Hello friends,
If you need excuses to make the next week a little more… spirited, our ever-trusty city is pouring them by the glass. Brighton Cocktail Festival kicks off tomorrow, bringing ten days of liquor-laden fun to 50+ bars across the city, with more than 150 exclusive serves to seek out. Get your hands on some faves for £6, with no- and low-alcohol options available even cheaper. A host of our pals are getting involved, from The Plotting Parlour to Stem, Cecconi’s to Paris Wine Bar. Time to plot a trail, perhaps?
BRAVO Award-winning cocktail bars
And just when you thought your liver might get a moment’s peace, Negroni Week arrives from 21–27 September. Expect everything from build-your-own Negronis and tasting flights at Bar 50ml – which celebrates its first birthday on Saturday with a live set from singer Rosie Barrett. Saluti! – to £5 classics at Coppa Club, creative Campari collaborations at Blossoms, and three gloriously different takes at Bohemia. There’s also seasonal wizardry at Furna, a bottle-aged beauty at Fourth & Church and classic-and-cherry action at The Grand.
A slice of the action: Brighton pizza goes national
It’s official: Brighton & Hove is a pizza haven, cemented by Stretch taking the city’s doughy credentials to the National Pizza Awards final. Sixteen finalists from across the UK will battle it out in London in November, tackling signature, technical and Alternative Slice challenges. Take those toppings to the top!
Read our interview with Stretch chef Brigi Stamber
And it’s celebration season at Village Pizza Kitchen, where sous chef Lewis has made it through to not one but two of the four categories in the Pizza Chef of the Year Awards 2026!
If that’s got you craving: Tony’s Pizza, Fatto a Mano, Pommy’s, Jack’s and vegan hotspot Purezza are all pushing pizza power with fanciful flair. Pass the chilli oil!
Our Guide to the Best Brighton Pizza
Buns at the ready: Brilliant Burgers
We’ve just digested UK National Burger Day and in the US, it’s National Cheeseburger Day on Friday, which surely gives us a green light to embrace the irresistible combination of a juicy patty, gooey cheese and a saucy bun. Brighton recently welcomed the world-class Burger & Beyond to Ship Street, joining an already formidable line-up. Here are six very good reasons to loosen your belt a notch: Boysterous Burgers, Kindling, Bohemia, Burger & Lobster, Moyos Burger, and The Dorset.
Say Konnichiwa to Japanese flavours
Brighton’s love affair with East and Southeast Asian food shows no sign of cooling. Far Across the Sea’s Moon Festival Market lands at Jubilee Square on Saturday 26 September, 11am–5pm, with food, drinks, crafts and culture from across the region. Fancy getting more hands-on? Chef Jethro’s Japanese Ramen class takes place on 2 December, 6–9pm at The Community Kitchen. Meanwhile, Wabi Sabi, Blossoms, Lima Nikkei and Moshimo are keeping the city supplied with Japanese flavours – and Irori x 9 Vines brings Japanese street food to town on Friday 18 September, 5–8.30pm.
Our guide to Japanese food in Brighton & Hove
Win
Did you know that the historic medieval village of Alfriston – just 17 miles from Brighton – is named in the Domesday Book? Jude drove over to discover independent restaurants, tea rooms, shops and galleries sharing the narrow high with historic pubs and hotels. Join Jude’s journey here
The Vibe: On our Radar
- Il Bistro’s Veneto Regional Night lands on 24 September, with three courses and two wine pairings for £35.
- The Deliciously Dyslexic Supper Club at The Community Kitchen – Chefs Nick Jaye and Pat Timpson join forces for a seafood-filled fundraiser celebrating Brighton, food and dyslexia awareness. Friday 9 October.
- Spanish Nights Flamenco their way to Hove Place on 24 September and 22 October. Transport yourself to a Spanish taverna for the evening, with live Spanish guitar, paella and sangria.
- Oktoberfest is on its way! Dust off your stein for Shelter Hall’s Bavarian knees-up, with live entertainment, communal tables, singalongs and plenty of beer on 23 and 24 October. If you can’t wait that long, get into the Oktoberfest spirit at The Sportsman, with German beers brewed in-house with Koda Brewing Co., Bavarian-style brass music, live DJs and German-inspired food from Specs & Bear on 25 September. (Keep an eye out for more Oktoberfest bests in the coming weeks!)
- Book now for Fourth & Church’s celebration of Iberian wine. On 1 October, you’ll be joined for supper by expert James Hands of Iberian Wine Importers, Raymond Reynolds.
- And after all that indulgence, Sea Lanes is inviting you to join their Autumn 5K Swim Challenge. Dive in!
Editor’s Picks
A very happy 20th birthday to Riddle & Finns! Two decades of oysters, seafood and sparkles deserves a proper knees-up – and they’re doing exactly that with a birthday party and seafood boil at Wagner Hall on Saturday.
Nostos Hove is serving up Unlimited Greek Street Food every Wednesday, where you can indulge in 90 minutes of Greece’s finest fare for £21pp!
Worthing’s Crabshack has a pop-up truck at 9 Vines in Hove this Saturday from 4pm.
RB Diary
Jude is popping to The Plough Inn in Rottingdean to try their pick ’n’ mix sausage and mash menu, choosing from various types of sausage, mash and sauce. Did someone say Guinness gravy?
Noor steaked date night at The Pearly Cow. Read about her meaty experience here.Torsten visited Carne for a Tour de France (video coming soon!), and is pitching up at Petit Pois to sample their new-season menu. Nick and Ivanka are hightailing it to Hove Place to try their souped-up sharing deli boards, fresh for autumn.
Working together this week we enjoyed a Trading Post Coffee refuel and a delicious, nutritious lunch at Kernel Canteen. Next week, the crew will be working for a day from Coppa Club and we’re proppa pumped…
Yours, staying hydrated during Cocktail Week,
Torsten and Team RB x