Brighton
Destination coffee.
Pelicano have been roasting in Brighton since 2014. Three venues and a wholesale arm later, the North Laine shop is where you meet the coffee at source.
Trading Post roast on-site and enter baristas into UK championships. Order the current single-origin and ask what you should be tasting.
Trading Post have a working roastery outside Brighton; North Laine is where the coffee lands. Order a single origin and ask what's rotating.
Properly excellent.
Own roastery, one room, under a Brighton viaduct. The owner roasted the beans and knows every decision that shaped your cup.
A tiny counter where the barista walks you through your options and matches you to something specific. The batch brew comes with tasting notes attached, already tried before it reaches you.
DAK on the bar and the retail shelf, V60s on the menu as a proper option. The cinnamon buns are the other reason to go.
The everyday answer.
Owner-run North Laine spot where the flat whites are the point. Go when you want solid coffee and a table you won't be hustled from.
Japanese cafe in North Laine with a drinks menu that runs from hojicha to espresso, both taken seriously. The matcha roll cake earns its own visit.
The flat whites have a real reputation in North Laine, built visit by visit by a crowd that keeps coming back. Runs from morning coffee into evening drinks without losing the thread.
The flat white is genuinely good and the matcha menu runs deeper than anything you'd expect from a North Laine stop. Warm room, no pressure to leave.
A small, focused espresso bar in North Laine where the coffee matches the kit. Order the cortado.
Espresso dialled in, cortado properly made. In a neighbourhood full of cafes where coffee is an afterthought, this one takes it seriously.
The mocha is the reason people come back. The black coffee drinks closer to a pour-over than most neighbourhood spots offer.
An organic bakery on Gardner Street where the espresso pulls its weight alongside the baking. Both are worth the trip.
An owner-run bakery in North Laine where Jacob's pastries lead and the cappuccinos follow closely. Both are worth ordering.
A North Laine brunch staple on Trafalgar Street using locally roasted beans. The espresso is better than the room gives it credit for.
The focaccia sandwich has its own following, which tells you something. The flat white holds up every visit.