Best Places to eat in Brighton’s North Laine

For those of you, who aren’t familiar with Brighton, allow me to provide you with a quick overview.

Situated on the South Coast of England, Brighton is often referred to as London by the sea. What was once an ancient fishing village has transformed over time into a bustling seaside city, proving popular for all manner of groups and reasons. Day trippers, workers, hen weekends, stag weekends, school trips, sightseeing; people visit Brighton for all of these reasons and more. With plenty of fantastic architecture including the Royal Pavilion and the Palace Pier, attractions including the Brighton Wheel and the Sea Life Centre and some great places for shopping such as Churchill Square and the North Laines.

Brighton’s well known North Laines are a great cultural hub where you can discover all manner of quirky and interesting shops, stalls and restaurants. It’s fantastic for people watching, and with our offices located just around the corner you’ll often find a member of the Eventa team popping down to the Laines to grab some lunch. With this in mind, allow me to present to you my five best places to grab a bite to eat in Brighton’s North Laines.

Key:

£ – Cheap, ££ – Average, £££– Expensive

Yum Yum Ninja – ££
Yum Yum Ninja is a fairly new addition to the North Laine’s ever growing portfolio of enticing eateries. This restaurant offers a Pan Asian tapas style menu, which serves as a great opportunity to sample a wide number of dishes on your visit. The décor is delightful and the upstairs ‘Ninja’ bar mixes Asian decorative themes to continue your Asian experience. Sakes, Japanese whiskys and Asian fusion cocktails are on the menu and are worth trying if you’re here for an evening meal. If you’re looking to eat on the move then I have to recommend the Bento Box, which features a selection of meats alongside house rice, pickles and miso soup. If you’re looking to try many different dishes then the ‘Yum Yum Dim Sum’ section of the menu is your friend.

Carluccios – ££
Carluccios is a chain of Italian restaurants and delis, which has also branched out to parts of the Middle East including the UAE and Kuwait. The restaurant’s light and airy interior and décor brings a very pleasant feel and atmosphere to proceedings. Opening at 9am for breakfast and offering salads, pastas, main courses and more, Carluccios is a great place to enjoy some Italian fare. If the weather is good then sit outside if you can find a table. Carluccios is a fantastic location to eat and watch Brighton go about its business. The seasonal risotto special is always worth asking about, as it changes throughout the year to reflect use of in season vegetables.

Mó:Mo Dumpling – £
Proud to be the UK’s very first Dumpling Bar, Mó:Mo Dumpling is an Oriental food and tea house that serves the best Dumplings in Brighton! You would be forgiven for thinking that the humble dumpling was not as versatile as it is in this cute little restaurant. Available for takeaway and seated dining, you’ll find Mó:Mo to be quite busy at lunchtime as people such as me pop in from the office to get a hot lunch. Service has always been quick for me and the dishes are fairly priced, and the Mó:Mo Special (three types of dumpling) has never disappointed me or my friends thus far.

Iydea – £
If you’re health conscious, vegetarian or have to watch what you eat then Iydeal is going to be, excuse the obvious pun ideal for you! The lunch menu is of a decent size and incredibly varied. Prices are fairly cheap as well for lunch, as you can pick up dishes from under £5 making it perfect for a light lunch. The novel idea of ordering a main dishes then choosing two sides and two sauces allow you to choose almost any combination and style of food you could possibly imagine. It’s worth noting that you can check their Facebook or Twitter pages for daily, up to date menus.

Gourmet Burger Kitchen – ££
Great big burgers are the order of the day at the Gourmet Burger Kitchen. Slap bang in the middle of the Laines, this is the place to go if you’re a meat eater and you fancy something satisfying and filling. Although another chain restaurant, the Gourmet Burger Kitchen is the best place in Brighton to find a burger. Forget the fast food chains; they have nothing on this place! Even vegetarians are catered for on this menu, with the Jolly Cow burger a particular favourite amongst my vegetarian friends. This consists of a brioche bun, grilled mushroom, Gorgonzola, crispy onion ring, garlic mayo, salad & relish. NOM! My favourite burger has to be The Don, which contains a brioche bun, bacon aioli, blue cheese, American cheese, onion jam, rocket & mustard mayo.

Honourable Mention: Mr Noodles – £
Just a quick mention for another of my favourites Mr Noodles, which unfortunately isn’t found in the Laines and as a result doesn’t qualify for my top five North Laines eateries. However, you’ll see Mr Noodles if you walk down from Brighton train station and they offer great Japanese and Asian cuisine for good prices.

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About The Author:  Lee is Hen Heaven’s Web Content Editor and loves nothing more than writing useful and informative articles like this one! He loves food and also quite enjoys working in Brighton, so this article was a lot of fun for him to write.
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Photo Credit – FLickr cc:RellyAB