Dyke Road Cafe In The Park

The cafe was always a convenient but slightly down-at-heel local amenity but has now had an excellent makeover. The terrace overlooking the park is a splendid place to eat outdoors and indoors is cool and comfortable. Drinks and food (mainly of the snack variety) are good, with the toasted halloumi, lettuce and tomato sandwich a favourite of mine. Good to visit before or after taking in an event at the nearby open-air theatre or Booth natural history museum.

We stumbled upon this lovely cafe by chance after a walk to Brighton from our air B and B in Hove, and we were pleasantly surprised. The cafe has beautiful views of the park and the open-air theatre. The breakfast options are amazing, with a diverse menu that offers great choices for vegetarians and vegans. We shared the veggie burrito and the veggie breakfast, both of which were very filling with generous portions. The staff behind the counter were friendly, and the coffee (flat whites) was lovely. We sat outside and enjoyed the views of the park and open-air theatre, even hearing people practicing nearby. The prices were reasonable as well.

I was here a month or so ago and pleasantly surprised at the good veggie breakfast laid on. The veggie sausages, toast and mushrooms were beautifully cooked. Hash browns could have been cooked for a little longer same with eggs which I prefer firmer but I expect I could have asked for this and it would have been done. Beans and tomatoes also fine. Returned today and this option not available as they will be closed for refurbishment soon. However I had eggs, toast, mushrooms, chips and all good. I sat outside both times great view of the maze and sea from here but there is also indoor seating when the weather is grotty. Both times wolved my breakfast down before getting a photo!

The staff at this restaurant were friendly, but I had to ask for napkins which were not readily available on the table like in Spain. The coffee was decent, not barista quality but it did the job. The cheese toasty could use more cheese and a better bread selection. The sausages and bacon were good with the eggs. The cakes were delicious, but there was a complaint about a small slice. The location used to have a beautiful rose garden, which has since disappeared, but you still get a nice sea view and sunshine. Some areas could be tidied up with more plants. Getting a license to sell drinks could potentially bring in more profit for upgrades. Overall, I'm impressed that they are still operating in these tough times for the restaurant industry. Well done!

Dyke Road Cafe, naturally enough on Dyke Road by the park and opposite the Booth Museum in the Prestonville area of Brighton, is a trendy cafe overlooking the pleasant greenery of Hove Gardens and with a quirky yet cozy feel. The cafe is pretty popular for a somewhat out of the way location but on a fairly chilly half-term lunchtime there was still easily enough seating. There are two rooms on the side, the room to the right is loaded with mis-matching furniture which is the epitomy of cool. The tables are different sizes, shapes, styles, angles. It is all deliberately out of kilter which makes it quirky and enjoyable. The room to the left upon entrance is the cafeteria space for ordering at the counter. It has a slightly different vibe but is still clearly in keeping with this location. From the outside, the cafe looks fine perhaps a little similar to other park cafes but from the back the view is excellent. As Prestonville is one of the highest districts in Brighton proper there is a panoramic view down towards Hove over highly pleasant greenery. The English Garden style of this part of Dyke Road Park is an appealing backdrop and then on to the playing fields beyond and the residential area including church which gives a village feel in what is clearly a city. The menu is pretty varied with a range of different options. Naturally there are vegan and vegetarian options. Unfortunately the healthy vegan option really tastes healthy and is not a great choice. Better options are largely vegetarian such as a breakfast. The food is not necessarily the selling point of the cafe. It is fairly average all told on the eating front which is a bit of a disappointment. Portion size is not for the hungriest but works well for children. Price is ok but considering the fare is also just ok that does not mean this is a low cost location. Other slight knocks include the fact that the quirkiness of the seating space actually can make it difficult to arrange comfortably with enough space between tables. The cafe is extremely stylish and has a lovely backdrop. The costs of those benefits though are not being comfortable and the food not being anything special. This is a cool cafe rather than a great one.