Hello Kitty and Friends Artbox Cafe, Brighton

It's no secret I'm a big Hello Kitty fan, so when I heard that the Artbox Cafe in Brighton was changing its theme, I was there at the drop of the hat. And by the drop of a hat, I mean I was there on the first Saturday it was open... 

This wasn't actually my first visit to this lovely place. I've been to the cafe before in 2019 when they were celebrating another cat* – Pusheen. Since my visit this character cafe has also celebrated Gudetama and BT21. This theme will carry on until 2023 though, so looks like there's plenty of time to visit.

*Let's not get into the whole Hello Kitty isn't actually a cat argument. Whew.

The decor as you can see is really fun and cute. There's so much attention to detail – like the decals in the bathroom and the Hello Kitty and Friends cartoons that play along in the background. There's also a lovely gift shop downstairs where you can get ice cream and drinks to takeaway if you don't fancy booking a sit down meal.

From mocktails to sundaes, to chai lattes and veggie burgers, there's a lot of great options to choose from all with fun character details. We went for lattes and I got the Hello Kitty chocolate waffles (which was super sweet) and my boyfriend got Pompurin veggie burger which is adorable. You also get a free coaster with every drink you order which is a lovely touch.

If you want to take a look at other options they have, I'd recommend checking their instagram to see some of the other lovely dishes on offer. I'm sure you'll be doing this if you have a favourite character like I do.

All in all, I loved my visit to this place and want to say a thank you for the staff being so lovely. They really make every bit of the experience feel super special for kids (or adults) who were super hyped to be there.

Want to visit? Here's the deets

How to get there

The cafe is a 15 minute walk from Brighton station, and is situated literally seconds away from the beach.

5-6 East St, Brighton BN1 1HP

Prices

They actually have a really clear price guide on their website if you're planning ahead which you can see here but the main food dishes range from £7.00 to £12.00.

Booking

I would really recommend booking ahead as this place gets super busssy so I wouldn't rely on being able to walk in. To book you have to pay a £10 deposit fee that will then be put towards your meal. You can book here.

Opening times

Sunday to Friday: 11am-6pm

Saturday: 11am-7pm

Dietary requirements (Vegan/Gluten free)

According to their website they have lots of vegan and gluten-free options. But if you have an allergy they advise letting them know so they can be extra careful.

Dog friendly? 

The cafe is dog-friendly but they only allow small dogs (unless of course it's an assistance dog). There was actually a very lovely pup there on my visit!

Accessibility 

Unfortunately the upstairs cafe is only accessible via stairs. However they are able to set up a table downstairs if you select 'Step free accessible table required' when making your booking. Find out more on their FAQ page.