Brighton's Best Cafes for a Hen Group
From award-winning brunch tables to a cafe full of rescue cats, these are the Brighton cafes that will look after a hen group the morning after. Great coffee, homemade cake, and room to relive last night.
By Stephen · 6 min read · June 2026
Every hen weekend needs its slow morning. After the big night you want somewhere to gather the whole group around coffee and cake, piece together what actually happened, and ease everyone back to life before the next thing. Brighton does this better than almost anywhere: not chains on every corner, but independent cafes full of character, brilliant coffee and cake worth rearranging the day for. Here are the ten we send our hen groups to, from Hanover to Hove.
Starfish & Coffee
4.8 ★One of our favourite morning-after tables, up in the hilly streets of Hanover beside Queens Park. Starfish & Coffee has been winning brunch awards for years, and the freshly baked pastries and reliably excellent coffee are exactly what a tender group needs. It is small and very popular, so locals queue at weekends; book ahead or send an advance party to hold the table for the rest of you. At 4.8 from over 1,300 reviews it is one of the highest-rated cafes in the city. A gentle way to ease the group into a day on Brighton's east side.
Oeuf
4.7 ★If anywhere on this list was built for the group photo, it is Oeuf. The pastel-pink room on Third Avenue in Hove has been all over Instagram for years, and the brunch lives up to the backdrop: Frumpets (crumpet meets French toast) and eggs done every way you can think of. The weekend brunch cocktails are the gentle hair-of-the-dog the morning after calls for. It is one of the most popular cafes in the city, so book well ahead for a big table, especially on a Saturday. The bride will want a picture before the plates arrive.
Moksha
4.7 ★Moksha on York Place, just up by London Road, has been voted one of Brighton's best for years, and with over 2,000 reviews at 4.7 the locals clearly mean it. The coffee is award-winning, the homemade cakes are dangerously good, and the meals are hearty enough to put a big group back together after a late one. The atmosphere is relaxed and roomy, which makes it one of the easiest on this list to fit the whole hen party around. If you need a full sit-down near the centre, this is the one.
Lost in The Lanes
4.6 ★On a quiet side street off the main Lanes, Lost in The Lanes does the rare thing of working at any hour, which helps when a hen group is never quite agreed on what time it is. Mornings bring Pharmacie Coffee and wholesome breakfasts, lunch is seasonal and creative, and by evening there is wine and cocktails if the day rolls on. The vegan options are good rather than an afterthought, so the whole table is covered. It is refined without being stuffy, and it takes a group comfortably. Easily one for the shortlist.
Marmalade
4.6 ★Over in Kemptown on Eastern Road, Marmalade has the kind of dreamy, Parisian-style room that makes a group want to stay all afternoon. The breakfasts have built its name, with locals calling them some of the best in Brighton, and you should not leave without the Guinness chocolate cake. It is dog friendly and the staff are warm, which sets exactly the right tone for a slow group morning. It is on the smaller side, so book ahead for a hen table or aim for a quieter weekday. A real favourite on this side of town.
Munchies' Craft Cat Cafe
4.4 ★If your hen group wants something different from the standard brunch, Brighton's first cat cafe and tapas bar is on Market Street in the North Laine, set over two floors with mood lighting and a crew of resident rescue cats including Oreo, Phobos and Ziggy. Sessions are £10 per person for an hour and you do need to book, which makes it an easy thing to lock in for the whole group ahead of time. The tapas is taken seriously rather than thrown together, and on the last Friday of the month they run cats and tarot reading evenings, which is about as hen-weekend as an afternoon gets. There is a cat-themed gift shop on the way out, dangerous for the group kitty. If the bride loves cats, this is her hour.
17 Grams
4.7 ★17 Grams roast their own coffee in small batches, and you taste it the moment your flat white lands. Down Meeting House Lane in the Lanes, it doubles as one of the city's best brunch spots, with breakfast burritos, pancakes with rhubarb compote and plenty of good veggie options for the table. The garden out back is a sun trap and a fine place to park a group on a bright morning. The staff are the kind who remember your order, which on day two of a hen weekend feels like a small kindness. We came for the coffee and stayed for the food.
Kenny's Rock & Soul Cafe
4.7 ★A classic old-school cafe with bags of character, Kenny's sits right on Kensington Gardens in the heart of the North Laine. Grab the wooden booths inside or the sunny balcony for prime people-watching over a full English, and know the vegans and vegetarians are well looked after too. The music is always spot on, the portions are generous and the bill is kind, which matters when you are feeding a big group. It gets busy at weekends for good reason, so aim for a weekday or arrive early if you want a hen-sized table without the wait. Brilliant value and a real slice of the Laine.
Granny's Café
4.9 ★If the group is after the best matcha in Brighton, Granny's on Ship Street in the Lanes is the answer, with a 4.9 rating to back it up. The signature drinks run from strawberry matcha to red bean matcha, alongside a seriously good Thai tea you will not find elsewhere in the city. The pastries are well worth pairing with whatever you order, and the staff are some of the friendliest you will meet. It is a small place, so it suits a few of you peeling off for a quieter moment rather than the whole hen party at once. Quiet proof that a cafe does not need to be big to leave a mark.
Loam Brighton
4.6 ★Loam is a beautifully put-together Scandi-style cafe on Gloucester Road, run by husband-and-wife team Francesco and Dela. The coffee comes in handmade ceramic cups, and the cinnamon rolls and almond croissants are worth the walk on their own. Locals rave about the hot chocolate, and we can confirm it is up there with the best in Brighton, which the non-coffee drinkers in the group will thank you for. The room has a warm, considered feel and an ever-changing run of single-origin coffees for the ones who care. A neighbourhood cafe that feels like a find.
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