Cheap places to eat in Brighton - for under £10 • Diary of a Detour

Today I’d like to welcome guest blogger Finlay Mead, whose knowledge of cheap places to eat in Brighton is unparalleled! There’s no corner of the city that he hasn’t visited in a quest for delicious delights for under a tenner. Two of these are regulars for me too, and I can’t wait to try the rest on my next visits to one of my favourite places in the world. This posts contains affiliate links for which I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Cheap places to eat in Brighton – but not just for students!

This year marks my first summer not spent in the hip, trendy, and vegan-friendly streets of Brighton for over a decade. Currently locked-down in South London, I’ve caught myself daydreaming about the blustery sea air and seasonal buzz that descends on Brighton in its hottest months. More than anything, I’ve caught myself longing for its exceptional range of cheap and delicious food, marvelling at just how far my jobless, hungry teenage self could stretch a humble tenner. These are my favourite spots, and I advise you swing by as soon as possible.

Burger Brothers

Burger Brothers, or “BB” to those in the loop, appears at the top of this list for good reason. Even before its official designation as the home of Britain’s Best Burger in 2016, this tiny but buzzing spot in the North Laines had already secured legend status amongst Brightonians in the know. The customer service you receive upon entry is almost scandalously friendly and laid-back considering the hoard of people both inside and outside the restaurant.

The menu itself is simple but devastatingly effective: five meat-based burgers, a veggie/vegan patty, and a halloumi burger. For each, you pick the desired level of spice, before asking for any further customisation; BB’s most dedicated acolytes have taken this latter dimension of the menu to extremes, with pictures of twenty-patty burgers adorning BB’s social media. A Simple Jack with Chilli Tickle was the first burger of theirs I ever ordered; their basic burger with the mildest spice available. It’s the best £5 I’ve ever spent, before or since. Crispy bun, succulent patty, fresh veggies, and an unidentifiable juice that bursts with flavour and binds it all together in blissful harmony, this is a must for anyone wanting to get a real taste of Brighton. And no, they don’t do chips, and they don’t like being asked.

A word to the wise: each burger comes with a small toothpick at its core to help maintain its structural integrity during consumption; when Pip, co-owner and cashier, tells you with comic predictability and deadpan tone to ‘watch the toothpick, yeah brother?’, heed his warning. Some of us have had to learn the hard way.

We Love Falafel

We Love Falafel is another North Laines gem. One to avoid during the midday-1pm lunch hour, it’s a favourite for Brighton’s plentiful supply of hard-working, office-based vegans. Arrive either side of the lunchtime rush and you’ll quickly realise why. Starting at a mere £3 for a hummus and salad box, never going above £5 for falafel wraps and boxes, the value here is frankly astonishing. The falafel comes in three flavours: Original, Sweet Potato, and Beetroot. All of them are delicious, and all of them sit in a psychological sweet-spot; the food here always arrives quickly enough and tastes delicious enough that it feels like a naughty lunchtime treat, but is so packed with colourful veggies and vegan-goodness that you can’t help feel a little healthier and more enlightened for ingesting it.

The Beetroot Falafel Melt Wrap is a personal favourite. If you’re feeling profligate, a further £1.20 will get you an ice-cold can of San Pellegrino. Grab a table outside in the humming, terribly-cool Sydney Street, and you won’t just feel like you’re in Brighton, you’ll feel like you are Brighton.

Pompoko

Even for me – a seasoned Brightonian that spent countless adolescent evenings trolling the city streets looking for cheap, tasty, and altogether ‘cool’ eateries – Pompoko was a late discovery. Tucked away on Church Street but almost eclipsed by the hustling Brighton Dome, Corn Exchange, and three of the city’s most popular pubs – The Wagon and Horses, The Mash Tun, and The Black Horse – Pompoko is an easy one to miss. Do not make this mistake. Tucked away inside is some of the best value Japanese food you’ll find in this city and, I would argue, this country.

It’s a no-frills experience. You queue up to order at a counter. They ask if you’re eating-in or taking-away; you’ll likely be taking-away since it’s almost impossible to get a table here. If you can get a table, take it; the restaurant’s busyness creates a fantastic atmosphere in such a small space. The Chicken Teryaki Don is my all-time favourite but, having said that, I’m yet to work my way through the entirety of their sprawling menu. All I know for sure is that a main meal, a side (the spring rolls are divine) and a drink will leave you with plenty of change back from a tenner and a very happy tummy.

Pinocchio

Pinocchio, along with its larger and better-known sister restaurant Donatello, holds a very special place in the consciousness of your average Brightonian. A family-run affair, this restaurant has been in the heart of Brighton – quite literally a stone’s throw from the Theatre Royal – for over thirty years, and has fed a star-studded list of thespians in its time. (Fear not for Donatello however; the countless photographs of visiting politicians and athletes that decorate its walls reassure one that there are plenty of celebs to go around).

The value for money here is jaw-dropping. A two-course set menu will set you back £12.95; it used to be two courses for £9.95 and three for £12.95, but they know their worth, and I certainly can’t blame them. One course will be more than enough to satisfy your Mediterranean urges. The pizzas are huge, crisp, and come with a range of toppings to satisfy even the most curious of pallets: the Pizza Olandese – a margherita covered in chips and mayonnaise – was a guilty pleasure of mine, but that example does a disservice to Pinocchio’s authentic and nuanced Italian cuisine. The pastas are consistently delightful. If you fancy something meatier, you can get their exceptional Pollo Milanese for £10 on the nose. If you have a little extra change lying around, save it for a dessert. Tiramisu, Coppa Olivia, or the Torta Tarfuto; just trust me.

Fatto a Mano

Italian cuisine holds a very special place in my carb-hungry heart, and as such I couldn’t limit myself to just one recommendation. If you’ve got a little more cash – think £15 rather than £10 – then I’d urge you to check out Fatto a Mano. This small chain has recently opened its third premises in the North Laines and offers a range of pizzas with some of the fluffiest, most cloudlike dough you’ve ever encountered. The daily specials – both meaty and vegetarian – always offer a mouth-watering wildcard. Let me be clear, however: this is somewhere to visit as well as Pinocchio, not instead of. They both deserve your time and money.

Lost Boys @ The Joker

Decent pub-grub abounds in Brighton, but you won’t find a better plate of chicken, specifically chicken wings, than at The Joker. This is for those more seasoned visitors that dare to venture away from the postcard-ready coastline, moving inland towards Brighton’s student-saturated northern end. Sadly, ten pounds won’t secure you wings and a pint; I’m a blogger, not a miracle worker. However, it will get you a masterful plate of wings bathed in a sauce of your choosing, all with suitably silly names like ‘Thudbutt’ and ‘Wendy’. Plus, wings at The Joker are ‘Buy 2, Get the 3^rd Free’ all day and all night on Wednesdays.

A variety of sandwiches are on offer for those that, like me, require a large carbohydrate injection at least three times a day, and vegan options abound for our more conscious foodie brethren. Sides and dips will take you a little over the budget, but they’re certainly worth considering if you haven’t dropped all your cash on The Joker’s splendid line-up of craft ales.

Glazed

If you’ve got any room left after your wings and you’re looking to complete the vegan-friendly America-Brighton crossover experience, try Glazed. A two-minute walk from The Joker and catering mostly to the moody but well-dressed skating youth, it offers vegan donuts with predictably indulgent toppings, all whilst overlooking the recently renovated Level park.

Wrapping Up

With the economic future of the nation looking – how should I put this? – mixed, making your money go further is more essential than ever before. I spent my teenage years eating all too well in this city with scarcely a penny to my name, and I have the sauce-stained school tie to prove it. If you know where to look I have no doubt you can do the same, just don’t forget to ask for napkins.

Getting to Brighton

f you are visiting Brighton by car then Just Park will save you money and help you find the best places to park right in the centre of the city. I use it every time I come and usually pay around £2/hour, which is a bargain compared with many of the town centre car parks.

It’s easy to create an account in Just Park and I’ve used it for Wembley gigs as well as parking conveniently close to railway stations for trips to London.

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Staying in Brighton

Brighton isn’t the cheapest of places to stay, but it’s worth regularly checking on Booking.com to see if you can pick up a bargain.

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Cheap places to eat in Brighton – for under £10