Brighton's Best Cake Spots for a Hen Weekend
Brighton takes its cake seriously, and a hen weekend is the perfect excuse to join in. Whether you want a showstopper for the bride, a sit-down afternoon tea for the group, or a box of pastries to carry back to the house, these are the 17 spots we send our hens to.
By Stephen · 8 min read · June 2026
Brighton takes its cake very seriously, and a hen weekend gives you every excuse to join in. Picture a showstopper to surprise the bride, an unhurried afternoon tea where the whole group can sit and gossip, or an early run to the bakery for a box of pastries to bring back to the long table. From French patisserie up by the station to a Russian honey cake over in Hove, here are the 17 spots we would send your hens to.
Julien Plumart
4.6 ★Queens Road runs straight down from the station, which makes Julien Plumart a glorious first stop the moment your hens arrive. French-trained pastry chef Julien turns out some of the prettiest things in the city: rows of glossy macarons, light as air with bold, true flavours, and layered cakes almost too lovely to cut into. The pastry selection changes regularly, so there is always something new to photograph before anyone eats it. Buy a box of macarons for the house and you have set the tone for the whole weekend.
Honey Cake by Mary
4.9 ★If you want a cake nobody in the group has tasted before, this is it. Mary makes Medovik, the traditional Russian honey cake, from a family recipe: delicate honey-cookie layers, cream, and finishes like pistachio, raspberry or coffee under a rich ganache. It is the highest-rated spot on this list, 4.9 from nearly 150 reviews, and it is genuinely unlike anything else in Brighton. The catch is the location, over in Hove on Richardson Road, and the fact that it is worth ordering ahead, so make it the bride's cake and have it waiting at the house.
Jacob's Bakery
4.7 ★A North Laine favourite on Gloucester Place, Jacob's has a devoted local following for very good reason. The brownies are rich and fudgy, the Victoria sponge is a textbook beauty, and everything is made with real care. It is the sort of place you nip into for a sourdough loaf and leave with a box of treats you had no intention of buying, which is exactly what you want on a slow Saturday morning. Grab enough for the whole house and let people graze.
The Open Bakery
4.8 ★Over in Kemptown on St George's Road, The Open Bakery bakes some of the best cakes and sourdough in the city fresh every day. There is a catch: the cakes often sell out by early afternoon, so this is one for the early riser in your group while everyone else is still surfacing. Send her out with a long order and she will come back a hero. Do not skip the sourdough while she is there.
Cafe Marmalade
4.6 ★Marmalade has dreamy Parisian-style interiors that will have the whole table reaching for their phones, plus a menu of homemade cakes, fresh salads and quiche. The Guinness chocolate cake is the one everyone talks about: rich, deeply chocolatey, and absolutely worth the calories. It is on Eastern Road in Kemptown, it is dog friendly, the coffee is excellent, and the breakfasts get rave reviews too. With over 850 reviews behind it, this is a lovely sit-down stop when the group wants to slow down for an hour.
Cloud 9
4.7 ★This is the one to bookmark before you even arrive. Cloud 9 in the North Laine is an independent cake shop that specialises in showstoppers: fabulous rainbow cakes, cupcakes by the box, and made-to-order celebration cakes, all handmade on site. Order something personal for the bride ahead of the weekend and you have the centrepiece for the big dinner sorted. Or just pop in for a slice and a coffee, or an ice cream when the sun is out.
Real Patisserie
4.5 ★A Brighton institution that has been turning out beautiful European pastries for years, with the original on Trafalgar Street near the station and another on Western Road in Hove. The counter is full of croissants, tarts, eclairs and richly layered cakes, all done with a Continental flair that is hard to find elsewhere. It never seems to dip in quality, which is exactly why locals keep going back. Grab a mixed box on your way past and nobody at the house will complain.
Leman Tea Room
4.9 ★For a proper sit-down afternoon of tea and cake, Leman Tea Room on Madeira Place in Kemptown is hard to beat. The setting is charming, the cakes are exceptional, and the whole thing feels like an occasion rather than a quick pit stop, which makes it a brilliant daytime hen activity that the bride's mum will love as much as the bride. It is one of the highest-rated sweet spots in the city, 4.9 from nearly 400 reviews. Book ahead for a group and give yourselves a slow, indulgent hour between the bigger plans.
Neeko
4.6 ★Neeko on Duke Street, right in the heart of the Lanes, is a speciality coffee and cake shop with serious matcha credentials and a beautifully put-together feel. The cakes are as photogenic as they are good, and the window display alone will pull you in off the street mid-wander. There is even a reading nook to settle into with a slice of something while the shoppers in your group keep going. Nearly 270 reviews in a short space of time tell you the locals are already loyal.
Cielo Cakery
4.8 ★Cielo Cakery on Stanford Avenue is where creativity meets cake. It is known for visually stunning cupcakes, signature cake jars, and beautiful celebration cakes, all made with real precision and flair. The cake jars make brilliant little favours if you want something sweet at each place setting, and the vegan brownies are rich enough that nobody will guess they are plant-based, which covers the dairy-free hen in your group. Worth a detour for a personal cake or a box of something special.
Loaft
4.5 ★Loaft on Prince Albert Street is not just a cafe, it is a concept store that runs as a coffee shop by day and a wine bar by night, which makes it a versatile one to know. The pastries are the reason it earns its place here, rated 10 out of 10 by locals, and the hot chocolate is something special too. The space is beautifully designed and stocked with homeware and gifts, so browsing is half the fun. It is one of the most photogenic spots in the Lanes and an easy detour for anyone who likes good cake in a gorgeous setting.
Bayon Bakery
4.6 ★Near Hove station on Hove Park Villas, Bayon Bakery does traditional baking properly: fresh bread, indulgent cakes and classic pastries, all made daily with good ingredients and no fuss. It is the kind of neighbourhood bakery every area wishes it had, warm and consistently good, and the locals clearly know it. If your house is on the Hove side, send someone out for a serious bakery run first thing. They will come back with breakfast for everyone and the kettle will already be on.
Garden Cafe Brighton
4.6 ★The Garden Cafe on North Road is a relaxed, welcoming spot that feels like a well-kept secret, even with 4.6 stars from over 450 reviews. The cake selection is always fresh and varied, and the room has a warm, homely feel that makes it very easy to linger over a second coffee. It is perfect for a mid-morning cake stop while the group works its way around the North Laine. Think of it as the quieter alternative when the busier cafes nearby are heaving.
Trading Post Coffee
4.3 ★Trading Post on Ship Street is one of Brighton's best-loved coffee spots, and the brownies are a big part of why. They are dense and fudgy and the ideal partner to one of the excellent flat whites, which over 1,300 reviews will happily back up. The spot in the Lanes makes it an easy pause mid-shop, when half the group needs caffeine and the other half needs sugar. Simple, dependable and always good.
Brass Monkey
4.7 ★Brass Monkey on Hanningtons Lane in the Lanes is an organic ice cream parlour making small batches of the real thing from raw, mostly local ingredients, and that is only half the story. The cakes get just as much praise, with inventive bakes like lime courgette and pumpkin carrot cake, and the coffee is locally roasted Pharmacie. The vibe is chilled and a little bit hip, the staff know their stuff, and it is exactly the kind of warm-afternoon treat a hen group falls into and does not leave for an hour.
Gail's Bakery
4.3 ★Yes, it is a chain, but Gail's on North Road in Hove does its job very well. The pastries and cakes are baked fresh daily, the coffee is consistently good, and the quality of the ingredients shows. The cinnamon bun and the seasonal cakes are always worth a look, and the sourdough is excellent if you want a loaf for the house. It is the dependable pick for when you want something you already know will be good.
BrodWolf
4.7 ★The bakery arm of Brighton coffee brand Wolfox, BrodWolf on Gardner Street is a celebration of slow fermentation and flavour-forward baking. Expect long-fermented sourdough, flaky croissants, cruffins and focaccia, all made fresh daily with no preservatives and nothing frozen. The room is all natural textures and the smell of warm bread, with the counter stacked high, the sort of place that makes you slow right down. The coffee is a custom Wolfox blend roasted here in Brighton, and you can take a bag back to the house, so this is the North Laine bakery run sorted.
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