I can’t believe that it has been 22 years, since I last visited Brighton! I was so young and studied at Lewes College just outside Brighton. It was my first time abroad by myself – and already then I knew, that I was in love with England!

Here I am.. So many years later! Ready to relive my old memories – with Frenchie and Clara. Did you notice the naughty seagulls on the train? (Suitcases Happy Sammies by Samsonite and Soundbox Spinner by American Tourister. Greenwich diaper backpack by Skiphop)

Two happy campers! (Clara’s clothing is from JoJoMamamBébé)

It takes about 1 hour to go from London to Brighton, so you can easily go back and forward within a day. We however chose to stay over the weekend

We were kindly invited to Brighton by VisitBrighton and so excited about what was waiting ahead. (I could honestly smell the sea the minute, I came out of the train! Loved it!)

Our hotel was only 15 mins walk away from the train-station, so off we went! 

Welcome to Hotel Jurys Inn Brighton Waterfront – beautifully placed at the seafront

 – Aaaand relax! Happy days in the deluxe suite!

I was truly excited, when I opened the door to a heavenly deluxe seafront suite at Jury’s Inn! The suite was enormous, the bed was huge and the view was breathtaking! We had free wifi, a flatscreen TV, a walk-in closet and a big bathroom with slippers and soft and fluffy towels! I guess the photos speak for themselves… This was truly luxurious!

Frenchie was enjoying the spectacular view, while Clara was playing on the floor…She always seem to be missing one sock!

You don’t get hotel views like this many places in Brighton!

Jury’s Inn Brighton Waterfront is a big hotel! It has a lovely bar and lounge as well as health and leisure facilities

 – it even has a giraffe! 

Time for sightseeing! You can choose to jump on one of the colourful sightseeing busses…

– or you can explore on your own! As we lived so close to the Brighton Palace Pier, this was our first stop

This brought back memories…

The Brighton Palace Pier is also knows as Brighton Pier or Palace Pier! It is a Grade II listed pier, which opened in 1899. The Palace Pier was constructed as a replacement for the Chain Pier, which collapsed in 1896 during construction

Bonus-info: Maintaining the pier is a continuous operation, which is managed on a daily basis. It takes about 3 months to paint the entire pier, which is done once a year. Divers are employed to survey and maintain the steel substructure which supports the superstructure. In other words… Millions of pounds are invested in the maintenance of the 1,722 ft long pier, which is acknowledged as the finest pier ever built!

Get yummy fish and chips here Enjoy the fairground attractions…

– or try your luck at the two arcades (I did – but I lost! It was fun though)

There are plenty of things to do to make it a day to remember at the pier!

Like eating churros!

Yummy, yummy in Clara’s tummy!

More yummy food was coming our way at Pizzaria Nuposto! 

The Neapolitan pizza has been given UNESCO Heritage Status, which shows that Italians mean business when it comes to their beloved cuisine This is one of the two giant woodfire ovens at Nuposto! The pizzas are cooked at 450°!

Nuposto was Brighton’s first Neapolitan pizza restaurant. First and foremost we wanted to try their famous pizzas, but also to taste some other favourites, such as fresh pasta and a selection of small plates and salads.

“Pretty cool place…” Those were my thoughts, when I entered Nuposto

High, industrial ceilings and numerous high and low tables. The decor is remarkable too. Blues and whites reflect the owners passion for his home team S.S.C. Napoli. And if in doubt, just look up, where blue football shirts are hanging from the chandeliers – this will give you another clue!

The starters were absolutely amazing! 

All time favourite creamy Burrata served with parma ham, cherry tomatoes, olives ,rocket and bread! I am quite a snob, when it comes to burrata – and this one did not disappoint! 

I was also very pleased to see, that Nuposto serves oven baked aubergines with mozzarella, tomato, basil, parmesan and bread. This is not a dish, that is offered many places – and I absolutely loved it! (So did Clara and Frenchie!)

Pizza for me and pasta for Frenchie!

I really loved my pizza. It was soft and deliciously chewy (with a crispy base, as it should be)

Frenchie was in the mode for linguine with baby octopus in tomato sauce with olives and capers. He was very pleased and ate every bite with a big smile on his face

At Nuposto they have a kids menu as well! Clara was VERY happy with her Margherita – but it was a big one, so Frenchie had to help her out a bit! 

Our first day in Brighton was so lovely! But now it was time to sleep. Luckily Jury’s Inn Hotel provided us with a cot bed…

– but someone wasn’t ready to say goodnight!

Oh, well… An extra cuddle never hurt anyone! 

Breakfast extravaganza at Jurys Inn Brighton Waterfront!

You can choose to eat with a lovely seaview…

 –  or closer to all the lovely food!

I was quite impressed with the selection of food at the hotel: English Breakfast, glutenfree, continental, healthy (and not so healthy)… You name it – they had it!

No need for lunch after this… I was in my happy place!

Time to go to the most extraordinary attraction of them all!

The Royal Pavilion is an exotic palace in the centre of Brighton and a must-see…

The Grade I listed pavilion was built in stages between 1787 and 1823 as a seaside pleasure palace for King George IV (by architects Henry Holland and John Nash). As the photos show, the royal pavilion is remarkable for its exotic Indian-inspired architecture contrasted with lavish oriental interiors

It was forbidden to take photos inside the pavilion, but if you visit, you must take a closer look. The interior is stunning and home to some of Britain’s finest examples of chinoiserie

Photo by VisitBrighton

We enjoyed every minute at this beautiful palace and luckily the weather was behaving

Dont forget to visit the store while you are here. Clara really wanted the sparkling dragon!

Bonus-info: Whenever you make a purchase you are helping conserving and restoring the buildings and their works of art!

Coffee break and a bit of shopping at The Lanes – a shopper’s paradise of independent shops and boutiques

If jewellery is what you are looking for then the twisting alleyways of the lanes is the perfect place to look as they are filled with a wide variety of jewellers from contemporary designers creating stunning bespoke pieces to antique and vintage jewellery stores

I can still remember how much I loved these charming lanes, when I was a young student…

This shop really made Clara’s eyes pop out!

Ducks, ducks, ducks everywhere you look

The British-themed ducks were my favourites! Did you notice the Big Ben duck? So funny!

Frenchie loved the beautiful shop fronts…

 – and the charming pubs…

I fell completely in love with Vinyl Revolution

Oh, Hi there, Iggy! This is such a cool store…

We found this “Boy George” teapot quite hilarious! 

Next stop… The BAi36!

No it is not an UFO that you see behind me… It is a super tall observation tower (162m)!

Bonus-info: The tower opened on 4 August 2016. From the fully enclosed viewing pod, visitors experience 360-degree views across Brighton, the South Downs, the English Channel and on the clearest days it is possible to see Beachy Head17 miles (27 km) to the east and the Isle of Wight 41 miles (66 km) to the west. British Airways i360 was designed, engineered, manufactured and promoted by the team responsible for the London Eye (Read more here!)

Ready to go aboard!

Not sure, that Clara found this as funny as we did… Bad mum and dad!

No words needed! 

We were slowly gliding up to 450ft for Brighton’s best views

There is a bar inside the giant glass viewing pod! Clara had a snack too! All of this excitement had made her very thirsty! Bonus-info: The Nyetimber Sky Bar is the South Coast´s highest bar

We had such an amazing experience! I would definitely recommend Brighton visitors to try it out

It had started to rain, so we were happy to spend our Saturday evening at one of the best restaurants in Brighton! Welcome to English’s Seafood Restaurant and Oyster Bar

English’s is one of the oldest seafood restaurants in Brighton placed in the heart of the lanes. I loved the atmosphere – cosy and very romantic

The menu card was impressive. Here is certainly something for everybody, so whether you are looking for a traditional plate of seafood, or in the mood to try a contemporary twist on a classic dish, its here! Bonus-info: The wine list at English’s is exquisite. (There are over 120 wines!) When Frenchie is happy – it means, that there is an excellent selection to choose from!

Kir Royale for me and a Bloody Mary for Frenchie! Clara was happy in her highchair playing with her crayons. All was good!

 – But it became even better, when these delicious lobster and prawn croquettes with aïoli were served to me! 

Frenchie loves oysters!

Having grown up in an area of France, where oysters are particularily good, Frenchie is very picky. He was however persuaded to taste these beautiful Oysters… The verdict? He ate them so fast, that I hardly had time to take a photo! They were a winner and we really wish, that we lived closer, so we could come and eat here more often!

I am a VERY big fan of Gazpacho – and it is not often, that I find it on menu cards. So when I laid eyes on the Gazpacho soup with tomato, cucumber, green pepper, onion, garlic and dill oil, I simply had to have it! It was as good as I expected! 

A very beautifully presented tuna loin with a chilled glass of Pouilly-Fumé

This is actually a sharing platter, but the lovely staff at English’s suggested to serve a smaller plate for Frenchie (as I was having something else!). On the plate: Sashimi grade tuna marinated in honey coated in sesame seeds and seared. Served rare with wasabi crackers and seaweed and citrus salad.

Trying to look good, while Clara was photobombing the photo playing peekaboo with a napkin!

My star of the evening was this gorgeous whole dressed brown crab with hen egg, leaf salad and lemon mayonnaise. I still dream about it…

Our little one was enjoying vanilla ice cream for dessert

 – and we had a stunning mini version of all the desserts! 

English’s treated us very well! This restaurant is a must-visit, if you are looking for really good seafood in Brighton! 

I would like to thank Visit Brighton for inviting us to this vibrant and colourful city. We had so much fun here and enjoyed every minute!

Also a big thank you to Jurys Inn Brighton Waterfront for treating us like royalty! (I still miss that sea view from our luxurious suite!)

Last but not least… Thank you BAi360 for giving us the most amazing experience up in the sky and to Nuposto and English’s for lovely food and being amazing with Clara!

Louise x