every British bird – from seagulls and owls to hawks and starlings – each one stuffed and on display in its natural habitat. Also on display are insects, fossils, features, butterflies and bones.

Find the Booth Museum of Natural History at 194 Dyke Road, Brighton BN1 5AA

Catch a show at the Brighton Open Air Museum

While everyone queues up to watch a play or concert at one of the city’s main venues in the city centre, those in the know head out to the fringes of Seven Dials, to a disused bowling green in Dyke Road Park, one of Brighton’s prettiest green spaces.

It’s now the setting for a quirky cultural venue, the Brighton Open Air Theatre. Known as BOAT, this cute amphitheatre hosts shows every night in summer. It’s unusual in that it’s the only outdoor theatre venue in the city – and unique in that it was funded by private donations.

Find the Brighton Open Air Museum at Dyke Road Park, Dyke Road, Hove BN3 6EH

Other things to do in Seven Dials include: exploring nearby Dyke Road Park and St Anne’s Well Gardens. 

Where to eat in Seven Dials

Brusco

On the same leafy street as Anna’s Museum mentioned above is Brusco, an inviting neighbourhood dining spot that’s unique in that it celebrates Italian aperitivo culture.

I stopped in my tracks when I first saw it; taken in by its sophisticated pink façade and postage-stamp-sized dining room with polished plaster walls. I knew it would be a good choice for a casual date night, or a cocktail before dinner.

Drinkswise, it’s all about Lambrusco, vermouth, rare Campari and negronis. Basically, my favourite drinks served alongside beautifully made light antipasti dishes like bresaola, burrata, polenta fritta, butter beans, and cantaloupe melon.

Find Brusco Bar at 16 Montpelier Place, Brighton BN1 3BF

The Canopy

For an elevated brunch experience away from the city centre hustle and bustle, make tracks for The Canopy. This spacious smart spot on Dyke Road with exposed brick walls, pink velvet chairs and a shady back garden is open for coffee, brunch, wine and cakes.

Classics and twists fill the generous menu and everything tastes as good as it sounds. I’d recommend the hearty homemade BLT or the ‘Canopy Hash’: crispy homemade hash browns with poached eggs topped with things like smoked salmon and sauteed spinach or smoky romesco and crispy kale.

I’ll admit that whenever I visit, no matter what I order, I’ll add on a portion of Korean chicken bites: buttermilk fried chicken, tossed in house Korean sauce and served with sesame mayo.

Find The Canopy at 87 – 93 Dyke Road, Brighton BN1 3JE

Red Snapper

The Red Snapper is a small, buzzy BYOB Thai place on the main road through Seven Dials with a colourful dining room. When I say buzzy, I mean this place gets noisy. This works if you’re with friends, not so much on a date or with family.

That said, the food is cheap and consistently good, especially the Thai green curry. Thai Pad Thai a few doors away is a quieter option, but I can’t vouch for the food having not been.

Find The Red Snapper at 90 Dyke Road, Brighton BN1 3JD

Murasaki

This postage-stamp-sized local-favourite Japanese restaurant opposite The Red Snapper is good for a quiet lunch or dinner. It has a minimalist, soothing décor – natural wood floors, clean white walls – a handful of tables and always feels relaxed.

They serve Japanese classics like katsu, tempura, sushi, nigiri, and bigger portions of noodle and rice dishes, everything designed for sharing.

You can’t go wrong with the aubergine miso yaki: chunks of aubergine with crispy tofu in a tangy miso sauce to start, prawn tempura and mixed sashimi.

Find Murasaki at 115 Dyke Road, Brighton BN3 1TJ

Latina Deli

For a quick bite with Portuguese flavour, Latina Deli is the place. Choose from a tempting selection of savoury pastries like rissoles and croquettes filled with tuna and salted cod from the big glass cabinet at the front of the shop. They also do salads and sandwiches – the Piri Piri chicken baguette is a must.

Another deli option in the area is family-run Ricci’s Deli opposite the Post Office which stocks a big range of local products like Real Patisserie Chewy Brown Bread and a huge range of sandwiches to take out.

Find Latina Deli at 104B Dyke Road, Brighton BN1 3JD

Shakespeare’s Head

Called the Shakies for short, this small, laid-back pub is a nice place for a drink whateber the weather.

It’s also unique around Brighton in that foodwise, it specialises in nothing but the classic English favourite: sausage and mash.

There are 11 sausage varieties, seven flavours of mash and six gravies to choose from: “That’s 560 meal combinations,” according to its website.

Find The Shakespeare’s Head at 1 Chatham Place, Brighton BN1 3TP

Where to drink in Seven Dials

Puck Coffee

Brighton is full of coffee shops, and like fish n chips, where to get the best is hotly and regularly debated. Puck is one of my absolute favourites.

The coffee is consistently good, and the staff are friendly. It’s also unique in that it hides a tiny record shop upstairs and serves bratwurst.

It also has a buzzy setting right by the Dials: in the morning, it’s fun to sit on the front terrace and watch the neighbourhood coming to life. There are some tables inside, too, hidden to the right of the counter.

Find Puck Coffee at 19 Chatham Place, Brighton BN1 3TN

Stoney Point

At this tiny, hip local favourite coffee shop on the same strip as Brusco, the espresso changes according to the crop, sesason and flavour profiles.

I love stopping here for a hot chocolate on my way to the beach. I also love that, according to the owner, it’s supposedly named after an old folk tune originating from America’s Appalachian Mountains.

Find Stoney Point at 15 Montpelier Place, Brighton BN1 3BF

The Crescent Pub

A laid-back local set within a beautiful old Regency-era building on the corner of Clifton Road and Clifton Hill away from busier main roads.

It’s also one of the stops on my self-guided hidden walk around the area and makes a great discovery no matter what time of day or year you’re visiting.

As well as a roaring fire inside for winter, there’s a suntrap paved terrace for sipping Pimm’s on sunny summer days. On the menu: unpretentious pub staples, like burgers and fish and chips, as well as plenty of veggie options.

Find The Crescent at 3 Clifton Hill, Brighton BN1 3HL

Where to shop in Seven Dials

Hi Cacti

Hi Cacti, is easily one of my favourite shops in Brighton for its unique spirit and colourful aesthetic. It’s run by the lovely Sabine Palermo who started it when she moved to England from Austin, Texas – which explains the Southwestern vibe.

Until its recent refresh, Hi Cacti stood out on Dyke Road with its bright-yellow facade as Brighton’s only shop specialising in cacti and easy-care houseplants. Although cacti are still for sale and the upbeat vibe remains, nowadays, it’s more of a coffee shop and has an orange facade (new picture coming soon!).

Find Hi Cacti at 83 Dyke Road, Brighton BN1 3JE

The Feminist Bookshop

This is the newest and most radical Brighton bookshop and it’s located in the founder, Ruth’s, front room.

She originally started it as a feminist book club, as a way to make new friends and share a love of feminist literature, held in members’ living rooms around Brighton and Hove.

The community snowballed which gave her the confidence to open her shop in 2019. As the name suggests, every book it stocks is either written by a female author or takes a feminist stance.

Inside, the décor is simple – white walls with colourful furniture – and there’s a café for coffee and cake.

Find The Feminist Bookshop at 48 Upper North Street, Brighton BN1 3FH

Kate Langdale Florist

There are plenty of florists in Brighton but none more special than Kate Langdale. She’s been crafting beautiful bunches of flowers for all occasions for 35 years out of her pastel-pink Wes Anderson-movie-worthy studio, which she opens as a shop occasionally.

It’s here she makes bespoke designs for weddings and events, and hosts appointments and flower workshops. She’s friendly and lovely to work with and always nails it with the vaguest of briefs and the tightest of budgets.

Find Kate Langdale Florist at 84c Dyke Road, Brighton BN1 3JD. Open by appointment only (email katelangdale@hotmail.com)

Treasure and Trash

Next door to Kate Langdale’s studio is this tiny single-storey antique shop with an enticing faded maroon shopfront and gold-painted sign.

If it’s not raining or closed, an enticing jumble of vintage furniture haphazardly spills out from inside onto the pavement.

When you step inside and realise how tiny it is, it’s hard to imagine how al this treasure and trash fits in, from sideboards to chairs, to lamps and picture frames. The mind boggles.

Find Treasure and Trash hidden at 27 Bath Street, Brighton BN1 3JD

Seven Cellars

There are several things to love about this local wine shop: the pleasing sage green old shopfront (yes, I have a thing for old shopfronts), remnants of its former life as an old butcher’s shop, the old tiles and hatch from which are visible behind the counter (see above picture).

I also love that it feels like you’re in Aladdin’s cave of wine. Floor-to-ceiling shelves on either side wall and crates lining the middle shop floor creak and bulge with the stuff. It makes browsing even more fun. Staff say hello and ask if you need help but leave alone. They also host the occasional tasting night.

Find Seven Cellars at 104 Dyke Road, Brighton BN1 3JD

Other shops in Seven Dials worth stopping by are Salvage and Sawdust vintage clothing, Tinkers hardware and Up North Vintage.

Where to stay in Seven Dials

Most Brighton hotels I like to recommend are located nearer to the city centre, but there are a few AirBnBs in Brighton nearby, like this lovely studio apartment for two with bags of vintage character and just £88/night (pictured above). It’s in the heart of the Clifton Conservation area, well located for shopping and the local bars and restaurants. See the full listing here.

Final tips

Seven Dials in Brighton is a small neighbourhood and easy to walk around. It’s a five-minute walk to Brighton station and 10 minutes to the seafront and central Brighton.

Seven Dials Map

Find a useful map of things to do, independent shops and nearby addresses of note below and here.

If you want more inspiration, my secret guidebooks will take you off the beaten path.

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