Kemptown sits east of the Palace Pier and runs along the seafront toward the Marina. It’s Brighton’s LGBTQ+ heartland and has been for decades, though its identity is broader than any single label. It’s a neighbourhood with strong opinions about itself: proudly independent, slightly scruffy in places, and home to some of the best pubs and cafes in the city.
What It’s Known For
The pub scene here is exceptional. Kemptown pubs tend toward the characterful end of the spectrum — real fires, mismatched furniture, dogs under tables, and locals who’ve been coming in for years. St James’s Street is the main drag, lined with bars, cafés, vintage shops, and the kind of businesses that could only survive in a neighbourhood with this much personality.
The food covers a lot of ground. There are long-standing breakfast spots, Thai restaurants, fish and chip shops, and more recent arrivals doing small plates and natural wines. It’s not the most polished dining in Brighton, but it’s honest. Places here don’t try too hard.
Kemptown Village, the upper part centred on the St George’s Road area, has a distinct feel from the seafront strip. Quieter, more residential, with a few delis and a community garden. The annual Kemptown Carnival brings the whole area together in summer.
The name comes from Thomas Read Kemp, a local landowner who in the 1820s commissioned a grand Regency estate on the cliff top east of Brighton. Kemp Town (two words, originally) was designed as a fashionable residential enclave — Lewis Crescent, Sussex Square, and Chichester Terrace form a sweeping arc that rivals anything in Bath.
The grand plan didn’t quite hold. Kemp himself went bankrupt before it was finished, and the area spent much of the 20th century in genteel decline. The LGBTQ+ community put down roots here from the 1960s onward, and by the 1990s Kemptown had become one of the most prominent gay neighbourhoods in the UK. That heritage is woven into the streetscape: rainbow crossings, community centres, and businesses that have served the community for decades.
Getting Around
Kemptown is walkable from the city centre. It’s about fifteen minutes from the Pier to St James’s Street. The 1 and 1A buses run along the seafront and Marine Parade. The 7 bus goes up the hill to the upper village area and continues toward the university.
Parking is residential-permit heavy and street spaces fill up fast. The best approach is to walk from town along the seafront or take the bus. Cycling is fine along the coast road but the hill up to the village is steep enough to make you reconsider.
The Business Mix
St James’s Street is the commercial spine. It’s almost entirely independent: pubs, cafés, vintage shops, charity shops, tattoo studios, and a handful of restaurants. There’s no shopping centre, no chain coffee shop dominance, and no sign that this is about to change.
Day and night run into each other here more than in other parts of Brighton. The cafés open early, the pubs fill up from lunchtime, and the bars keep going late. Weekend brunch is a serious undertaking in Kemptown. Expect queues at the popular spots by 11am.
Living Here vs Visiting
Residents love Kemptown with a fierceness that’s hard to find elsewhere in the city. It has a village feel despite being five minutes from the centre. People know each other. They use the same shops, drink in the same pubs, and argue about the same planning applications.
Visitors get a different Brighton here. It’s less performative than the Lanes, less chaotic than North Laine, and more authentic than the seafront strip. Spend a Sunday morning browsing the shops on St James’s Street, eat a late breakfast somewhere with steamed-up windows, and walk down to the beach. That’s Kemptown at its best.
The Streets You Need to Know
St James’s Street is the main road through Kemptown. Restaurants, pubs, cafes and takeaways line both sides. It runs from the Old Steine down towards the sea, and most of what you’ll want is on this stretch or just off it. The road has more personality per metre than most Brighton streets.
St George’s Road runs parallel and slightly uphill. This is where the independent shops live. Bookshops, bakeries, a florist, a barber. It feels more residential and less hectic than St James’s Street, which makes it a good starting point if you want to ease into the neighbourhood.
George Street connects the two and has its own cluster of pubs, shops and community spaces. It’s shorter and easier to miss, but some of Kemptown’s most interesting spots are here.
Madeira Drive is the seafront road below Kemptown, stretching from the Pier towards the Marina. Mini golf, the Volks Railway, the Sealanes swimming complex, and a long promenade. This is where Kemptown meets the sea.
Where to Eat and Drink Coffee
Redroaster St James’s Street
Redroaster St James’s Street is where Kemptown starts its mornings. Brighton’s oldest organic coffee roastery has been roasting on vintage Diedrich machines since 2000. The corner spot on St James’s Street draws laptop workers, dog walkers and people fresh from the beach. By evening, Lucky Khao takes over for Northern Thai barbecue. Your flat white funds social projects locally. There are worse ways to start the day.
Open Bakery
Open Bakery on St George’s Road opens at 7am and closes when the shelves are empty. The sourdough has a following. The shop is tiny and the Saturday queue says everything. If you’re in this part of town and the door is open, go in. You’ll leave with more than you planned.
Purezza Brighton
Purezza Brighton was the UK’s first vegan pizzeria, and it opened right here on St James’s Street in 2015. They make their own dairy-free mozzarella and it’s won national pizza awards. The menu is all plant-based but it doesn’t feel like it’s trying to convert you. Sourdough bases, creative toppings. Dog-friendly with outdoor seats.
FIKA Beach @ Sealanes
FIKA Beach @ Sealanes sits on Madeira Drive at the Sealanes swimming complex. Scandinavian-inspired coffee and food with outdoor seating facing the sea. Open daily from 7am. If you’re walking the undercliff towards the Marina, FIKA is the natural halfway stop. Brunch is popular.
The Pubs
Kemptown has more good pubs per street than almost anywhere else in Brighton. Each one has its own crowd and its own speed.
Sidewinder
Sidewinder on St James’s Street has the beer garden everyone wants on a sunny Saturday. It’s big, it fills up fast, and on a warm afternoon half of Kemptown is in there. Inside is straightforward pub territory. Good beer selection, plenty of room. It opens at noon and stays late on weekends.
The Kemp
The Kemp on St George’s Road is a proper local. Mixed crowd of regulars, dog walkers and weekend wanderers. Draught beers, outdoor seating, and a pub that doesn’t try too hard. It works as a starting point before heading further into Kemptown, or as a wind-down after a walk along the pebbles.
The Marine Tavern
The Marine Tavern on Broad Street is compact, warm, and has a strong LGBTQ+ following with regular entertainment nights. A couple of minutes from the beach. It fills up quickly and the atmosphere runs warm. Open late most nights, which makes it a reliable last stop on a Kemptown crawl.
Kemptown is the centre of Brighton’s queer community, and that shows up in the pubs, the shops, the community spaces and the general atmosphere. Rainbow flags are standard issue on shop fronts. Pride weekend turns the entire neighbourhood into a celebration that spills across every street.
The Queens Arms Brighton
The Queens Arms Brighton on George Street runs drag nights, cabaret, and camp classics. Walk in any evening and someone’s performing. The bar staff are in on the joke. Drinks are standard pub prices. It goes up several gears during Pride weekend.
Bar Broadway
Bar Broadway on Steine Street adds cabaret nights, drag shows and karaoke to the mix. The atmosphere is camp, loud and welcoming. Brighton’s LGBTQ+ scene runs much deeper than Kemptown, but this is where it’s most concentrated.
Shopping in Kemptown
Kemptown Bookshop
Kemptown Bookshop on St George’s Road has been here long enough to feel like part of the furniture. Independent, general, well chosen. The stock reflects someone who reads widely and the staff will order anything they don’t have. Small enough to browse in ten minutes and interesting enough to keep you for thirty.
The side streets around St George’s Road are where you’ll find Kemptown’s independent retail. Vintage clothes, homeware, plants. The kind of shops run by people who clearly opened a shop because they love the thing they sell. It’s a different pace to North Laine shopping. Less foot traffic, more time to browse. For the full vintage shopping circuit, see our vintage shops guide.
On the Seafront
Madeira Drive is Kemptown’s stretch of coast. From the Pier heading east, you’ll pass the Volks Electric Railway (the oldest operating electric railway in the world, opened 1883), mini golf, and the undercliff walk towards the Marina.
SEA LIFE Brighton
SEA LIFE Brighton has been on Marine Parade since 1872. It’s the world’s oldest operating aquarium. The underwater tunnel with sharks and rays passing overhead is the highlight. Book online to avoid weekend queues.
Patterns
Patterns, Brighton sits right on Marine Parade. It’s a venue that shifts between club nights, live music and daytime events. The sound system is good, the programme covers everything from DJ sets to gigs, and the seafront location means you step outside to the sea air between sets.
A Day in Kemptown
9am: Coffee and a pastry at Open Bakery on St George’s Road.
10am: Browse the independent shops along St George’s Road. Pick up a book at Kemptown Bookshop, then work the charity shops and homeware places along the same stretch.
Noon: Falafel or pizza. Purezza if you want to sit down, or grab something to take to the seafront.
2pm: Walk Madeira Drive. Stop at FIKA Beach for a second coffee. If it’s warm, sit on the pebbles and watch the swimmers at Sealanes.
5pm: First pint at Sidewinder. If the sun’s out, head straight for the beer garden.
8pm: Dinner on St James’s Street. Thai, vegan pizza, or a curry. If you’re eating plant-based, Purezza is a strong choice — see our vegan restaurants guide for more options across the city.
10pm: The Marine Tavern or The Queens Arms for the rest of the evening.
Practical Tips
Getting there: Bus 1, 1A and 7 run along St James’s Street. From the station, it’s a fifteen-minute walk downhill through the centre.
Parking: Don’t. Street parking is a nightmare. Use the Marina car park and walk back if you’re driving.
Best time: Saturday mornings for the bakeries and cafes. Friday evenings for the pubs and nightlife.
Dog-friendly: Most Kemptown pubs welcome dogs. Sidewinder, The Kemp and Redroaster are all safe bets.
Seafront access: Steps down to Madeira Drive from Marine Parade, or use the ramp near the Pier. The undercliff walk is flat and accessible.
Pride: Book accommodation months ahead if you’re visiting during Brighton Pride in August. Kemptown is the epicentre.
