24 Hours in Beautiful Brighton
Admittedly, the sun isn’t shining much this summer in the UK. When it is, or to be honest, even when it’s not, Brighton is the perfect day trip from London.
Just a quick 60-minute train from central London, and you’ll find yourself on sandy shores, the scent of fresh fish and chips wafting, and the brilliant British sounds of arcade games flooding out of a slew of stores.
Where to stay
There are a wide range of options for places to stay in the beautiful coastal town, from budget hostels, all the way to luxury beachfront properties and AirBnb’s. We found the perfect little hotel, Hotel Du Vin, which is nestled in The Lanes – a popular shopping and dining district – and a stone’s throw from the beach. There’s just something so relaxing about listening to the lapping waves.
On check in, we headed up to our room which overlooked a very cute courtyard and roof terrace bar. We had a Junior Suite which was lovely, elegant and spacious, and had a standalone bath tub which was ideal for a comforting soak after a long day exploring.
Before dinner, we nabbed a drink at the rooftop bar and were fortunate enough to catch a window of sun. The courtyard and roof were bathed in sunshine, and it was the perfect spot for an afternoon tipple. Our server also regaled us with stories of all of the popular celebrities that have stayed there over the years due to its discreet location.
Where to eat
After a day spent exploring The Lanes and the nearby shops, as well as picking up a delicious Iced Milkshake from popular chocolate shop, Knoops, we were working up quite an appetite.
Excitingly, we had a dinner reservation at The Set. The Set is an intimate 20 seat restaurant overlooking the kitchen, serving seasonal British tasting menus with optional wine flights. It’s a little off the beaten track, so we decided to walk there and were treated to views of adorable and vibrant seaside houses during our journey.
We were served 12 courses of fine dishes during our experience and opted for a wine flight also. The cooking and service was sensational, with real care and attention to detail poured into each dish. My highlight dishes were the Tuna Tartare, Chalk Stream Trout and a to-die-for Chicken Tikka Masala. Each dish was bitesize, but the dinner was exceptionally filling. We were definitely happy for the longer walk home afterwards. Wine pairings were carefully selected and complementary to the dishes.
The team work with the best British and International micro-seasonal ingredients, heritage slow grown vegetable and fruits, sustainable seafood, native rare breed meats and fine food specialists. This shines through with each flavourful bite of food. It’s definitely a very special dining experience and one to book for a statement celebration, though it’s priced very reasonably at just £75.00 for all of those courses.
On Sunday, before we left, we also wanted to have a nice roast dinner, and decided to dine in the restaurant of the hotel. We were offered a selection of buffet style starters, with salads, soups and picky options – all were very tasty.
For the main event, we both went for the roast beef, which was nicely cooked with lots of flavour and well-cooked trimmings. We were a little full for dessert, but the options looked very nice and were French-inspired and indulgent. All in all, we were really impressed with the Sunday lunch, but would recommend venturing out if looking for a more special or buzzier dinner option in the evening.
What to do
Naturally, if the sunshine is out, you should definitely spend some time at the beach. There are plenty of lovely seafood restaurants along the coast and a beautiful, brand new Soho House for members overlooking the shore.
If you’re looking for something a little more touristy, you can take a trip up the Brighton i360, a glass viewing pod with spanning views of Brighton. When checked in, you gently glide up 138 metres into the sky and are treated with panoramic views of the stunning seaside town. There’s a bar at the top if you fancy treating yourself to a glass of bubbly too.
Further along the seafront, you’ll find the Volke’s Electric Railway. a fascinating piece of living history on Brighton’s beautiful seafront. As the oldest working electric railway in the world, they have been transporting passengers in style since 1883. I absolutely loved reading about the innovative and progressive minds who designed it and created it all those years ago in the small museum shop. The trip itself is quaint and cute and an adult return fare is only £6.50 so it’s definitely worth experiencing for a little slice of engineering history.
Just next to the Electric Railway, you’ll also find another historical landmark, SEA LIFE BRIGHTON. Whilst there are sea life centres all across the UK’s coastline, the Brighton stop off is actually the world’s oldest operating aquarium. You could spend hours roaming the halls of the building and learning about the exciting species’. What captivated me the most was the sheer beauty of the building’s architecture which evidences the history of it. This is definitely a good activity when travelling with young children too who will be captivated by the walk-through shark tank.
The halls here feature over 5,500 mesmerising creatures including rays, sharks, turtles, terrapins, star fish, seahorses and an anaconda. At SEA LIFE Brighton you can see them all – from the curious and the rescued, to the rare and the enigmatic.
If a weekend in sunny Brighton is just what the doctor ordered, be sure to visit www.visitbrighton.com to check out what’s on whilst you’re there and the top recommendations of things to do in the area.
