The Verse’s Holly Parkinson urges students of Brighton to venture off the beaten track and explore the joys of our quirky city.
Attention students of Brighton, I’m giving you all a challenge, to go out and explore your city.
I find it absolutely mind boggling how anyone could live in one of the most vibrant, eccentric places in the country and not be bothered about discovering all its little secrets. I promise you there’s more to this seaside town than just seagulls, Churchill Square and clubbing on West Street. Stop being lazy hungover messes, go wash last night’s Pryzm shame away and the taste of doner kebab out of your mouth, jump on The Lemon and have an adventure.
Try a new hangover cure every week (or day, not judging) – with the amount of food on offer here you’ll never be out of options. Start off with a Bagelman and a coffee from The Small Batch Coffee Company for the best start to the day. Are you a bit of a burger binger? Go check out MeatLiquor and Burger Brothers. Veggie or Vegan? You have it all: pizzerias, Indian cuisine, cafés, bakeries – whatever you can think of. My personal favourite is Foodilic (opposite Boots by the clock tower), which offers £6 all-you-can-eat veggie heaven. Go grab some Thai food from the Giggling Squid, or Mexican from La Choza – you won’t be disappointed. You could even venture to the Marina for a Five Guys or TGI Fridays! But if there’s one place that you absolutely have to try, it’s Pompoko (Church Road, opposite the Dome). £5 for a delicious Japanese meal, it’s always busy and always good.
“I can’t afford to go to pubs or bars.” Why do students always say this? Yes, you can. There are student pubs everywhere with super cheap deals, just remember to bring your student card. Get Tuaca’d in The Mash Tun before heading to Donuts @ The Green Door Store, or check out the many deal days at the Hobgoblin (on Tequila Tuesdays, every shot of tequila is 99p; Lemon Wednesdays, bring a lemon with you in exchange for a free Corona (get another free if you order their dough balls); Candy Shop Thursdays, where all flavoured vodka shots are 99p). The trick is to always check if they have student discount offers wherever you go, there’s no harm in asking.
For clubbing, why not swap a night in Shoosh for a night of jazz at Casablanca? You won’t be sorry. There are tons of live music venues with events for everyone. The Arch isn’t the only place that puts on DJs – Concorde 2 and Patterns always have impressive events. Dead Wax Social is a vinyl-only bar that you definitely need to hit up, with arguably the best soundtrack to the city. Most other notable places are versatile venues; Concorde 2 has the widest variety of artists grace their stage (including a secret Foo Fighters gig) so keep an eye out. Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar and Green Door Store are both favourites for a decent band night, and even though Volks is predominantly D&B they have a reggae night every Monday!
Finally, if there’s something you absolutely must do in Brighton, it’s to get lost in the Lanes. Discover vintage havens like Beyond Retro and Snooper’s Paradise, plus myriad off-shoot boutiques – you really will find everything (look out for This Is Not A Butcher’s for the ultimate in novelty!). Seasonally, look out for the theatre at the Brighton Fringe; play a game of volleyball at the Yellowave permanent beach front courts; see an alternative film at the Duke of York’s Picture House; feel magical ice-skating in the Royal Pavilion Gardens. My point is there’s SO much going on here and I urge you to be a part of it. Enjoy yourselves, have fun and stay safe!
