Best Burgers in Brighton: The Lanes to Hove

The best burgers in Brighton are found in a tight, walkable grid around North Laine and The Lanes, with more independent kitchens east in Kemptown and west along the shopping streets of Hove. Expect two menus side by side: beef burgers, often smashed thin, and a plant-based list that runs longer here than in most British cities.

Brighton has a solid claim to being the most vegan-friendly city in the UK. Chef’s Pencil named it the world’s vegan capital in 2022, and a 2024 study by the rail operator LNER ranked it first in the country. That shapes the burger scene: a meat-free patty is rarely an afterthought, and many kitchens give it the same attention as the beef. On a dry evening, the seafront adds its own habit, burger and chips eaten facing the pebble beach.

Best burgers in Brighton: key facts

• Neighbourhoods to explore: North Laine, The Lanes, Kemptown, the seafront and Hove.
• Local styles: thin smash burgers on beef, and plant-based burgers treated as a main event.
• Vegan reputation: ranked the UK’s number one vegan city by LNER in 2024.
• Money on the South Coast: menus are priced in pounds sterling (GBP).
• Getting around: the centre is a short walk downhill from Brighton station, and city buses run out to Hove and Kemptown.
• From London: fast trains reach Brighton in about an hour, which makes it a common day trip.

Every guide we publish on Brighton is dated and lists only venues, addresses, prices and ratings we could verify. To compare with other cities, browse our burger restaurant guides from around the world.