48 hours in Brighton: No. 124 by Guesthouse, Burnt Orange and Embers

Buzzy, dynamic and quirky, Brighton is a city that lives up to the hype.

Most of its 11.47m yearly visitors come to see the famous pier, eat ice cream on the sea-front and visit the Brighton Pavilion. But dive beneath the surface, and you’ll also discover much more.

Home to Brighton Pride, a thriving LGBTQIA+ community and the Great Escape music festival, it's long attracted a creative, cultured crowd, who in turn have shaped the city into a haven of excellent food, art galleries and cocktail bars. And with new hotels like No. 124 and top-notch restaurants like Embers and Pearly Cow opening in the city, it’s on the up yet again. Even better, it’s only an hour by train from London.

Here's how to make the most of a Brighton weekender.

What to see

The great thing about Brighton is how compact it is. The train station is in the middle of the city: the perfect springboard for a day of wandering. And first up is the Lanes, a five minute walk south of the station: a higgledy-piggledy collection of winding streets that was part of the original fishing village of Brighthelmstone, and today is home to some of its trendiest shops.

The Lanes also boast several art galleries and excellent coffee shops. In October, many of the city’s artists do actually open their homes for curious visitors (this is called the Artists’ Houses trail); if you do visit this time of year, then do also make a trip to Kellie Miller Arts (kelliemillerarts.com) and Phoenix Arts Space (phoenixartspace.org), a charity that houses over 100 artists’ galleries as well as three exhibition spaces.

Also worth visiting is Fabrica on Duke Street. Located in an old church, it hosts a revolving selection of exhibitions and movie nights (fabrica.org.uk).

Once you’ve satisfied your curiosity there, the pier awaits. Yes, it’s a little naff, but this temple to seaside day-tripping still draws in the punters and a walk down the boards to admire the view is a must. If you’re feeling flush, try your luck at the 2p slot machines; if not, just watch people have a go on the rollercoaster rides at the pier’s end. If that doesn’t scream British beach town, what does?

Funfairs and donkey rides aside, there is plenty more culture to be found here. A five minute walk inland, and the Royal Pavilion awaits. Built in 1787 as a seaside retreat for the Prince of Wales, its distinctive domed roofs are home to a Banqueting Room, Great Kitchen and the Indian Hospital Gallery, all of which can be explored with a ticket (£20 per adult, brightonmuseums.org.uk).

Next door is the underrated Brighton Museum and Art Gallery. Tickets cost £9 (brightonmuseums.org.uk), and once you get inside there is a treasure trove of art and history. After learning about Brighton’s history as a Regency spa town (and later the Victorian holiday spot of choice), head upstairs to see the museum’s art collection — which until March 16 next year includes images from the the Wildlife Photography of the Year Award.

If you have time, then leave the city centre for Seven Dials. This lovely leafy area was heralded as one of the trendiest neighborhoods in the UK by the Times last year, and those who make the trek up the hill to it will be rewarded with some of Brighton’s best tiny shops and bakeries.

Wander by Clifton Terrace or Montpellier Crescent for some Regency architecture, then take a seat in one of the area’s great pubs: The Good Companions, The Cow and The Shakespeare’s Head are especially good. And independent shops abound: coffee shop and record store Puck does a great cup (instagram.com/gettopuck), while Kindly is worth a browse for its massive range of local food and plant-based products.

Where to drink

Making killer cocktails is an art form — but it’s one that the staff at Burnt Orange have mastered and then some. This chic little spot is tucked away down a side street near the seafront, and its low lighting and exposed stone walls make it the perfect place to grab a drink. The menu runs over several pages, which makes choosing hard - but if we had to pick, we’d say the Burnt Orange Martini and Bread and Butter Old Fashioned are the winners (cocktails cost around £11.50, burnt-orange.co.uk).

Peckish? Don’t worry, the food is great too: the celeriac hummus with sesame-butter flatbread is a must, but for those wanting a full meal, dive in. Everything is delicious.

For wine lovers, Ten Green Bottles awaits — as does Plateau. Step into the first on Jubilee Street (in the city’s centre) and be greeted with walls full of wines, many of which have been imported from small-batch producers. As if that wasn’t enough, they also do a well-stocked cheeseboard, which comes with wine paired by the team (instagram.com/tgbottles). Plateau is all about natural wines: the team are knowledgeable and helpful, and the selection of lesser known wines (such as those from regions like Central Europe) is especially good. (plateaubrighton.co.uk).

And before dinner, make a stop by Bar Valentino above the theatre (barvalentino.co.uk). Ring the bell to be let into a tiny wonderland where cocktails are served in a campy wonderland of red lighting, plush seats and tasselled lampshades. Drink them on the balcony and watch people pass by below.

Where to eat

Breakfast

Brighton’s coffee culture is unsurprisingly excellent, which makes the task of finding breakfast a delight rather than a chore. Mange Tout on Trafalgar Square (mangetoutbrighton.co.uk) excels on its eggs and the hollandaise sauce is out of this world — but the Flour Pot is also a good shout (theflourpot.co.uk). They’re an independent bakery, and offer outside seating — essentially making it the perfect spot to grab a coffee and pastry and people-watch.

If both of those are full, Moksha is nice and central, and does a breakfast menu offering pancakes and full English options (mokshacaffe.co.uk).

Lunch

For a splash of local authenticity, make a trip to Shelter Hall on the seafront. This revamped food hall is home to some of the city’s best pop-ups. There’s the Three Little Pigs Souvlaki, Kolkati (which originated in London) and cult chicken shop Coqfighter — the options are endless, and the lunches are delicious (shelterhall.co.uk).

Dinner

Foodies should be making a beeline for Embers. Tucked down a tiny side street in the Lanes, it’s already made it onto the Michelin guide, and for good reason — food is cooked over an open grill and some of the best you’ll get anywhere in town.

If a roast is the goal, then the Three Beast Feast is the one to opt for. Served on a massive platter alongside a generous jug of gravy, it features lamb sausage, a mouthwateringly tender pork and wafer-thin slices of roast beef. Delicious (roasts start from £20pp; embersbrighton.co.uk).

If the weather is nice, head to the seafront and find Pearly Cow. Located in the freshly opened No. 124 hotel, it specialises in both seafood and steak: a dream combination if ever there was one. Switch between oysters and scallops for starters and choose from a selection of fish or aged steaks for the mains, served with a range of sauces. It’s mouthwatering, but there’s a lot: make room (meals cost around £100 for two; pearlycow.co.uk).

A few doors down, there’s also the Coal Shed. The interior is a study in minimalism, but the food is the opposite: small plates, juicy salads (watermelon ceviche, anyone?) and meats cooked over an open fire. Tuck into Cornish crab and aged beef cuts before retiring to the bar for a cocktail (meals cost around £120 for two; coalshed-restaurant.co.uk).

Still hungry? Try Bincho Yakitori in the foodie area of Preston Street. It’s always booked out, so make sure you reserve a table in advance, but those who manage to make it will be rewarded with tender, grilled skewed of meat, fish and miso aubergine that are absolutely worth the effort (meals cost around £70 for two; www.binchoyakitori.com/food).

Where to stay

In terms of both value and elegance, the newly-opened No. 124 by Guesthouse is the place to be. The chain specialises in renovating heritage buildings into something rather special, and the same is true here: No. 124 is a beautiful little boutique hotel that features artwork by local creatives on the walls and carefully thought-out sea-themed decor in the rooms. Rooms start at a very reasonable £170.

Don’t forget to grab a cocktail at the bar before sipping it in one of the many sitting areas scattered around the ground floor. Even better, the first floor boasts a pantry where peckish guests can stock up on snacks — and there’s a spa, Field Day, set to open in the spring.

If you can, grab a room with a sea view: the sight of the beach through the windows on a sunny morning as you wake up cannot be beaten. (Rooms start from £170; guesthousehotels.co.uk).

How to get there

From London board a GTR service for Brighton, usually Thameslink, from London Bridge, Victoria or Blackfriars. Tickets cost from £9 in advance (gtrailway.com).