Brighton Shopping

The store on Duke Street is amazing; the staff are incredibly friendly and really do all they can to help you find what you are looking for. The presentation of the chocolates is beautiful; the shop is well laid out, making it easy to find what you are looking for.

What to buy: My favourite is the Pink Champagn Truffles, you get 16 truffles in a lovley box. The truffles have a real cream filling and are dusted with icing sugar and strawberry power..Delicious!

What to pay: Well if you can't resit the mouth-watering chocolates on display then you can expect to pay around £20 for a box of chocolates.

I discovered it is cheaper to buy some clothes and shoes from Brighton, than doing it in Bulgaria. I was really surprised because I didn't expect that. Even in sports shops like Adidas you can find goods in better prices. So, don't hesitate, just look around and visit them:)

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Vogue Diamond have 2 shops in The famous Lanes.
A super and wide range of every kind of jewellery imaginable expertly advised by professional people who offer very pleasant hospitality & a very nice shopping experience.
Vogue manufacture a lot of their own collection and take on tailor made requests, so if you have personal designs, or pictures of pieces you would like to have made to order - make sure you talk to them. Most Vogue gold is yellow or white 14 or 18ct, but they also produce platinum and other gold - what ever you want.

What to buy: Diamond jewellery especially, however there is a massive range of gold, silver, gemstones, precious stones and watches.
Great for engagements, weddings, anniversaries and presents to suit all occasions.

What to pay: Thats over to you!

Brighton is just this sort of town. The clientele are young and well off, and it has an edginess to it that is most attractive.

Hence shops like this. They are opposite each other on Gardner St right by Komedia (q.v.) Superior to high st chains eg Ann Summers in quality (so I'm told) and in scope

Yes, you need to be braodminded, but great fun to browse and buy if you are with the right person x x

What to buy: Let your imagination guide you

What to pay: As muc has you like

Celebrating 60 years in business since their shop opened in 1948, Audrey's are renowned in Brighton and Hove for making the finest traditional handmade chocolates. Their speciality is fondant creams - I quote 'Traditional English Rose and Violets Creams are hand made in our kitchen to traditional recipes using the finest fondants, rose and violet oils, enrobed in plain chocolate and decorated with crystallized rose and violet petals'. Hmm, not usually my first choice out of the choccy box but even I'm interested! They also create the full range of hard and soft centred chocolates and in my humble opinion they produce the finest chocolate gingers I've ever tasted! Crystallised peppermints, chocolate covered orange peel, nuts and nougat, langue du chat...it's all waiting for you. Bring money and elasticated trousers.

What to buy: Chocolate gingers. Superbly good.

What to pay: The more you want the more you'll pay - but it is rather special!

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Montezuma's was founded in 2000 by two lawyers who wanted the swap the dry and dusty for the delicious and delightful. When it first opened this single outlet it was the first high profile traditional chocolate shop in Brighton since the long established Audrey's and the successful Thorntons confectionery chain. But whereas the Audrey's was based on traditional excellence, and Thorntons on mass market appeal (and splendid toffee!), Montezuma's aimed at a trendier crowd using a more modern approach to chocolate making that drew upon exotic tastes and fair trade/organic practices.

There are now 6 stores in total scattered across south east England and all sell a mixture of fine organic chocolate bars, chunky slabs of chocolate and hand made truffles and other chocs. The range isn't as large as somewhere like Audreys who concentrate on the hand made side of the business specialising in ready prepared and customer selected boxes, so if you want an impressive box of wonderful traditional chocolates I'd go there. If however you want to spoil yourself, indulge the kids, grab a bar of 'chilli' choc or buy something as a dinner party pressie then Montezuma's will do very nicely thank-you.

Mon-Sat 0930-1800, Sun 1100-1700

What to buy: ...'er, chocolate?

I have a worrying fascination for old fashioned ironmongers - 'er, that's the shops, not the people! I'm not quite sure what it is about them as I'll never get around to using 99% of what they stock. I rather think it's the huge variety of shiny things on display. Compartmentalized and intriguing like some mysterious, chocolate stuffed advent calendar there are plenty of items you might never have seen before or even believed existed. In most peoples' everyday lives one seldom gets the chance to study an impressive array of brass letterboxes of porcelain doorknobs - well, a postman does, but only one at a time.

This is definitely the shop to visit when you are suffering from one of those "If only I had a ...." moments. You can fill in the gap yourselves but this might include - doorstop, decent lock, spare key, bulb for my torch, stencil paintbrush, a brass number 3 etc
This is the shop where overheard conversations often begin, "Have you got one of those things that slips under that bit that sticks out from underneath those funny..." You get my drift? Luckily there are plenty of knowledgable staff on hand to help you put into words exactly what it is you might be after.

Shop opening times.
Monday - Friday: 8 a.m to 5:30 pm
Saturday: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

What to buy: One of those things that slips under...

What to pay: Pence to pounds.

My how this place has changed! Back in the 1970s you would walk into this shop uncertain whether you'd end up with agitprop or aubergines - but nowadays the emphasis is most certainly on the latter. As somebody who has been an eager supporter of the organic/green movement for many years, I always appreciated their stand if not their dress code. I wanted the alternative energy but not the hard left political posters that used to be dotted around the walls. For this was an earthy workers cooperative with vision and a desire to mix food and politics. Ultimately as it 'wholefoods' became more than a food fad they must have realised that they were in the business of competing with supermarkets and needed to freshen up their image. So although they have the same communal spirit they have been well and truly clutched to the bosom of trendy Brighton and have the shop interiors to match.

Basically you need to head here for all sorts of foodstuffs with the emphasis on the natural. Wholefoods, organic, gluten-free, free trade, lactose intolerent, vegetarian and an excellent fresh veg and bakery section - it's all here. Well almost! As long standing vegetarians I don't think they sell meat. To quote their mission statement:

"We believe that it is our responsibility to provide food that is as far as possible, natural and unadulterated, free from GM and hydrogenated fat, organic and 'Fairtrade' accredited and sourced from companies with high ethical standards. As well as trading and building relations with producers and suppliers in developing countries, we are equally as committed to sourcing as much as possible locally. We aim for a fair and just business practice with all of our trading partners, suppliers and producers and in turn, our customers."

But please don't think they're giving it away! if you're expecting them to be as cheap as supermarkets then think again. Their is a cost to having high ideals.

Open between the hours of 9.30am-6pm Monday to Saturday and from 11am-5pm Sundays.

What to buy: if you're peckish head straight for the bakery section and grab a slice of their delicious vegetarian pizza. Even the gluten free one is wonderful!