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To the citizens of Brighton, or to give it its full name “The City of Brighton and Hove” on England’s Sussex coast, the place has simply become London-by-the-sea, as so many refugees fleeing the expense of living in London now reside here. To the rest of the country, it’s Britain’s Gay capital.

 

Whatever. Certainly it’s grown and at weekends can be very busy, but Brighton retains a jolly seaside charm despite the modernization, the stag and hen party weekends, and Britain’s principal malaise – traffic jams.

 

How to get there.

Around an hour by train from London there are at least six services an hour from the capital, mostly from Victoria Station (50 minutes), but also from London Bridge, West Brompton, and Farringdon (longer). Simplest way to check is either online (www.nationalrail.co.uk) or calling 08457 484950 for Rail Enquiries. Driving from London is a pain, mainly because it takes so long to escape the stranglehold of London traffic, and congestion is a real problem en route. Parking in Brighton is severely restricted and heavily policed, even at weekends, so ‘the rattler’ is the obvious answer.

 

To compound matters, the stately procession of vehicles on the London to Brighton run has grown way beyond the Vintage Vehicles original in November, almost every Sunday throughout the summer there’s a run of some sort or another – commercial vehicles, Jaguars, MGB owners, even buses and a cycle marathon which now attracts up to 30,000 riders. International travellers arriving at Gatwick Airport should turn South instead of North to London and reach Brighton in half an hour.

 

OK. WE’RE HERE.

Most people spill out the station, and walk straight down to the seashore, landing in the area between the piers, in what can sometimes be an overcrowded, beery mass of humanity at weekends, but is always a lot quieter through the week. The seafront is actually quite attractive now, much improved by the city’s landscape architects, with an array of bars, beach activities (remember Brighton is a pebbled beach, not sand) and some shops underneath the arches.

 

The most obvious way to continue is out onto the only surviving pier, the Palace Pier, which has just to be done once. Here you’ll find a leery array of amusements, rides and shops selling tat, all permeated by the distinct aroma of chips and candy floss.

 

Along the coast in one direction, the West Pier stands derelict, rusting into the sea after it was torched by professional arsonists who put paid to the plans for a publicly funded restoration. A new tower promises to take its place. In the other direction, the concrete hulk of the Marina, and Brighton’s nudist beach.

 

That eastern shore is Kemp Town, a chic, residential neighbourhood where you’ll find the city’s principal gay area, a fine array of shops, bars and restaurants. The main drag is St James St where a few sex shop nestle beside the Bulldog and The Zone – two bars well known within the gay community.

 

The North Laine (turn left out the station, it’s signposted) is the revitalized area now offering up dozens of little shops and stores selling fashion, crafts and everything you could possibly want inside your achingly hip home. The Sunday morning car boot sale – a real big 'un – is here too (behind the station) as is Bill’s, the second branch of a fruit’n’veg shop with posh caff attached that bears more than a passing resemblance to New York’s Dean and Deluca. So much so that it's been bought by rag trade king turned restauranteur Richard Caring - and two new branches have appeared in Covent Garden and Reading.

 

Not to be confused with The Lanes, the original warren of tiny alleyways now housing restaurant chains and shops selling high street fashions and jewellery.

 

 

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STAY WHERE?

On the Brighton seafront two hotels dominate the landscape. The Grand – with its imposing Victorian Wedding Cake facade, made infamous after the IRA attempted to assassinate Margaret Thatcher by trying to blow her to smithereens, is a fine hotel with midweek rooms starting at about £100, weekends higher. Always ask for a seaview – it costs more – but like all grand hotels, there are deals to be found on websites or simply calling up and asking for their best price. There’s a very good swimming pool and small spa for residents as well as a luxurious cocktail bar overlooking the sea that’s open to all.

 

Adjacent is the Hilton Metropole, which has good enough rooms for an overnight stay or two and a swimming pool housed in the basement health spa.

 

Still on the seafront (Ship Street) but waaaay more stylish is the Hotel du Vin, one of the best in the chain, where doubles start at £150. Both the bar and restaurant here are very cool and immensely popular with Brightonians. You have to book to eat most nights and definitely at weekends.

 

Brighton is now officially hip, and you’ll find the new wave hotels along in Kemp Town, mostly in properties which formerly housed dingy bed and breakfasts. To coin a phrase, the chintz has been chucked.

 

The first, and coolest hotel, was Blanch House, run by a former mainstay of London’s Groucho Club, with its modish little bar and restaurant, and a collection of eclectic, stylish rooms which dazzle and sparkle. It was in Atlingworth Street and went bust at the end of 2010, but the modernism flag still flies at the Kemp Townhouse, which offers similar coolness at a similar price (about £120 for a double).

 

Around the corner in St George’s Terrace and ever-so-slightly off the wall is Snooze where for about £100 a night for doubles you’ll be surrounded by graffiti art, loud pop colours, and all round general dudeness. Get down!

 

REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL, 1, 2, 3…

Lying in the sunshine on Brighton Beach can be a pain – there’s no sand. Just rocks!

 

(1) The main draw is the reason for Brighton’s premiere position among seaside resorts, The Royal Pavilion, a spectacular, OTT Indian-styled palace built for a drinking, womanizing Prince Regent in the early nineteenth century. Avoid it at weekends and look out for school parties who spoil what can be a very pleasant hour or two admiring regency splendour, lavish furnishings and opulence by the yard.

 

(2) For fresh air, Volks is Britain’s oldest Electric Railway and will take you from the Palace Pier along the beach to the Marina, a modern concrete monstrosity housing supermarket, car parks and multiplex cinema plus an array of chain restaurants and cafes. Deeply unattractive unless you like yachts and boats, it’s the place to go for a bracing walk.

 

(3) In the opposite direction, a walk or cycle along the seafront will take you to Hove Lawns, a public seafront space for recreation overlooked by some of the grandest Regency architecture in England. A very pleasant seaside experience it is, with two cafés, the Meeting Place and The Lawns, perfectly placed for tea and biscuits.

LET’S DO LUNCH

Takeaway

Brighton’s Fish and Chips are legendary, a mainstay of at least part of its seaside atmosphere. Take your pick from dozens of chippies – the ones at the Palace Pier are as good (or as bad) as any.

 

Cheap and Cheerful

In The Lanes Market Square now has al fresco restaurants which do cheap lunchtime deals, the best being Fishy Fishy, part owned by TV's Dermot O'Leary. But do try to find space or time for afternoon tea at Tea Cosy (George St, Kemp Town), the campest, most OTT space in Brighton, and that's saying something! Dedicated to the Royal Family, this tiny palace is crammed with memorabilia and serves teas created in honour of Diana, The Queen Mum, and HRH Elizabeth herself, with a piano that breaks into an automated but rousing National Anthem. And do NOT dunk your biscuits - you will be ejected by the management!

 

Top Fish

Still in The Lanes, Brighton now has two notable upmarket fish restaurants. English’s has been serving oysters and fish for over 150 years in a splendid, tall Edwardian villa. The oyster bar and Red Dining room are now supplemented by outside seating where, on a good day, you can have a set lunch for £30 (3 courses) or seafood platter which starts at about £65. All plus wine.

 

The new kid on the block, Riddle and Finn, has fresh seafood served in more modern surroundings, perfunctory green and white tiles contrasted with silver candelabra on high marble tables. Razor clams in broth, oysters with chorizo, and whatever has been hauled out the sea that morning. If it’s modish and swims, it’s here.

 

WHAT’S YOURS?

The Grand Hotel is a fine place to sip an early evening cocktail but Brighton abounds with all manner of local bars, rugby taverns, gay bars and dives which you’d swear haven’t changed since Pinky popped in for a sharpener in Brighton Rock.

 

In Kemp Town, the tiny Hand in Hand has brilliant music on a Sunday night amid real ales, whisky sours and foreign lagers. The home made pies have now been replaced by proper grub, but there's still porky scratchings and secret recipe pickled eggs. Wholly reinvented is The Bristol, amazingly Brighton's only proper pub on the seafront. New management started serving fresh snacks all day, now lunches, jazz nights, dinners and a brand new wine list. Fast turning into Kemp Town's coolest venue, both day and night.

 

In St James Street, you’re spoiled for choice among the gay bars – the epicentre of which is The Bulldog, work your way outwards from there.

 

Along in Hove, strange markings decorating the Masonic Arms belie it’s transformation to gastropub. Down on the seafront, Hovians flock to the Ginger Pig, one of the best gastropub/restaurants in the area.

 

DINNER IS SERVED

In keeping with its modish status, Kemp Town offers eateries which tick all the boxes for modern European food served simply in pleasant surroundings. Just off the seafront Sam’s (1 Paston Place) offers up seasonal fare - asparagus, pea and bean risotto in summer – followed by salmon, skate, and a mean Mutton Pie with Beef Dripping Pastry – to great acclaim. And while the Kemp Brasserie has bitten the dust it's now been been replaced by 24 St George's, still be to be visited by me, but proving popular locally.

In theory vegetarians should avoid The Old Bank Steak and Ribs, unless they want to see someone attempt the 68 oz steak (eat it in less than an hour or pay up £65), but actually this is a steak'n'ribs place that tries and there is always a fish/veggie option among the meat. The best place opened in mid 2010 - the Ginger Dog in College Place - and is packed at weekends. A superb pub/ diner. 

 

DRIVE BY

Outside Brighton to the north (Obviously. The sea’s to the south. D’oh!) is Devil’s Dyke where at the weekends hang gliders float in the upcurrents, narrowly avoiding each other. The pub in the car park isn’t much cop but a short drive away is Fulking (whose name was once a most attractive target for graffiti) where the excellent Shepherd and Dog country pub serves good food and beers in pleasant gardens. Or even better, the new village gastropub in Poynings, the Royal Oak, which does BBQs and fresh shellfish bars throughout the summer in its gardens and terrace.

 

Lewes, a few miles to the east offers up a castle and a brewery, Harveys. In the Lewes Arms, the locals staged a boycott for nearly a year in protest at Harveys being removed from the bar. There are several good restaurants, of which Bill’s is the most modern.

 

Every November 5th, Lewes is closed to traffic for the bonfire society's parade, a massive torchlit procession through the town celebrating Protestant martyrdom, climaxing in the burning of enormous effigies (usually top politicians of the day).

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