17GRAMS Brighton: coffee and brunch in The Lanes

17GRAMS has been running on Meeting House Lane since 2016. It sits in The Lanes, the cluster of narrow streets in the old part of Brighton known for its small shops and antique dealers. Meeting House Lane is one of the wider lanes there, and the cafe's address is 12d Meeting House Lane, BN1 1HB. The words "coffee, brunch and good vibes" are painted on the front. Inside, it feels artsy and laid-back, with plenty of plants and rustic wooden furniture. The listing describes it as cosy and quiet enough for conversation, and it welcomes dogs and children.

The menu leans heavily towards vegetarian and plant-based food, and there are gluten-free options too. Vegan and vegetarian choices appear across both food and drinks. Among the meat dishes, The Breakfast comes with sausages, bacon, a hash brown, miso mushroom BBQ beans, wilted kale, a poached egg and pesto, while the Breakfast Burrito combines smashed avocado, sweet chilli, scrambled egg, spinach, mushrooms, bacon, sausage and hash browns. For a meat-free option, the Maple Lentil and Roasted Veg pairs chilli and maple fried lentils with seasonal roasted vegetables and smoked garlic and lime pesto. The Asparagus Hash brings garlic fried potatoes, feta, pan-fried asparagus and a poached egg. For something sweet, the Cornflake Brioche French Toast is served with scrambled eggs, bacon or coconut bacon and maple syrup. The cafe also serves coffee, loose leaf teas, cakes and pastries. The beans are roasted in-house, and the coffee comes from New Zealand roasters Allpress. Wider drinks range is updated regularly with new blends from the roastery.

The cafe is open Monday to Saturday from 9:00 to 17:00, and on Sunday from 9:30 to 17:00. Brunch is served until 4:30pm according to the official listing, although other sources give 3pm or 3:30pm, so it's worth checking before you set off. You don't need to book. Walk-ins are accepted, and groups of six or more should email meetinghouselane@17grams.co.uk to check availability, as a deposit is required to secure a booking. The phone number is 01273 110210. The listing gives an average spend of under £30 per person. Laptops are only welcome on the communal table, and anyone using one needs to buy food or drink for the length of their visit. There are no charging points, and the free Wi-Fi comes with no guarantee of stability or security. The food hygiene rating is 5, and the cafe has a 4.7 out of 5 rating from 890 reviews.

Free parking is hard to find nearby. The NCP Russell Road car park on Brighton Centre, Russell Road is open 24 hours, has 536 spaces, and charges £3.50 for one hour, £6 for one to two hours, and £32 for 10 to 24 hours. Brighton Rail Station is about 681 metres from the cafe in a straight line. There are now three 17GRAMS sites in Brighton and Hove: the original cafe, a residential shop, and a roastery.