La Fourchette, 42 Church Road, Hove

Just to reassure myself that there is life outside of kemp town I've ventured into deepest Hove to check out this delightful patisserie.

Coffee, venue and service are scrutinised for your pleasure.








The coffee: 4

A very nicely presented cappuccino in a thick white porcelain bowl with a hefty teaspoon that screamed quality and attention to detail. The rock sugar available on the table in sealable jars was a nice touch. Unless my taste buds deceive me this place is serving red roaster's house blend coffee. Flavoursome with nicely balanced acidic top notes it's a winner. On the down side the coffee comes in one size only though equal to a double shot at £2.10 is good value. Chocolate was sparingly sprinkled without being requested.

The venue: 4

This is a quality venue with about 35 covers on the ground floor, more seating is available upstairs. Comfortable leatherette captains chairs at the windows front and back with solid wooden tables and chairs in-between. Wooden floors, brown, cream and white decor give the place a classy French coffee house feel. The music was perfectly pitched as a mood setter without interfering with conversation. Popular with ladies who lunch the clientele are a reserved and sophisticated bunch. The place understands it's customer base and the menu is well pitched at the breakfast and lunchtime market, with a few afternoon teatime treats thrown in for good measure. The pricing represents good value for money and the food I had was delicious, fresh and nicely presented. As a patisserie you will not be surprised to learn that the tarts cakes and buns available will have you salivating and thinking forlornly about your waistline. Head to the seats at the back for secluded intimacy otherwise you'll be hobnobbing it with Hove's finest at the front. I would have given the venue a higher score but the place is a tiny bit tired looking around the edges with the floor, white wooden chairs and walls in need of some TLC.

The service : 5

More restaurant than coffee house in terms of service the staff are uniformed in classic black shirts and trousers with coffee baristas aprons worn long in the French style. The service here is aimed at making you feel special and valued and it was working for me. Unhurried personal attention comes with endless courtesy and charm without ever being in your face this is the perfect place to come with your best pals for a bit of self indulgence.

Overall score 13 out of 15

Gelateria De Luca, St James's Street Brighton

This is the latest place to open up on St. James's Street in Kemp Town and I thought I'd give it the once over.

As always it's the coffee the venue and the service that I'm looking at.




The coffee: 2

The coffee here is not going to get anyone excited but it's not the worst I've had by any means. Serving Illy Italian coffee, the cappuccino unfortunately comes in only one size which equates to a single shot and at £2.50 it's the price of a decent double elsewhere. There are half a dozen places within strolling distance that offer better value. It was presented rather sloppily in a white bowl with a coffee biscuit on the side which I thought was a nice if quaint touch. Chocolate was sparingly added without being requested and there was no sugar available until I asked for it. Way too much milk and way too little froth made this a bit of a lame latte but the flavour held up and there was a decent caffeine kick. Coffee is definitely not their strong point but in fairness to them they are not claiming that it is, this place is primarily a gelato bar.

The venue: 3

A small venue with space for about 20 covers inside and another 8 outside this place offers quite a lot. Situated on a corner plot it makes the most of the views with large windows on two sides one of which opens up. There is air conditioning and it's needed as the gelato fridges generate a lot of heat. Menu-wise they have very cleverly put together four of my favourite things gelato, coffee, cake and alcohol. Ok the coffee is not great but the other three more than make up for it. This is the perfect place for a Sunday afternoon ice-cream or a quick anytime treat and I can imagine it being popular with families and first daters alike. The cakes are I predict likely to become a real selling point, they looked simply delicious, although you don't seem to be able to buy them by the slice!! With a funky modern italian ice-cream parlour feel to the place complete with Paul Smith candy stripes and red and black leather seating it's a fresh and funky addition to the street and deserves to do well.

Service: 4

Perhaps it's the eagerness to please that new places often start off with or perhaps it's the fact that its a family run business whatever it is this places is welcoming and friendly and so much so that I'll forgive them serving up pretty uninspiring coffee. The owners do that very Italian of things; they've made work seem like a day out, their friends drop in, they have coffee they chat there is a lot of laughter and endless patience as customers languish over which gelato they are going to have next. On the downside the background music is a bit in your face but to be honest it kind of suits the venue. It's a relaxed place and well worth a visit, as long as your not just coming for the coffee.

Overall 9 out of 15

Marwood coffee shop and studios, 52 Ship Street, Brighton

I've heard quite a bit about this place and as I happened to be in the area...

As ever it's the coffee, the service and the venue that I'm checking out.






The venue: 5

This place is working it's socks off to look like it hasn't tried too hard. A big old sprawling ramshackle student house of a place that's abundantly adorned with a mixture of art and tat all carefully and convincingly placed to convince you that it was born that way. Frequented  predominantly by students and hipsters it definitely caters for a trendy crowd with a bit of a hippy leaning in decor and atmosphere. The building is in itself interesting enough to warrant a visit. Although a pretty large venue with what I reckon is 70 plus covers the place feels small and intimate thanks to the nooks and cranny's that abound, there is a delightful surprise of a garden tucked away at the back that's worth the effort. The funky feel of the place will undoubtedly make it a firm favourite with anyone looking for something that little bit different, it's a great place to bring your friends hang out or just ruck up on your own with a novel or laptop. This place, in terms of venue, pulls it off and then some it feels like you've popped round to your quirky cool friends pad for a cuppa joe and you'll want to tell your mates about it afterwards.

The service: 3

It's a studenty place and the service is also in that vein. Unhurried with a slight air of we're cool and we don't care. When I arrived I was the only person in the queue although the place was busy and was promptly told, albeit nicely, that there is a 10 minute wait for coffee. In fairness the coffee arrived after 5 minutes and that is just about good enough for front of the queue...just!

The menu is simple and reminiscent of the student cafe's that I frequented back in the day. Homely food put together with their key markets budget in mind you can have pot noodles, toasties, buns and cake! Their website claims that the cake is life changing, I don't know about that but the chocolate cake did make me smile.

The coffee: 2

The cappuccino comes in one size approximating to a single shot and at £2.50 is the cost of a good double elsewhere. Presented in a decent white bowl I had chocolate added without being requested. Cane sugar is available in open bowls on the table. The froth was thin and the coffee in fear of disappearing in just a little too much milk. Having said that there was flavour lurking in there and an impressively heady bitter caffeine hit that will appeal to the masses, and confirms the website claim of kick-ass coffee!!

overall 10 out of 15
Check out the Marwood's super website here

Real Patisserie 34 St. Georges Road, Kemp Town

Although no stranger to Brighton with two other shops this is a relative new comer to Kemp Town. Not specifically a coffee house, they are serving up so I though I'd check them out.

As always it's the coffee the venue and the service that I look at.




The coffee: 3

Served in a take away cup we are not off to a good start here. The woman who made the coffee went at it with all the skill of an ox and it was somewhat roughly put together, the milk was steamed a little too long and the beans were similarly treated. Having said that the coffee is locally produced by the wonderful red roaster and was flavoursome with a decent top, in fact I've had worse served up by red roaster baristas. Chocolate was offered and sugar was available on the table.

The venue: 1

It's hard to get away from the fact that this place is a bakery and to be honest they should stick to what they are good at. It feels like they've  looked at the bit of spare floor space they have and thought "I know let's have a coffee shop" it doesn't really work. Along one side of the shop there's a single long bench with bench seating either side and that's your coffee house. The bakery is busy and rightly so as the range of breads, cakes and lunchtime treats that they do is amazing, the smell of the place has got to be one of the most satisfying smells I've ever encountered in a coffee shop. Smells aside the space is a wee bit too small and I was bumped several times by bakery customers while trying to drink my coffee. If you fancy the novelty of sitting in a working bakery to have your coffee then this is the place for you, my guess is try it once then come back for the bread.

The service: 2

Pleasant but not knowledgable about coffee and busy with making bread. Not much else to say. If the place is empty it'd do fine for a quick take away (red roaster gets the credit though) otherwise walk the extra five meters to Ground coffee house or turn around and walk the two minutes to the totally excellent Artisan.

OVERALL SCORE 6 out of 15

Artisan Delicatessen, 117 St. Georges Road, Kemp Town

A new kid on the block this place has been open since December 2010. As it's literally on my doorstep I thought I'd give it a look.

As always it's the coffee, venue and service that I look at.





The coffee: 4

The coffee here is of a high standard. Lazy jose's is a favourite coffee product and I am very glad to see it in Brighton. They are an ethical supplier who do a great line in single source arabica beans. Their blended beans, served here, are skilfully produced for richness and flavour, you have to try this coffee!! As far as I know all of the coffees come from mountain ranges and are therefore lower in caffeine and acidity so if you're looking for a bitter caffeine hit have an espresso. The cappuccino here is all about the flavour. For me a tiny bit less milk and a bit more froth would have made this the perfect cappuccino, as it is it comes highly recommended. Nicely presented in a quality white bowl, chocolate on request and sugar on the side, just as it should be. Soy or goats milk versions are available at no extra cost.

The venue: 5

I defy you not to fall instantly in love with this place! Everything about it has been produced with love and passion. It's so carefully done that you'll think it's been here for generations rather than months. The white tiles and stainless steel of the service area give the place an authentic old style butchers shop feel and everything else screams quality delicatessen. From the gorgeous mahogany parquet flooring to the white and slate grey decoration these people have not put a foot wrong. The venue is small without being cramped with about 20 covers, there's some seating outside though a little too close to a rather busy street for me. With a great bean behind them the coffee menu is everything you'd want in a quality coffee house. The range of teas is the best in the area and well worth a look, however with tea drinkers preferring to drink at home I do hope they are able to maintain their extensive range. The owners here are very, very, very serious about food, it is after all primarily a deli. Attention to detail, quality, taste and presentation are high on the agenda. There are too many delights to mention here but go along and have a plucking spicy wrap (pictured) and be amazed. I could wax lyrical about this place all day but suffice to say it's a gem and I can't recommend it enough.

Service: 5

It should come as no surprise that a venue that makes such an effort should also have thought carefully about the service. The owners are naturally friendly and keen to share their passion with customers. The place has a strong fan base and it's not hard to see why, hardworking staff who are friendly and efficient with a high attention to detail make for a fine experience. Order at the counter, take a seat and enjoy the chilled atmosphere. The friendly service, great venue, sublime food and spot on coffee will have you returning again and again.

check them our for yourself here

OVERALL SCORE 14 out of 15

Redroaster coffee 1d, St. James Street, Brighton

This coffee house has been a regular quaffing hole for mine for a number of years and I have seen it change considerably over that time. Anyhow I thought it was about time I reviewed it for the blog.

As always its the coffee (a double shot cappuccino), the venue and the service I look at. Everything is graded out of five, there's a scale on the first post.



The Coffee: Score 4

This place should be serving the best coffee in town seeing as they import and roast their own beans. With an award winning chief roaster in the form of long serving staff member Paul there really is no excuse for serving up anything but the best coffee. However despite having a dab hand at the roaster and an absolutely sublime house blend, in recent times this has not translated well into the cup. The barista's  let the side down by mostly not knowing the difference between a cappuccino and a latte, if I wanted a cupful of milky mess I'd walk up the road to Starbucks.

If you're having coffee here these days its best to make it an espresso or an americano or better still get them to bag up some beans and take them home.

There is a good range of coffee's available and in truth the coffee menu is as good as you'll see anywhere in town. The food menu is limited but they are good at what they do, salads to die for and tasty toasties. The assortment of cakes and tray bakes are reasonable although I'd give the brownies a miss unless your idea of a brownie is that of a dried out husk tasting of nothing but flour. The hot chocolate is heaven in a cup and well worth a visit for that alone. They serve a disappointingly bland range of teas.

The Venue: Score 5

Coffee houses don't get much better than this. It's big and roomy with about 70 covers. The place attracts a mix of people and is definitely the place to be seen on the street. The décor is classic coffee house, muted natural colours, high ceilings and an open frontage out onto one of the most interesting streets in the city. The furniture is a sturdy wooden affair with sofas at front and somewhat uncomfortable aluminium chairs outside. There is a regular change of the artists work that is on display; everything from the bizarre to the next big thing. On the downside the background music is not background enough and is often in danger of disappearing up itself. There is no WiFi and no intention of introducing it either, they don't want the laptop crowd; move along bloggers!! They run regular and very well attended performance evenings that attract a hip and happening arty set.

The service: Score 3


This place is popular and attracts the crowds, today there are 15 people in the queue so if a quick cup of joe is what you're looking for then you may have to keep walking. The staff are young, hip and trendy, mostly pleasant but never friendly. They'd score higher if they could make a decent cappuccino, in a decent time-scale. Considering that it takes 17-20 seconds to steam a decent cappuccino it astounds me that it can take up to 5 minutes to get your hands on a cup once you've ordered it. That aside they do everything else well, if slowly, and the place is so well established that they could employ monkeys and still draw a crowd.

overall score: 12 out of 15
web info here

Spinelli Coffee 111 St. James's Street, Brighton

This place sits half way up St. James's Street in Brighton and I thought I'd check it out. You know the drill by now, it's the coffee, venue and service that I look at.

The coffee: Score 4

The coffee here is of consistently good quality. They use a mild roast arabica bean that lacks slightly in the flavour department but there is a good corona and a decent caffeine kick.

Nicely presented in a white coffee bowl with froth that lasts to the end of the cup, something that most of it's competitors seem incapable of achieving, and with several visits behind me I'd have to say that a selling point for this place is the lack of variation in the quality, doesn't seem to matter who's serving the coffee will be good. Cappuccino is dressed nicely with dusted chocolate on request and sugar served on the side from a sachet.

The venue: Score 3

This place has more potential than is realised. It's situated on a great street with plenty to look at with large floor to ceiling windows on two sides to maximise the view. The interior is a tasteful blend of old and new and it has the feel of a quality French style coffeehouse. A little on the small side with about 25 covers though it starts to feel rammed if there's more than 15 people in there. The furniture is solid and comfortable except for the two stripped armchairs in one of the windows which are a bit on the narrow side with no padding on the arms making for an uncomfortable squeeze, better to head for the other window and the much more pleasing red armchairs. Elsewhere the furniture is classic coffeehouse fair sturdy and easy on the back, no wobbly tables here. The décor is all natural tones, soft lighting and some carefully chosen artwork. A real plus is the total lack of annoyingly loud background music that plagues so many of Brighton's coffeehouses.

There is a decent food menu, although a bit pricey. The food is generally of a very high standard nicely presented and in decent quantity. Of particular note are the homemade breakfast pancakes with one serving really being enough for two and the chocolate walnut cake that is to die for, and definitely not for sharing.

What let's the venue down and something worth remembering on a hot or wet day is the ventilation. This consists of the coffeehouse door being mostly ajar, rendering the place unbearably hot when the sun is out and unbearably sticky, steamy and clammy in humid weather. Were the owners to invest in some much needed air-conditioning or a redesigning of the windows to a concertina style that opened this place would be amazing.

Service: Score 5

The service here is like a breath of fresh air. Friendly staff with the rarest of qualities; social skills. Welcoming and efficient without ever being in your face, the service here is a big selling point. Order at the counter and take a seat, no standing about in queues here and a real customer service blast from the past, pay on the way out.

OVERALL SCORE: 12 out of a possible 15

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