Shopping
After the beach and the restaurants, shopping is actually the favourite activity for visitors (Brighton & Hove Visitor Survey, 2009). The North Laines is the place to browse independent clothes shops and specialist stores. The South Laines has the upmarket stores, especially jewellery. For the major chain stores, or just to get out of the rain,
Churchill Square indoor mall is the destination for fashion and lifestyle shopping.
The Lanes - original and unusual
It's worth taking some time to explore the smaller shops and bars that make Brighton so different from everywhere else.
Unique to Brighton is an independent directory of "the best specialist, unusual or quirky" in the city. Founder
Sue Korman describes what makes this area so special.
"The Lanes (sometimes called the South Lanes) is the oldest part of Brighton and once formed part of the original town, ‘Brighthelmstone’. The Lanes today retains that sense of an old fishing village in its narrow winding alleyways - a lovely place to wander with plenty of cafes and restaurants, independent jewellery shops and up market fashion names.
Between the Royal Pavilion and Queen's Road you’ll find a lively mix of shops, cafés, pubs and theatres in the North Laines. Once a market garden, it’s now the heart of independent Brighton and home to some of Brighton's most original shops.
For fashion you could seek out
Sirene,
Nola,
Badger,
Jump the Gun and
Gresham Blake, or browse the growing number of vintage shops such as
Kate & Aud,
Wolf & Gypsy and
Hope and Harlequin.
For specialist food try
Infinity Foods or the
Brighton Sausage Company,
Temptation,
The Manor,
Seasons Cafe and
Iydea. You’ll also see many unique specialist shops, such as
Vegetarian Shoes,
The Bead Shop,
Tantalus and many independent record shops.
If you’re shopping for the home, see
InHouse Space for Tasmanian oak furniture, Iris for Indian painted furniture or
In My Room for retro vintage furniture.
Both North and South Lanes/Laines are distinctive and vibrant parts of the city - quite unlike anywhere else!"
Sue Korman
Founder, Unique to Brighton