THE WEEKENDERS BRIGHTON GUIDE: HOW TO SPEND 48 HOURS IN BRIGHTON (EAT, SLEEP, SEA)

THE WEEKENDERS BRIGHTON GUIDE

How to spend 48 hours in Brighton: Eat, Sleep, See

You may be mistaken for thinking a few of these photos were taken in Santorini or infamous Mykonos, but that my friends is the beauty of the UK on a good day, it is comparable to our most favourite foreign countries and last weekend in Brighton it felt like a city break abroad. We had sunshine, good company, seaside views from our hotel. And the photos are the proof in the pudding of how beautifully blue the sea and sky was during our stay.

You’ve probably seen a little bit of Brighton on mediamarmalade.com over the last few months, from outfits on the pier to my instagram posts and stories and it’s because with just a quick train from London its the perfect city escape and has so much character and atmosphere we even jokingly discussed the merit of moving there last week.

So if you’re exploring the UK from abroad or even looking for a little UK city break or day out, Brighton has so much to offer!

Not to mention some beautiful boutique hotels to stay in. During our trip we stayed at the lovely Hotel UNA, a hotel across the road from The Artists Residence (another beautiful boutique place to stay). Hotel UNA not only serves the best Aperol (and other cocktails) Brighton has to offer, but each room is like a mini apartment so you can really make yourself feel at home for your stay! The daily breakfast is delicious and the staff are super accommodating. I thoroughly recommend a stay and suggest picking your desired room because everyone is different. I stayed in Usk.

THE LANES

Unlimited, The Brighton Magazine, Abode & The Flower Shop

–

If you’ve heard about Brighton then you will have most definitely heard about their Lanes, Brightons infamous row of streets and markets full of hustle and bustle and some of the most fabulous decor, flower and vintage shops. Not to mention the foodie hot spots dotted in and around the Lanes. Four of my favourite stores worth a visit are:

ABODE

32 Kensington Gardens, Brighton BN1 4AL

Abode, a super quirky interiors store which I always make a point to visit on any trip, you’ll find chic cushions, plates, prints and lighting for your home. Their window displays are always so instagram worthy too!

–

BRIGHTON MAGAZINE STORE

23 Trafalgar St, Brighton BN1 4EQ

The Brighton Magazine store is the best place in town to go and pick up your favourite independent magazines and while away a few hours browsing their incredible collection of publishers.

–

GUNNS FLORTIST

19 Sydney St, Brighton BN1 4EN

Liberty and Wild At Heart aren’t the only instagrammable flower shops in the UK, The Gunns Florist in Brighton is packed with the most beautiful bouquets of flowers, eclectic arrangements that’ll make you want to take them all home to give your home a new spruce of life.

–

UNLIMITED

10 Church Street, Brighton BN1 1US

The new ‘it’ shop in town has to be, Unlimited. Unlimited is an independent boutique packed with beautiful prints, art work and design pieces. The beauty of Unlimited is their championing of individual designers and makers and the fact their store is as much of a shop as it is a gallery to showcase the incredible work and artists their supportng. If that’s not enough they also throw events and exhibitions too!

EAT & DRINK

Silo, The Flour Pot Bakery, Curry Leaf & Hotel Una

–

Brighton is fast becoming a serious foodie hot spot, with not only some of London’s most favourite restaurants (Breakfast Club, Polpo and Burger & Lobster are now residents in Brighton city) but their independent restaurants are something to be rivalled. We were fortunate enough to eat at some fab foodie spots during our stay & I couldn’t recommend them enough. There are so many other fab spots to visit, Ridley & Finns is one of my favourite spots for a sea front setting fish dinner and the curry leaf serves up seriously delicious thali style indian  cuisine, but two of my favourites were:

SILO

39 Upper Gardner St, North Laine, Brighton BN1 4AN

Zero Waste, a serious menu for foodies and an industrial style restaurant made for photographers, Silo is probably one of the coolest spots I’ve eaten in in Brighton. Their menu is simple but undeniably delicious, let alone interesting. Their English breakfast is to be rivalled and their freshly cooked fish is too tasty not to try! Plus they stock K0mbucha!

–

THE FLOUR POT BAKERY

41 First Ave, Hove BN3 2FH

The Flour Pot Bakery is clearly one of Brighton’s IT spots. With a couple of cafes across the city Flour Pot is a must visit whether its for their delicious cakes, hearty sandwiches, delicious coffees, or simply their interiors! The Hove cafe is the prettiest and the ultimate yummy mummy spot on a Sunday Morning.

CULTURE

Art & Believe, BA 1360 & The Pavillion Gardens

–

PAVILIION GARDENS

Royal Pavilion Grounds, New Rd, Brighton BN1 1UG

As I mentioned Brighton is packed with culture and incredibly vibrant communities. It also has a ton of tourist spots which really are worth a visit during a stay! The Pavillion Gardens are beautifully placed in the heart of Brighton and a really unexpected architectural spot to visit. The regency buildings are somewhat oriental in design but make the most beautiful gardens to walk around. absolutely free of charge too!

–

ART & BELIEVE

137 King’s Rd, Brighton BN1 2JF

I was super super fortunate to see some of Brightons most talented artists work during my last trip, a secret exhibition way up high, the Art & Believe sky exhibition is a stunning rooftop which has been c carefully and vibrantly painted creating a sanctuary on the roof tops of brighton with just the most beautiful views over the city and seafront! The work of the team is just beautiful and I only hope they can do more roof tops in time too!

–

THE I360

Lower Kings Road, Brighton BN1 2LN

The BA I360 is a tourist attraction much like the London Eye, the ultimate vehicle to give you stunning views of the whole city right on the Brighton beach front. The experience itself is somewhat BA first class, with fizz on arrival and a flight which is so professionally managed you can’t help but feel you’re truly taking a flight somewhere abroad. The views at the top are stunning and if you don’t manage to view Art & Believe first hand, the i360 gives you the perfect glimpse of the sky exhibition from above.

BRIGHTON PIER & SEA FRONT

Madeira Dr, Brighton BN2 1TW

And of course Brighton’s most infamous attraction of all has to be it’s wonderful pier and beachfront, a trip to Brighton wouldn’t be complete without a walk along the seafront from the old pier along to the new one, fish n’ chips in hand and of course a little visit to the piers arcade for some serious nostalgia.

I love the pier and theres no better time to visit than at golden hour when the suns setting over the city and sea front. The fair ground looks stunning with the sun setting around it, so i’d definitely recommend planning your visit just before dinner time for the most picture perfect setting.

Overall my weekend away in Brighton was the ultimate escape from the stresses and pace of London. We were so lucky with the sunshine we had, and the weather and spots we visited really made this rival a city break abroad. A big thanks to Visit Brighton for opening my eyes to so many new spots in the city too! So if you’re looking for a day trip, a short weekend break or simply want to see more of the city I couldn’t recommend visiting enough and hopefully these spots will give you some of Brighton’s best places to see, stay and eat at!

–

Have you visited Brighton? Have you enjoyed my 48 hours in Brighton guide? If you want to read more of my travel guides head here.