North Laine Cafe - Trafalgar Street — Restaurant in England

I had two lattes and a slice of cake while I waited for my partner, who was at a skincare appointment at a nearby clinic.

When I entered the café, there were only two other customers at a table. The girl at the counter did not appear to welcome me at all; she hastily asked if I would eat in or take away without so much as a greeting after I greeted her. It was clear she wasn’t busy, as she was just standing there. I understand that a small local café doesn’t need to provide Michelin-star service, but fundamental politeness and customer service are essential.

On both occasions she took my coffee cup without checking if I had finished. I was distracted, looking at my phone and emails, so I wasn’t paying full attention to my coffee.

Busier places like Starbucks, where the staff still manage to show proper manners. I recall a Starbucks employee, juggling two trays of empty cups, who still asked me if I was done with my coffee before taking it away.

When my partner arrived after her appointment, she ordered a small glass of orange juice. It was clear it was poured from a juice box as it was served very quickly, and we were charged £4.50 for it.

They didn’t communicate the prices for any items when charging us; instead, they just silently pressed buttons on their monitor and asked us to look at the pad to pay. While we were fine with the coffee and cake—which were clearly priced—I noticed that the orange juice wasn’t listed anywhere. There was no drink menu, leaving us unaware of the potential charges.

I asked the three staff members at the counter if they were really going to charge us £4.50 for that small glass of juice, and a male staff member simply nodded with a "yeah." We just laughed it off and decided that this would be...

I'm a planner. Wherever I go, I usually have a spreadsheet of carefully researched places to eat and drink on trips, so we're not left disappointed. So it was an unexpected delight to stumble upon this cafe, entirely by chance.

We were so impressed with our first visit, we visited again, the next day on our short two day trip.

Firstly, the menu is huge. We literally wanted to try everything. Every dish has something unique about it that has clearly been thought through.

The food was stunning. Perfect. We had lunch one day (mushrooms on toast), and breakfast the next (pancakes and full English) and both were as good as each other. I don't say this lightly, when I say, they make the best hash browns I've ever had. I've tried making hash browns through my love for them and I've left feeling jealous at how they got these so perfect.

Delicious drinks - coffees, juices and smoothies all made fresh. Unlike most cafes - they didn't do my pet hate and fill the glass with ice, which waters down the juice - winner!

The service was attentive, friendly and speedy (on both visits).

We are going to be telling everyone about this absolute gem and will visit as soon as we're back...

I don’t usually leave reviews but I was shocked by what I experienced today. I was so excited to go to North Laine cafe for a birthday brunch with friends - I emailed and asked if I could book a table - I received a blunt email back saying they only take walk in’s, fair enough I thought although the email could have been a little warmer. I turned up today and asked for a table for 5 and asked how long the wait would be. I was met with such a rude reply from a young guy working there who said ‘I don’t know’ to how long the wait would be, zero care or customer service skills and told me I should go somewhere else. Yes, the cafe was busy just like any other cafe in Brighton but I was honestly shocked at the rude and careless response. Out of principle, I happily took my money and friends to an alternative cafe instead. Happy birthday indeed! I won’t be recommending North Laine Cafe to anyone. I have brunched at most cafes in Brighton and I have never experienced...