Japanese Cafe an-an in Brighton and Hove

My first time here. Only had a coffee and pancake but the food looked great. I'll be back.

For me this is the definition of a hidden gem, a nice, quiet, unassuming cafe with a very homely feeling. Every time we visit, it feels like we're back in Japan. Everything is homemade, tasty but also healthy. We always have something savoury and sweet because we don't want to miss out and the matcha late is also great.

Cute little café I stumbled upon while waiting for my train. Staff are very polite and friendly, and they have a good balance of traditional Japanese dishes as well as typical English cafe options. Food tasted fresh and the matcha latte was lovely. They also have free WiFi Would recommend if in the area

Perfect authentic Japanese. Will recommend and be returning :)

Great little café with excellent food and friendly staff. Easily one of the best places to go for lunch in Portslade.

excellent service and food! 🍰🥝☕️

Located outside Portslade Station is one of the best Authentic and Affordable Japanese Cafes in the Brighton Area. The cafe is very much a warm environment with friendly staff and excellent comfort food. One of my favourite places to eat in Brighton. Happily Recommend.

Popped in here to kill some time and it was lovely. Very calming atmosphere. Both staff members who served me were very friendly, savoury food was delicious and the strawberry mochi was 10/10. Highly recommend!!!

Food was good. Service ok. Reasonably priced. Just landed in Brighton and was first place we come across All round a pleasant experience

Really wonderful cafe. Authentic Japanese food ran by a lovely Japanese lady and her husband. It has a really friendly feeling and I feel comfortable there. I am autistic so I struggle in public spaces, but they really made me welcome. They made me a wonderful birthday cake out of matcha and strawberries, it truly was delicious! The sushi, Inari and other Japanese food was delicious! I highly recommend anyone to go, it is a treasure in the city! おいしかったですありがとうございます

I went to the cafe with our Japanese friend who was visiting from London and we loved the place very much. Delicious food, friendly staff, beautiful cakes and wagashi. The place is also pet-friendly, which is a great bonus too. I am already looking forward to going back there after the cafe reopens in a week or so. :)

This is such a cute little gem definitely worth trying! The food is very reasonably priced as well. I also recommend trying their strawberry daifuku while you’re there!

Really wonderful cafe, very friendly, excellent service, great for a coffee or lunch.

I ordered a Katsu Curry and it disappeared before I could take a photo of it and share its splendour! I’m not sure who the culprit is but I believe their name might be Patience. Oh well, Shouganai (しょうがない).

I regret being unable to stay longer, but they just gained a regular customer! The food and atmosphere are surprisingly authentic and full of joy; you'll feel at home if you're an expat. Books to read in both languages, comfortable seating and bright and airy; did I mention they also sell ingredients, including reasonably priced 10kg bags of sushi rice? No? Well I should've. Had the fish selection with squid, inari and ramune as well as a miso to die for. Message to the owner: I hope the blossom grows large and strong. I should have taken a photo! If you want an authentic culinary atmosphere and ingredients, this is the place to visit. An unexpected discovery at Portslade! Sugoi!

Love it. A nice place to meet friends and new people.

Very good food, service was slow but it was worth waiting for...

This little gem is genuinely the best thing that Portslade (dare I say Brighton and Hove too!) has to offer. The people here are passionate and so so kind and talented at what they do. If you’re interested in japanese food, you will find the very best of it here. The prices are very reasonable and the customer service is out of this world. If an-an wasn’t here, I would move away (this isn’t even a joke, as soon as they move away, so will I). Even if you are down here to visit Brighton, please take the 20ish minute trip on the bus to visit this cafe! I don’t recommend much, but I recommend this to everybody.

I’ve been enjoying visiting the cafe by myself and with friends. It’s always a good time and the food it’s always the best. I always come here when I feel like having a meal that it’s going to make me feel better about my day! Thank you!

I just got a herbal tea, the atmosphere was lovely, relaxing music. The staff were prompt polite and lovely, The tea arrived a perfect hot temperature in a little pot with a cup and saucer and teaspoon, i was able to sip little by little as I read my book 😊 Everything was very clean, the tables, the dishware, like squeaky clean like i like to have myself at home, Most places i go to i feel the need to clean the table down with carryon antibac spray that i bring, but i here it was so lovely and clean. Yes wonderful, 5/5* cafe experience in my books 😊

really cute cafe with amazing affordable coffee and food, really nice decor and amazing and friendly staff :)) highly recommend

Fantastic Japenese food in an amazing cafe. We went in at lunchtime and ordered a bit of everything, and would happily do so again. The chicken katsui was perfect, the croquettes and dumplings were also amazing and I've never had rice balls like that in the UK. The Matcha crepe cake was also outstanding. Will hopefully be coming back regularly! Don't be fooled by the location, Cafe An-an is brilliant and should definitely be on your list of places to eat wherever you live!

The most delicious Mochi , all of them yummy Cakes are on point , coffee good We had the Katsu curry Nice Lovely staff , good prices Hidden Gem

素敵な和菓子屋さん 春は三色団子に桜餅、いちご大福、柏餅と、日本の春の和菓子を満喫できる。

Great cakes and treats on offer here :) as well as some shopping items for cooking Japanese food (rice, condiments, frozen goods). If they have an Okonomiyaki night offer on, be sure to get one (or two) they are spot on. Lots of nice gifts in there too (hair clips for my daughter etc).

Fantastic, I had read about Cafe an-an on TripAdvisor, so really wanted to try it. They exceeded my expectations. Really friendly and helpful staff, relaxing ambiance with soothing music. The food was fabulous, authentic and freshly made and cooked. A great food experience. Prices were great value. Overall a fantastic first visit. I will go back very soon. If you like Japanese food you must visit!

Wonderful little addition to boundary road ❤

Really nice and friendly place they make you feel welcomed and nothing is too much trouble and of course lovely coffee

I had wanted to visit for a while and was not disappointed. Delicious futomaki and different kinds of mochi. It took around 15 mins for the futomaki as it's freshly prepared, but definitely worth the wait

Waited 20 minutes while meal was cooked outside for someone else. Man on till, women in kitchen and woman outside. Never again

Lovely little place with a simple tasty menu and very welcoming staff. The desserts are a special treat

Excellent food! Even served at 5 to closing. Thank for lovely lunch ❤️

Was excited to see that Cafe An-An was attending the Japan After Dark event in Kew Gardens. But the absolute failure of organisation meant my friends and I were not permitted entry to see Noriko's demo. Beyond disappointing and hugely shameful how guests were treated.

Best Japanese home made food always served with a smile by lovely owner. Always a pleasure to go there, specially now that they have moved to a bigger place (in the same street)

I love coming here when I visit Brighton it is definitely the highlight of my trip. I love the Daifuku mochi and the Japanese style breakfast!

Amazing coffee shop and as a trademan always wanting a nice decent coffee this place is far better than Costa and Starbucks plus the price is so much better

Always an enjoyable stop, just North of Portslade station.

Fantastic cafe with a range of options, reasonable prices and delicious food. Will be returning.

so delicious and authentic Japanese food. I always eat in and take home for dinner. How good is that? and then there are the authentic Japanese sweets with green tea. What an incredible treat for the whole family especially if you are from Japan.

I've been to this cafe once to sit in for home-made Japanese cakes and green tea and once more recently, during lockdown, for takeaway cakes. I can't wait for lockdown restrictions to end so that I can sit in again and try some savoury food. Cafe an-an is everything good about Japan. The small-scale interior with just a few tables provides a low-key but attractive and relaxing space. The lovely ladies at the counter are so friendly. The food is beautifully presented - they serve even a cup of tea so attractively that it looks like a special gift. The menu is seasonal and varies according to what fresh produce is available, I love the element of surprise. I've enjoyed a delicious chesnut cake in late autumn and a little chick-shaped pastry with bean-paste filling in spring. You can buy a range of specialist Japanese store-cupboard ingredients and little gift items from Japan. The cafe is spotless and all COVID hygiene rules are strictly observed. I'm looking forward to my next visit!

Great staff and they always make the coffee and cakes so well. The quality here is amazing

Delicious food and lovely staff. It has a good location and I love the atmosphere of the place. 10/10 おいしい食べ物

The only reason to go to Portslade to be honest

Wow amazing food , tasty fresh and hot , just what you need for a Friday , highly recommended , Chris & Maria from Jefferies Funeral Directors

I have had a lunch here twice. First, curry and rice was... too watery and the taste was so weak. Most of Japanese people can cook better one if they use Japanese curry roux. The taste of juice was also weak. I ordered Oden set (10 pounds!) next time. Fish cakes were unbelievably salty. Japanese radish (daikon) was very hard and had no taste. (We usually simmer radishes until they become tender and soak up the flavour) The rest was good. It is a good place to have Japanese foods that we can hardly find in the UK, but I don't want people in the UK to think that this is Japanese standard.

The food is amazing! It's a nice homely japanese place and it reminded me of the time I lived in japan. I have been there a few times already and I highly recommend it!

My friend recommended me this little Japanese restaurant and I enjoyed the food a lot. I had a Japanese curry with pumpkin croquettes and it was just amazing! I had also my first Tsubu-an and I loved it!! The ladies who run the cafe are lovely too. I definitely recommend it 🙂

Good location north of the station, lovely staff and tasty Japanese cooking. Oishi great value.

One of the best curries I've ever had. Its small, only for about 5 - 8 people yet it feels like home and is very nicely organised. A loyalty card is also a bonus point. Will definitely start going there more often. 2 Years Later - Oct 2020: Not only can I say that An-An retains its 5 Star Rating but could even become 6 Stars if that was a possibility. Since last review the shop has moved and upgraded to a bigger place. Daunting to some self-employed owners but has made such a difference to both the service and the area of Boundary Road. The owner and all her staff are wonderful plus very polite people, I recommend talking to them when you go there. I haven't been there much since working from another house in London during these times but I can tell you then when I did they handled it with the utmost concern for your health and theirs, setting up a door service system. Due to rushing with work appointments I have on most occasions stuck to the "Oh so good" curry that feels like homemade. But on other times I've enjoyed the okonomiyaki "pancake". At first the smell from the tuna flakes put me off but when you dig in...its smooth, creamy, all the flavours blend together to create a very satisfying and filling meal despite the smaller size compared to traditional pancakes. And lastly, the coffee and dorayaki is a sweet deal to finish off. And the matcha pocky sticks if you can get them. I would love to one day try more mochi and evening meals. Please support this place as much as you can! And they will return with respect!

if you order something that isn't delicious, you must be in the wrong place. The move to larger premises has not been to the detriment of the food. Delicious set lunches (the pumpkin croquettes a particular favourite) and authentic sweets. Friendly staff too.

Every time I order from this cafe on deliveroo, they take the order, make me wait half an hour and then say they cannot deliver. Very bad service.

I’m do go to Japanese cafe an-an nearly every week to eat or buy their Japanese sweet. I love their food and they are so friendly. Highly recommended

Really Great place, can be a bit hard to spot though. Highly recommend, great location and the food taste lovely and years tastes homemade. They are also generous with refilling your tea. Will be back!

very cheerful place to go for lunch, the staff are brilliant, nice little snacks lunches look good have not tried yet

Love this cafe and so glad to see it open after lockdown, the food is always both exceptional quality and incredible value and is a little slice of authentic Japan! Can’t wait to come back

This is darn legit! PENG, didn't have to spend bare p's either Best dining experience in England Love the Katsu Curry my nakama!

The food came out with side dishes and rice like usual, and the portions were more than enough for three girls. WARNING: the crispy rice cake skewers are very spicy!!! I am Korean, and I loveee spicy food. I think my favorite dish was the bulgogi nachosWho doesn't love bulgogi and who doesn't love nachos? It was the perfect combo to go with the soju.

Excellent little cafe catering in authentic Japanese food. A hidden gem in the dockland town of Portslade. Excellent for a lunch stop or a tea break to enjoy some of the beautiful hand made desserts.

Really lovely place, with tasty well priced Japanese food, as well as delicious homemade sweets!. 100% be coming back. thanks guys.

The food at Cafe An is delicious!! Really authentic and very reasonably priced.

Love the food here, good prices, hidden gem on an otherwise fairly bland road!

Went here with a friend who personally knows the owner. Plan on working here part time. Great food. The atmosphere feels like a true Japanese ramen place/restaurant.

Lovely people/owners, great food.

Freshly made Japanese sweets, made of beans and rice. The design is very cute. Also, they provide Matcha greentea and Matcha latte. They are very popular in Japan and I am lucky they provide them.

Lovely place serving home made Japanese food. It's really cheap but good quality. The staff are friendly and always smiling. There are also outside tables if you want to smoke and there is plenty of parking (free) right outside and nearby. I would definitely recommend this place for a well priced local lunch if you live or work in Portslade.

Excellent on all front. Friendly, tasty, very good value for money

I've been meaning to check this out for ages. Really lovely little place, does tasty cheap Japanese food for lunch, as well as delicious homemade sweets! I'll deffo be coming back.

Quaint little shop with delicious food. i got the mixed katsu lunch with additional curry sauce and it was amazing!

Small friendly place great for lunches.

Amazing food and friendly people

An-an is surely the best Japanese café in the city. It's a cosy place with outdoor seating too. Everything on the menu is gorgeously tasty, but I cannot recommend the yakisoba highly enough. They can definitely cater to all your mochi and sweet-treat needs. Authentic, delectable and run by the loveliest people. Check them out!

It’s a lovely little cafe connected with community in Hove with genuine nice Japanese foods and sweets. We had fantastic lunch and a short walk to a nearby fishmonger, which was also wonderful.

I love to buy my lunch food from this little Japanese cafe in portslade. You can find the taste of Japan in every bite. Please do try their Okonomiyaki night on Thursdays

Lovely little cafe serving a good variety of Japanese food, from yakisoba to katsu, to sushi. We particularly liked the mixed katsu set with prawn and chicken katsu, and a pumpkin croquette, and at a great price for only £6. The traditional desserts were lovely too! Will definitely make this place a regular.

Locale minuscolo con cucina casalinga giapponese estremamente buono! Consigliatissimo! Fa anche asporto, attenzione che l' attesa per mangiare può essere anche molto lunga, ma ne vale la pena

Great place to eat 3 meals a day. Lots of nutrients and exotic tastes. I definitely recommend.....

small but charming cafe serving Japanese food to eat in or takeaway. great quality food including, katsu, gyoza, korokke, with rice or noodles, sushi and a selection of handmade desserts. Run by pleasant Japanese lady.

Simple menu and delicious food. Great lunch option if you work locally or fancy something nice in the area.

This place is awesome! I had never noticed it before. Cheap and delicious and the lady who served us was super nice. Go and eat there!!!

Have walked past this cafe many times and it’s always been closed so was lucky to have it open , absolutely loved its quaint little sitting area and the chicken katsu curry was as good as Tokyo . Such good value for money and lovely staff. I can’t believe how close this is to my house . Will be returning soon

Brilliantly consistent. Delicious Japanese sweets.

Excellent food but can be a bit of a wait as everything cooked fresh to order

A fabulous little place which feels very neat. Cheap and tasty home-style cooking.

I've popped into An-An a few times now for lunch. There's not a lot of seating there, but that's almost one of the attractions, and they do a steady takeaway service. The menu is not extensive, but what they do they do very well with quite modest resources. There's a range of katsu dishes and krokettes, gyoza, rice and yakisoba noodles. They do sushi to order, and also handmade desserts. There's also a good range of teas and coffee. A very pleasant Japanese woman runs it and there's a relaxed atmosphere. It's not open for long hours, but she sometimes has special events in the evening. Other reviewers have spoken of the authenticity of the food, I certainly enjoy it and it's very reasonably priced. My chopstick skills have also improved!

Great tasty Japanese home food you cant find anywhere else around the area.

I had a great katsu Curry at lunch time today. The food was very tasty! I will be visiting again. Very friendly welcome.

Best Japanese food in the area, small menu but what they do is amazing, bonus, only place I know outside of London to make Okonomiyaki for the evening menu, it's worth booking a table for this dish alone.

Absolutely fabulous food. Do try the seasonal Japanese sweets. The service is excellent and the atmosphere is warm and friendly.

Veramente buono lo consiglio se si vuole mangiare vera cucina giapponese... Molto accogliente e intimo il locale è molto piccolo ma ben curato.... Tutto ottimo tornerò sicuramente più volte

Awesome food. Lovely polite ladies that make your food. Highly recommended.

I loved this little place with its friendly welcome, very reasonably priced food (most mains around £5 - see photo of menu) and excellent flavours; I had the teriyaki chicken, but there was a specials board too. They are only open at lunchtimes except for on Thursdays when they open in the evening to. They specialise in Wagashi - Japanese confectionary (see their website). I'm going back tomorrow!

So nice really friendly staff lovely fresh food, I had the veggie sushi it was lovely. Went for lunch and would definitely go again

Perfect place for a quick lunch. Real Japanese food which tastes great. I wish I could go more often. Highly recommended.

Sin ir tan lejos para decir que esta es la mejor comida japonesa que he probado fuera de Japón. Hija de madre japonesa y amable preparan exquisitos platos cocinados a la orden, el menú es platos japoneses perfectamente preparado. Todo está muy sabroso, incluyendo los dulces que hacen. Los precios son muy razonables. Encontré este lugar por accidente como pasó a ser en Portslade. Este también es el primer listado que he visto en tripadvisor con sólo 5 estrellas - Tome esto como su guía y no te pierdas. Sólo abre para el almuerzo.

I am giving these lovely folks extra marks because they're something enjoyable to eat in the bowels of Boundary Rd area. With a gluttony of below average cafe's and restaurants, in the loosest sense of the word the An-An is at least service food that is enjoyable. It's a tiny room, so what they can do is limited and make no mistake it's all coming out a microwave - but so it is anywhere else you go. Top marks for the katsu curry.

Lunch for two for around £10. Freshly cooked. Friendly owner and tasty food. This is close to where we live. There are only really two problems:

We found Cafe An An after moving to the area and were very surprised to find out own Japanese cafe on our doorstep. The food is ace and the staff are all really friendly. The Japanese sweets are excellent.

This Japanese cafe offers brilliant value for money - noodles or rice dishes for £5 and starters & sushi reasonably priced as well. I go here for lunch about once a week and the food is always yummy and staff offer a friendly welcome.

Very happy to find this place, it's a cosy Japanese restaurant with lunches for about £5, curry rice pickles salad, including chicken dumplings, katsu curry, terriyaki, fantastic.

My first visit, sat outside in the sun and had a great lunch -gyoza with rice and salad. Lovely to have real Japanese food. Will go again.