Where to find Pancakes in Brighton
What I love about pancakes is how versatile they are – from fancy French crêpes all the way to the thick and fluffy American stacks, you always have a choice of sweet or savoury, and if like me, you just can never decide which, there’s always the option of having them both ways.
Mardi Gras, more commonly known as Pancake Tuesday, is a Christian tradition that marks the ritual of confession and absolution, followed by a last grand feast before the grievance period of Lent, during which one fasts to commemorate the 40 days Jesus spent wandering in the desert.
Literally translating to Fat Tuesday, in a nutshell, Mardi Gras/Pancake Tuesday is the last big blowout of eating rich, fatty foods and indulging before the fasting period that is Lent, i.e. the lead up to Easter.
Now, if you just don’t fancy making your own pancakes for Mardi Gras, fear not! We’ve done the research for you, so let’s get down to the details about where you can find the best pancakes in Brighton…
WOLFOX AVENUE – Kemptown
The great thing about Wolfox is that they have multiple venues across Brighton, so even if you’re not local to Kemptown, you can still enjoy their brunch menu at Wolfox Chapters on New Road near the Royal Pavilion or at the Wolfox Roastery on Preston Street near Regency Square.
Starting off with my favourite flavour combination of bacon & maple syrup, Wolfox definitely hit the nail on the head with these pancakes. The bacon-to-pancake ratio was spot on, they weren’t stingy with the maple syrup, and the pancakes were bouncy with a lovely crisp to them. With a few options to choose from, I like that you can choose between fluffy pancakes or French toast. Not to mention the very relaxed, Scandinavian hygge vibe – I could sit in here for hours!
Address: 56 St. James’s Street, Brighton BN2 1QG / check other venues for address
Opening Hours: open every day from 08h00-16h00 / check other venues for timings
Bonus points: both vegan and gluten-free options are available without a fuss, and the rest of their brunch menu is absolutely fantastic!
MOKSHA – London Road
Tucked away within the many independent shops and cafés along London Road, Moksha is a definite must on my list for pancakes and brunch in Brighton. Be sure to get here early or book a table, as whenever I walk past this place there’s always a queue!
This time round, I thought I would give the vegan & gluten-free banana pecan pancakes a try. I was very impressed with how light and fluffy the pancakes themselves were, and the portion was certainly more than enough. Not to mention, it’s always a plus when you get to pour the syrup on yourself!
Address: 4-5 York Place, Brighton BN1 4GU
Opening Hours: Monday-Friday 08h00-16h00, Sat & Sun 08h00-17h00
Bonus points: even if this place didn’t have pancakes, I would still come here regularly, as the food all round is superb, and they make the best hash browns I’ve ever tasted!
TRADING POST – North Laine
If you’re looking for a quick stop to fuel up on pancakes during a busy day in town, the Trading Post is perfectly located just off North Road. With seats both inside and out, it’s a perfect people watching spot! They also have a larger venue on Ship Street in The Lanes.
Coming in at a close second place for the bacon and maple variation of pancakes, these pancakes were doused in syrup all the way through! They were very generous with the bacon, and I liked that it was layered between each pancake as opposed to just on top. Next time I will for sure be trying the pancakes with yoghurt and blueberry…
Address: 40 Kensington Gardens, Brighton BN1 4AL
Opening Hours: 07h30-19h00, Monday through Sunday
Bonus points: Impressive selection of loose leaf teas, they even roast their own coffee!
CAFE COHO – The Lanes
Perched in a cosy little corner of Ship Street, Cafe Coho offers the perfect spot to sit in the sun and breathe in that bustling Brighton energy as people pass by. This is yet another independent cafe that is lucky enough to have a few other venues in Brighton – one near the station on Queens Road, as well as their newest venue in Hove on Church Road.
Another round of bacon and maple syrup for me, although I wish I also had room to try the pancakes with Greek yoghurt, berry compote, honey, toasted coconut & almonds, as it looked absolutely divine when it arrived at the table next to me! I could have done with a tad more maple syrup to soak up the last pancake, but the bacon was lovely and crisp. I love how bright this place is, and their spread of other baked goods was almost irresistible…
Address: 53 Ship Street, Brighton BN1 1AF
Opening Hours: 07h30-18h30, Sunday-Friday,
07h30-19h00 on Saturdays (check other venues for their opening times)
Bonus points: breathtaking coffee art and the venue in Hove even does bottomless brunch!
It’s important to remember that Pancake Tuesday, as it is now so commercially known, is not just an excuse to eat pancakes for dinner. I was surprised that many of my friends weren’t aware that this “holiday” actually had meaningful origins within Christian culture and religion, so if we’re going to be eating pancakes, the least we can do is be mindful of where this celebration hails from.
Even when I was younger, though we weren’t brought up religiously, Mardi Gras was a time to be with friends and family, a time to reflect on past actions and wrongdoings, a time of awareness before the period of penance that is Lent. This penance can come in any form, be it avoiding unhealthy foods all the way to abstaining from bad behaviours, or making that extra little effort to bring kindness into the world.
So, when you’re rejoicing in pancakes this coming Tuesday, maybe take a minute to reflect and have a moment of silence to be thankful before you wolf them all down in one go…!
Written by Maisie Gervais