Cafe Rust in Brighton and Hove

Preston Road, Brighton—between Preston Circus and the railway viaduct—can not claim to be the prettiest part of Brighton. Nor is it the busiest, nor the most hip and happening. Preston Road is not really a place you go to; it’s a place you pass through being, that it is, the main thoroughfare north out of the city. Yet Café Rust is pretty. It is busy. It is hip and happening and you’ll often find it a challenge to get a table at peak times. That said, there’s a garden at the back and tables out the front in addition to the inside space. And the friendly staff will always do their best to accommodate you. In fact, Café Rust is a little gem and I’ve not even mentioned the coffee yet! It must’ve been about five or six years ago that I first visited Café Rust having walked past it many times. In fact I’d previously looked in and dismissed it without trying it. And that was a mistake. After visiting for the first time I found that the coffee, the food, the cakes were all excellent. In fact the Carrot Cake, which is the yardstick by which to measure the quality of any cafe, was delicious, and not dry like many others are. Naomi said it was the first time she’d made Carrot Cake. She got it absolutely spot on! And ever since then I’ve been a regular visitor, sometimes daily, drawn not only by the feel of the place but by the most excellent and consistent coffee that you’re able to find anywhere in Brighton. You must try the Rust breakfast. The food created by Anna and her team in the kitchen is truly impressive and very tasty. If you want to impress your friends, bring them to Café Rust. If you’re a discerning customer and want first class coffee, come to Café Rust. If you find yourself on Preston Road, Brighton, pop in to Café Rust. And if none of these apply, just make a special visit. It’s well worth it.

We had our wedding party at Cafe Rust last year, and everything about it was fantastic! Anna is the QUEEN of organisation and delicious food, and thanks to her and the team we had the perfect wedding. The cafe looked beautiful, the food was amazing (people were talking for months afterwards about the slow-cooked middle eastern lamb!) and all the staff were so friendly and worked so hard to ensure everything went smoothly. Would 100% recommend Cafe Rust as the perfect venue and it will always hold a special place in our hearts <3

Came here today with a little dachshund puppy. They found us a nice quiet table in the back, took our order almost immediately. Drinks came in 2 mins and the food in about 8-10mins (and it was amazing, I’m going to have dreams about it). Super fast service, lovely staff. Great music and a lovely atmosphere. Puppy loved it too!

An excellent cafe on Preston Road. Just go in, its very rustic with excellent service and very good food. 5 stars all round.

Unwelcoming staff. Couldn’t have made us feel more like they didn’t want us there and we were an inconvenience during their countdown to closing (we were there long before closing). Didn’t even get to sit down before we were asked for our drinks order. It went down hill from there. Huge shame considering there are very few cafes in the area. Food is usually good. Will not be going back.

best hidden brunch place, the interior is gorgeous, fab rustic/ boho vibes! the food is absolutely delicious and honestly priced, recommend recommend!

Great food, just delicious. Rude waiter, he was clearly stressed and fed up. Shame.

The team from Cafe Rust (Barbaros, Ciaran and Roxanne) managed to pull together an unforgettable last-minute dinner for a group of sixteen people. It truly couldn't have been better. Though it wasn't at the cafe itself, they curated a flawless plant-based menu made up of seven dishes and served it at a private venue near Brighton. The service was professional whilst being friendly and personable, they were a pleasure to work with and the whole thing went off without a hitch. Cost-wise it was well worth what we paid and considering how last-minute it was (we had a caterer drop out with about a week to go!) it's pretty unbelievable that we ended up with something so perfect. Can't wait to visit the restaurant itself but based off this experience, I have no doubt that it'll be fantastic.

Good place for brunch. Perfectly cooked tofu scramble and avocado on toast. Lovely sourdough. Coffee hot and delicious. Staff friendly.

I love this place and although usually visit the Preston Road venue, have recently enjoyed the George Street cafe too. Unpretentious, tasty menu, reasonably priced and friendly service. What's not to like?

The best bacon sandwich in town, superb!

Hands down the best cafe. The staff, coffee and food are amazing! This has been our local for a while and we will really miss it when we move (though will definitely come and visit!). The almond crossaints, avocado and eggs on toast and the caramel oat lattes are insane. Also super dog friendly too!

Hard to find a better coffee and eggs combo in Brighton. Treat yourself!

Great place, a hidden gem in the area

The place for hairy unwashed feminists. Saw them host an Autistic Art event the other week.

Food was amazing, the staff were friendly, would definitely come back and recommend. Very dog friendly

No room for walk-ins, but empty tables booked for over half an hour later, this can’t be the most efficient way to manage tables, and continues to be disappointing for any shred of spontaneity left in society

Very expensive, staff nice but for what you get it's more like presented nice rather than alot of food for the money a breakfast bap thing £14

Such a great brunch place. Staff is super friendly, food comes out super quickly even on weekends and the vibe is really chilled. Options are good for veggie/vegan food too, and the virgin bloody mary was lovely. Would recommend the rustic veggie breakfast, the halloumi is delicious! Only note would be that I didn't know they had specials - they're up on a board and I didn't know about them as I had a reservation and didn't go up to the till. Other than that, super lovely brunch place

Went for breakfast and was really impressed. The vegan breakfast was a slide of sourdough, a sausage, 1/2 tomato, 1/2 avocado, wilted spinach and a bit of sweet potato with houmous. Really tasty and delish - would definitely recommend if you're in Brighton. The style and interior design is really nice and tasteful. Quite boojie. Staff are very friendly. £13 for breakfast, £4 juice, £3 coffee. Not the biggish portions but they have quality over quantity.

Nous y avons fêté le mariage de notre fils. Accueil très gentil et nourriture excellente.

Wonderful cafe to visit. Fantastic venue, and wonderful place for private hire couldn’t recommend more

Fantastic Cafe! Had a delicious vegetarian lunch and coffee's here - great food, great decor and excellent staff service. Can be busy so advisable to book, but well worth a visit 😊 catered well for our little toddler as well which is always appreciated!

Lovely brunch place. Very tasty. Matcha latte was good too. V speedy service despite being busy and the server was very nice.

Firstly, it is one of my fav brunch cafes in Brighton, staff is always nice and accommodating and food is really high quality. However, it has been 3 occasions where kitchen shuts earlier. Within last 2 months. I usually come after 2pm because of nature of my work but also because there are higher chances to have a table and it is quieter. I would like to bring it to the attention of management if possible to keep the kitchen hours stable? Or maybe you could change the opening hours officially to 2.30pm? Those 3 occasions when the kitchen shut earlier meant i was unable to eat elsewhere as most of the place shut at 3pm. Thanks,

A Delightful experience with friendly staff. I got the simple but perfectly cooked poached eggs and smoked salmon on toast.

We came for brunch at 11am on Saturday. The food was delicious! We had vegan breakfast, poached eggs and avocado on toast and tiramisu french toast. The staff are super friendly. Hot chocolate was yummy!

Everything was fine, the staff was amazing and attentive! Warmed Regards

I dropped in for gluten free lunch as I am a coeliac. I ordered the breakfast gluten free and got given normal bread.At the time I did not realise so ate everything.I spent the afternoon in Preston park vomiting and weak due to the large amount of gluten consumed. I will not eat there again for obvious reasons. If you have an allergy I would strongly advise not eating there.

A very nice vegan brunch - slightly expensive, but tasty with fresh ingredients, including sweet potato. Friendly staff and a really cool environment.

I had a vegan breakfast here during the week and quite underwhelming it was. At £13 i certainly expected more. The 'sausage' was squishy and not actually a sausage. They could have padded it out with beans and maybe a vegan rasher. For Brighton i expected much better. It was ok and i ate it all, but i wont be going back.

I photographed a wedding here, absolutely stunning venue for an intimate event. The food was amazing and the staff were all impeccable. The decor is classy and the venue has a great atmosphere. Six stars.

I rate it 5 because the food was a bit boring, my avocado was not ripe although presented well. My partners cheese and Ham was a bit too cheesy and not much flavour apart from loads of cheese flavour. The waitress was pleasant and happy which was good.

Lovely café , came with friends , I had the Eggs Benedict was very tasty, lovely coffee and great service, I will be back

Preston Road, Brighton—between Preston Circus and the railway viaduct—can not claim to be the prettiest part of Brighton. Nor is it the busiest, nor the most hip and happening. Preston Road is not really a place you go to; it’s a place you pass through being, that it is, the main thoroughfare north out of the city. Yet Café Rust is pretty. It is busy. It is hip and happening and you’ll often find it a challenge to get a table at peak times. That said, there’s a garden at the back and tables out the front in addition to the inside space. And the friendly staff will always do their best to accommodate you. In fact, Café Rust is a little gem and I’ve not even mentioned the coffee yet! It must’ve been about five or six years ago that I first visited Café Rust having walked past it many times. In fact I’d previously looked in and dismissed it without trying it. And that was a mistake. After visiting for the first time I found that the coffee, the food, the cakes were all excellent. In fact the Carrot Cake, which is the yardstick by which to measure the quality of any cafe, was delicious, and not dry like many others are. Naomi said it was the first time she’d made Carrot Cake. She got it absolutely spot on! And ever since then I’ve been a regular visitor, sometimes daily, drawn not only by the feel of the place but by the most excellent and consistent coffee that you’re able to find anywhere in Brighton. You must try the Rust breakfast. The food created by Anna and her team in the kitchen is truly impressive and very tasty. If you want to impress your friends, bring them to Café Rust. If you’re a discerning customer and want first class coffee, come to Café Rust. If you find yourself on Preston Road, Brighton, pop in to Café Rust. And if none of these apply, just make a special visit. It’s well worth it.

Really delicious home made beans on toast! Really tasty, and a lovely cup of chamomile tea, too. The full breakfasts looked huge! Really nice place to stop and eat some tasty food.

Really welcoming and friendly people who work there. Coffee and food were delicious. Glad we stumbled across this little gem!

Found it by chance while walking around the area. Really nice atmosphere and deco. stopped for a coffee and cake but choices for brunch looked really nice so will definitely be back to try it.

This place has something for everyone and the breakfast is superb with quality ingredients. Lovey atmosphere and friendly happy staff .

I arrived in Brighton starving and looking for somewhere to eat a good breakfast. Initially I walked past, but thought why not check it out? On what seemed like a very busy Sunday morning, the staff were very friendly and helpful. I was made to...

Hands down the BEST breakfast sandwich I’ve ever had. I got the eggs w/ avocado on the croissant (I added cheese). Delicious! Definitely take you’re time here to enjoy the atmosphere and check out the back patio. Staff was incredibly friendly, kind, and welcoming. Coffee...

Popped in for a quick coffee, nice coffee, lovely atmosphere, great service, If you’re in the area definitely worth a visit, the food coming out the kitchen looked very very tempting but unfortunately I was in a hurry so I didn’t have a time, but...

Popped in for lunch with the wife today (Sunday ) Shown upstairs .waited but no table service no big deal so went and ordered downstairs X2 BLT with a coke Nice place clean tidy can’t fault that Coke arrives and it’s Diet Coke was not...

What a great find. vegan and vegetarian friendly with great original menu. Charming garden out back. Brilliant service too !!

delicious food, perfect brunch, lovely decorations and excellent staff, recommend for anyone in Brighton

friendly staff and good quality food and tea! Also well presented. The decor is absolutely beautiful! The door was open which was really noisy but I'm sure it isn't like that all the time.

We visited yesterday on a trip to Brighton. Staff lovely and the place had a great atmosphere. Food was very tasty. I was disappointed that as someone who is gluten and dairy free I was limited on things that would have been an easy fix....

I rented out the basement of cafe rust for my best friend’s hen do and honestly, from start to finish the service and support I received for the event was second to none. Anna helped me organise a fantastic evening with the most delicious food-...

Great staff and a lovely atmosphere will go again x

Rust is just perfect. I could not rate it highly enough. Lovely in every way.

It's a real treasure. Great selection of foods and drinks. The garden is lovely and also the team very friendly.

A lovely venue, all staff are welcoming and very friendly.

Unique eatery with delicious home cooked and baked food

I've been eating breakfast for 30-odd years, this is up there with the best of them. Fresh produce, lovely service and great outdoor seating. Highly recommend the bloody Mary too. Can't wait to return

Lovely poached eggs on spinach and toast. Very good coffee. A nice little suntrap garden out the back. Friendly staff..

Lovely poached eggs on spinach and toast. Very good coffee. A nice little suntrap garden out the back. Friendly staff.

Great location, friendly service and delicious choices for brunch. My only constructive suggestion would be to buy a couple of solid high-chairs. Definitely worth visiting Cafe Rust regularly!

We walked here from Brighton Town centre, well worth while. Lovely food and friendly service too.

Really nice hidden little cafe with great food and drinks and a nice outdoor space. Definitely one of Brightons hidden gems!

Excellent food, lots of lovely flavours

Celebrated my daughters 30th Birthday at Cafe Rust, Preston Road last night. Anna and her staff did the most amazing job of providing an incredibly stress free and beautiful night. Anna was a dream to work with and her food was outstanding. I want to express my sincerest gratitude for a truly memorable evening!!!!! Thank you, I cannot recommend this venue enough!!!

Lovely place for brunch, recommend the veggie rust. Brownie was incredible and the staff service fantastic!

Stunning food. great service and very reasonably priced. Win win.

There for lunch/brunch. Serevice ecellent. Food really good value in a post industrial chic environment. Can't recommend enough.

Amazingly delicious food very nice staff lovely Little garden 😋

Thanks so much to Anna and her team for a fabulous evening. Brilliant venue for a party, delicious food & lovely staff!

Excellent food, great service. One of the best cafes in Brighton.

Chilled setting with rustic décor and smiley helpful staff. Delicious almost croissants. Bakalava too! Animal friendly.

Great little cafe with wonderful cakes, great breakfast/brunch dishes as well as lunch. Good coffee and variety of teas and other drinks. Nice interior with a slight distressed look as well as a lovely small garden/courtyard at the rear. Highly recommended by a local patron of 7 years.

Really good atmosphere, lovely friendly staff and amazing brunches.

I went this morning had a perfectly made latte, the staff listened as do not like strong, and then enjoyed relaxed ambiance be3fore ordering a cafe rust breakfast. It was delicious and everything cooked perfectly, perfectly seems to be the word for everything here today,...

This is no greasy spoon although if you desire you can get katchup and HP sauce. Not required though. Yes it's expensive for their interpretation of a full English but very enjoyable. If I was to offer one criticism I'd look for another egg supplier. Not bad eggs just lacking the flavour that the rest of the meal delivered. All in all I'd give it a 9/10. Friendly staff, quirky setting. Highly recommended.

EDIT: This is my favourite brunch place ever! Outstanding food and coffee at reasonable prices. I'm excited to try the whole menu. Lovely people, great atmosphere!

I’ve had some of the best breakfasts in this establishment, but the customer service now appears to be lacking. I went with my friend - him an even more loyal customer than I - looking forward to another good experience. When we got there we...

Really nice on a sunny day to relax on patio at rear. My wife & I had sandwiches served with green salad, they were absolutely delicious & actually justified the price of £6 each. Angel & other staff were most friendly & attentive. The cooked...

Great service and excellent brunch. Best poached eggs I have ever had! Really good menu and great coffee, will visit again

Great food, beautifully presented. The staff welcoming, pleasant and efficient. Great atmosphere. A place you will return to again and again

This is the best cafe in brighton hands down. Always consistent with will the quality of food and great customer service and Reasonably priced if your thinking about going on the weekend I would recommend you pre- book as they do get busy also dog friendly wich is a plus

This place is amazing! It’s so quaint! 8 of us visited for breakfast and sat downstairs. Whilst it was hot from the kitchen as I had been informed by the staff, the unique and rustic experience was so enjoyable.We had the best breakfast (my croissant with scrambled eggs and bacon was delicious) however our dishes were all beautifully presented and the kids finished everything! Also the little toilet is so cool.Thank you to the staff who made us feel so welcome despite being a bit late! It was so refreshing to find staff who actually care and want to do a good job. We’ll definitely be back and would highly recommend!

Superb coffee, breakfast and music. Evening red wine was a delight. Young staff serving were simply lovely. Highly recommend.

Cafe rust reliably does an amazing breakfast.

Breakfast at Cafe Rust was recommended by our lovely hosts at Red Brighton Blue and it didn’t disappoint. Really lovely breakfast and coffee with really friendly staff. Will definitely be back!

Just had brunch here with two hungry teens, really excellent food and in great quantities. Excellent coffee also, great cafe.

Visited Cafe Rust in Kemptown for breakfast after it was recommended by Steve & Peter from Red, Brighton Blue. The Rust full breakfast was delicious, as was the coffee. Family I was with had the vegan brekky and scrambled egg filled croissant, both if which were also very good. Portions are generous and the staff are lovely

I've read good reviews about this place so I decided to give it a go. Oh man I had no idea this cafe would hit the spot this good. It's everything you would want from a lit breakfast place. Tasty, fresh, big portioned instagrammable food, served by the lovely people working there. The backyard garden they had was also nice and perfect for the hot weather. I loved everything you can see in my photo and you can bet that I hoovered it up quicker than you can say Croque Madamme. Will definitely come again!

A short walk from Preston Park, a real diamond of a place. Food selection was perfect, staff so attentive and friendly and a really lovely ambience. The toilet and area were very clean too. Will be back again soon!

Lovely staff, decor, food and coffee!

Brilliant place for brunch, glad we took the time to walk here when we were in Brighton - simply outstanding

Bom para pequeno almoço, boa relação qualidade-preço. Recomendo.

Lovely brunch, yummy food and cool “rustic” setup 🙂. Highly recommend

Amazing vegetaian breakfast! Friendly staff!

Great lunch and staff very friendly

Amazing brunch with friends. Great brunch menu, delicious food and warm welcome. Highly recommend. Lovely atmosphere,

Lovely cafe with quirky little garden

This morning I woke up in my new place and decided to have a look at the coffee shops in the near vicinity. I came across this place called "Rust" and as I entered with a hoodie covering my whole face leaving only my eyes uncovered, a lady working behind the counter asked me to leave because I "needed a mask" even though my face was covered. I thought this was very petty and uptight. I thought of Rust as an innovative and flexible establishment but this proves me otherwise. But thank you. I ended up going to the shop next door called Bungaroosh and the gentleman that attended me was really polite, cortious and fair. (Plus cheaper) Highly recommended.

Lovely coffee and food looks fabulous although not too much on offer due to covid restrictions on opening.

Nice food, friendly place with a lovely backgarden

This place is brilliant! The staff are always wonderful - very warm and welcoming and the food is always very well thought through and tasty, not just usual cafe food. Great decor and garden too. Cannot recommend highly enough! Thanks!

I'm an Aussie brunch addict and Rust does the best brunches and coffee in Brighton/Hove in my opinion. Their salads (prior to covid) were always healthy and tasty and I love the decor. Would highly recommend. Service is always relaxed and courteous!

Lovely food!! GreT service. The vegan option is wonderful.