South East England
Date ideas in Brighton
Updated
Brighton does seaside dates better than anywhere: a pier with fish and chips, a palace that looks like it got lost on its way to India, and a pebble beach that's lovely even in winter. Behind the front there are twisting lanes full of little shops, a proper cinema and comedy scene, and the South Downs are a short bus ride away. These are our picks, with plenty for when the weather comes in off the sea.
Our picks in Brighton
Brighton Palace Pier
Madeira Drive, at the bottom of Old Steine
Address: Madeira Drive, Brighton BN2 1TW- Activity
- Outdoors
- Cheap and cheerful
Stroll out over the sea on the Victorian pier, past the arcades and helter-skelter, with hot doughnuts or fish and chips to share.
Why it's a good date: It's free to walk on and pure seaside fun, so it suits a first date as much as an anniversary. Go at dusk when the lights come on, and save a few coins for the 2p machines.
Photo: Arild Vågen, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Starlings over the West Pier
The beach by the West Pier ruins, King's Road
Address: King's Road, Brighton BN1 2FL- Outdoors
- Free
- Dog friendly
- Best in Autumn, Winter
- Romantic
Stand on the beach as the sun goes down and watch thousands of starlings swirl in great shapes over the burnt-out frame of the old West Pier before they settle for the night.
Why it's a good date: One of the great free shows in the country, from about November to early March. Get there half an hour before sunset, wrap up warm, and go for a hot drink on the front afterwards.
Photo: NormanofOxfordshire, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)
The Royal Pavilion
Pavilion Buildings, city centre
Address: 4/5 Pavilion Buildings, Brighton BN1 1FN- Culture
- Rain-proof ☔
- Mid-price
Tour George IV's seaside palace, all domes and minarets outside and dragons, hand-painted Chinese wallpaper and palm-tree columns within, then sit out in the Regency garden.
Why it's a good date: Nowhere else in Britain looks like it, and the Banqueting Room alone is worth the ticket. It's a good rain plan right in the middle of town, with the Lanes a couple of minutes away.
Photo: Fenliokao, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)
The Lanes and North Laine
Between North Street and the station, city centre
Address: Meeting House Lane, Brighton BN1 1HB- Other
- Free
Get lost in the narrow alleys of the Lanes, full of jewellers and antique shops, then cross North Street into North Laine for vintage, records and independent cafés.
Why it's a good date: A whole afternoon of browsing that costs nothing unless you want it to. Pick out something small for each other, and stop for coffee on Kensington Gardens.
Photo: Fry72, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Brighton i360
King's Road, by the West Pier
Address: Lower King's Road, Brighton BN1 2LN- Activity
- Rain-proof ☔
- Mid-price
- Romantic
Rise 450 feet above the seafront in the glass pod of the i360 tower, with the whole coast from the cliffs to the Isle of Wight on a clear day.
Why it's a good date: A slow, quiet ride with the city laid out below you. Time it for a late flight on a clear evening and the sunset does the rest.
Photo: DaHuzyBru, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Devil's Dyke
Devil's Dyke Road, five miles north-west of the city
Address: Devil's Dyke Road, Brighton BN1 8YJ- Outdoors
- Free
- Dog friendly
- Best in Spring, Summer, Autumn
- Out of town
Take the bus up onto the South Downs and walk along the rim of Devil's Dyke, a deep green valley with views over the Weald for miles.
Why it's a good date: Big skies and fresh air without needing a car: buses run up from town, more often in summer. Bring a picnic or finish at the pub at the top, and watch the paragliders if it's breezy.
Photo: mattbuck (category), CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
The Undercliff Walk to Rottingdean
From Brighton Marina, east of the city centre
Address: Undercliff Walk, Brighton Marina, Brighton BN2 5UF- Outdoors
- Free
- Dog friendly
Walk the flat path beneath the white chalk cliffs from Brighton Marina to the old village of Rottingdean, with the sea right beside you all the way.
Why it's a good date: About an hour each way with nothing but cliffs, waves and rock pools, and tea and cake waiting in Rottingdean. Parts close after rough weather or cliff falls, so check before you set off.
Photo: Mat Fascione, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Volk's Electric Railway
Aquarium station, Madeira Drive, by the Palace Pier
Address: Aquarium Station, Madeira Drive, Brighton BN2 1EN- Activity
- Outdoors
- Cheap and cheerful
- Best in Spring, Summer
Ride the little wooden carriages of the world's oldest working electric railway, which has trundled along the beach since 1883.
Why it's a good date: Silly, charming and over in minutes, which is exactly the point. It runs in the warmer months, so ride one way and walk back along the front.
Photo: Peter Trimming, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)
The Duke of York's Picturehouse
Preston Circus, just north of the station
Address: Preston Circus, Brighton BN1 4NA- Event
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Cosy
See a film at the cinema on Preston Circus that has been showing pictures since 1910, with a bar upstairs and sofas in the balcony.
Why it's a good date: A classic cinema date in a building with more character than any multiplex. Book the balcony and get there early for a drink at the bar first.
Photo: Hassocks5489, CC0 (cropped and resized)
Komedia
Gardner Street, North Laine
Address: 44-47 Gardner Street, Brighton BN1 1UN- Event
- Rain-proof ☔
- Mid-price
- Big night
Catch stand-up, cabaret or a gig in the basement at Komedia, the North Laine venue that's been a home for comedy in Brighton for years.
Why it's a good date: Laughing together is the easiest way to relax on a date. Check what's on, book ahead for the big names, and eat in North Laine beforehand.
Photo: Ivan Bandura, CC0 (resized)
The Basketmakers Arms
Gloucester Road, North Laine
Address: 12 Gloucester Road, Brighton BN1 4AD- Bar
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Dog friendly
- Cosy
Squeeze into a corner pub in North Laine whose walls are covered in old tins, many stuffed with notes left by drinkers over the years.
Why it's a good date: A proper, friendly local where you can actually hear each other. Have a nosy in a few tins, and leave a note of your own.
Photo: Hassocks5489, CC0 (resized)
Walk west along the wide promenade past Hove Lawns and the long row of brightly painted beach huts, with the sea on one side and Regency terraces on the other.
Why it's a good date: Calmer than Brighton's front and lovely at any time of year. Pick a favourite hut, grab an ice cream or a coffee from a kiosk, and walk until you feel like turning back.
Photo: DaHuzyBru, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Terre à Terre
East Street, near the seafront
Address: 71 East Street, Brighton BN1 1HQ- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- A treat
- Foodie
- Romantic
Share inventive vegetarian and vegan plates at the restaurant that's been making Brighton rethink meat-free food since the 1990s.
Why it's a good date: Even committed meat-eaters leave talking about it. The sharing plates suit a date, so order a few and swap halfway.
Riddle & Finns The Lanes
Meeting House Lane, the Lanes
Address: 12B Meeting House Lane, Brighton BN1 1HB- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- A treat
- Romantic
- Foodie
Order oysters and a bottle of something cold at the candlelit seafood and champagne bar in the heart of the Lanes, with its open kitchen and shared tables.
Why it's a good date: Candles, low light and the clatter of the kitchen make it one of the most romantic dinners in town. Book ahead, and walk down to the sea afterwards.
Dates in Brighton: quick answers
What are good rainy-day dates in Brighton?
The Royal Pavilion, a film at the Duke of York's and a comedy night at Komedia are all indoors. The Basketmakers Arms is a cosy place to sit out a shower, and the i360 pod is enclosed, though the views are better on a clear day.
Are there free date ideas in Brighton?
Plenty. The Palace Pier is free to walk on, and the Lanes, Hove seafront, the Undercliff Walk and Devil's Dyke cost nothing. In autumn and winter the starlings over the West Pier are the best free show in town.
When can you see the starlings in Brighton?
From roughly November to early March, in the half hour or so before sunset. Watch from the beach by the West Pier or from the Palace Pier, and wrap up warm.
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