Happy weekend! As we roll into the second week of the Fringe (already!), don’t forget to check out our reviews and top picks. We’ve loved everything we’ve seen so far, including the Big Bitesize Breakfast Show and Sitting (in Silence), both of which you can still catch this weekend. There are more artists’ open houses to enjoy too – we’d recommend just picking a trail – any trail – and having an explore of an area you don’t know very well. Keep reading for some more weekend fun, from new markets, secret dining hacks and Brighton’s hottest terraces to enjoy right now.
Head to market
Preston Park is holding its very first food market this weekend. You’ll find the new weekly market next to the park’s fragrant rose garden. It’s packed with stalls from loads of local artisanal traders – think fresh cut flowers, hot sauce, Hungarian acacia honey, coffee blends, fruity gins, small-batch English wines, Italian and Cypriot deli goods, French cheese, breads, ceramics and textiles, and more. Plus there’ll be plenty to eat while you’re there, such as Neapolitan-style pizza, vegan Mexican dishes, Hangry Bear’s excellent smashed beef patties, and crepes. Arrive hungry.
Every Sunday from 11th May; 10am – 3pm; free
Preston Park Market
Soak up the rays on a sunny terrace
Another bout of deliciously summer-like weather is forecast for this weekend, so a terrace hang is a must – these are the ones we’re loving right now. The new Hove venue from the Bison Beer gang, Babble, is opening this weekend as part of its soft launch, so head down for some triple-terrace action with beers, brunch, BBQ, yoga and killer sea views. Read more about it here. Pearly Cow recently launched its terrace and it’s a goodie. Perched directly opposite the West Pier with the i360 to the right, it’s the perfect spot for a long lazy lunch or for settling in to watch the sun go down with an excellent cocktail, some oysters or a pizzette fresh out of the outdoor pizza oven. Over past the pier, we’re still loving the newly democratised Cecconi’s for northern Italian dishes, decent wines and wide-ranging sea views from under those scalloped umbrellas, the gorgeous Reading Room – now with umbrellas! – for breakfast, brunch and weekend supper clubs, and old favourite Bison Beach Bar at Sea Lanes for a livelier vibe with a side of seaview action. FAnd you can’t beat The Setting Sun from near the top of hilly Hanover for a spot of, no surprises here, sunset-watching.
Catch a Fringe show
Part of the joy of the Fringe is being able to see a show impulsively, without too much forethought. It gives you the chance to discover things that you might not normally gravitate towards, but which can end up being ridiculously fun. Despite our conviction that can be an excellent way to Fringe, here’s some of our to-see list for this second Fringe weekend (as well as what we’ve already reviewed): Cabarave’s eclectic curiositea party on Saturday afternoon; Do The Thing’s brilliant Choose Your Own Musical on Saturday and Sunday at 8pm; a fresh take on Tom Stoppard’s tragicomedy Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead – with a cast of four taking on all the 20 roles and with added audience participation (Friday and Saturday; 7.30pm); and funny twin-based magic show, Magician Twinpossible with Kane & Abel (Friday, Saturday and Sunday; 7pm).
brightonfringe.org
Access a secret dish on the Burger & Lobster menu with this hack
Fries are great, but lobster-loaded fries? Even better, right? But you’ll need to know the secret sentence if you want to get your hands on the boujee dish to end all boujee dishes – fries laden with two whole lobsters, cheese sauce, chives, and lemon and garlic butter sauce – at Brighton’s Burger & Lobster. If you tell the staff ‘I know about the secret loaded fries’ (because now you do), you’ll get exclusive access. Exclusivity doesn’t come cheap, though. This (admittedly generous) sharing dish costs £75 and it’s only available for a limited period. If you’ve paid your bills and are feeling extraordinarily decadent or celebrating a special occasion, you can even add on a 10g tin of Exmoor caviar for another £20. You can read our review of our recent visit here. Spoiler alert: it was very very good.
Discover Kemptown’s no-longer-so-secret garden
We love it when we uncover somewhere that’s been right under our nose but we’ve somehow missed. This Kemptown slice of heaven in garden form is exactly that. Only it’s not so secret any more. Run by the Antony Dale Trust (Dale founded Brighton’s Regency Society), the beautifully planted walled garden holds temporary exhibitions. This year, they’re hosting a new exhibition of sculptures by German-born, Sussex-based sculptor Almuth Tebbenhoff and they’ve been open since the Easter bank holiday weekend. Brighton caterers Table are also in situ to cater for foodie needs (big up the wild garlic and Cheddar scones), serving up supremely tasty sweet and savoury homemade treats. Perfect for enjoying in this little dog-friendly oasis of calm, a welcome world away from the frenzy of nearby Eastern Road.
Open Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays; 11am – 5pm; free
Bristol Gardens, Kemp Town, Brighton BN2 5JE
secretgardenkemptown.co.uk
What else?
Book lovers, authors and everyone in between should head to Beyond The Book festival on Saturday (9am – 5pm; from £30) for a day of entertaining panel discussions with well-known local writers. There’s a new fashion exhibition at Brighton Museum & Art Gallery – In Crowd: Mod Fashion and Style 1958 – 1966 – exploring the Mod look and its impact on youth culture (opens on Saturday). Paper Daisy are back with their bumper Spring Makers’ Market at Hove’s British Engineerium (Saturday and Sunday; 10.30am – 4.30pm; free). It’s time for another full moon, swim and yoga beach party with Ruby Moon (Sunday; 8pm; free). The Extraordinary Miss Flower – which tells the story of Geraldine Flower, and the discovery of vast numbers of her letters that inspired singer-songwriter Emilíana Torrini – is showing on Sunday (6pm) at Duke’s at Komedia with a Q&A with the directors and singer. And head to SpiegelGardens on Sunday for a free performance by Aflo The Poet on the bandstand (4pm).
