Iydea was exactly what I was looking for as a lunch option on a recent visit to Brighton. There are a lot of junk food vegan options in Brighton (which I was trying to avoid) so finding a place that does fresh, canteen style plates was a savior. The staff behind the counter helped explain the meal sets and quickly dished out each of my selections. I got a curry with steamed veggies and orzo on the side. So delicious! The space itself is low key--no pretension and a good amount of seating when I was there around noon on a Friday. I'll definitely be back my next visit to Brighton. read more

Decent place to eat at, probably one of the better priced options. For about £6.50? you get a small lunch box (take away) with one main and two sides. I love the vegetarian scene in Brighton and this place is definitely a way to get tasty and healthy food. The vegan lasagna was really good, a very strong tomato and cheese flavor and soft cooked pasta. The carrot and sweet potato purée wasn't as sweet as I thought. The chickpea Greek salad was fine. I really loved the seed topping, I thought that it would've been better on another savory side but it was a nice crunch. read more

Iydea - Vegetarian Near Me - Brighton, BNH

If there's two words that sum up Ilydea it's hale & hearty. Set in the middle of the bustling Kensington Gardens, its an ideal pit-stop for veggies and vegans. The wooden tables and chairs give the place a homely feel and it's usually packed with locals and students grabbing a quick bite. The canteen style lay-out makes me think of school but most people seem to like the fact they can look at the different options before ordering. The menu changes daily with a choice of about 5 or 6 main dishes from veggie chillis, stews and pies to lasagne. There's also a big selection of different salads, steamed veggies, smoothies and hot drinks. I've eaten here a couple of times and enjoyed what I've had but I find it a bit old fashioned in terms of food and ambience. If I had the choice, I'd rather eat a super food salad or sweet potato falafel at Leon. Note to Allegra and the rest of the Leon crew - when are you going to open a branch in Brighton?! read more

Iydea - Vegetarian Near Me - Brighton, BNH

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This is a very nice vegetarian cafe on Kensington Gardens. The decor is homely and there are also some tables outside. Being a pedestrian road, this is especially nice in the summer months. The food is pretty wide ranging and cooked on the premises daily. Expect items like lasagna, tagine and other hearty bites. Aside from ordering your main, you get to choose from a good selection of side dishes and the staff are happy to let you pile up your plate. Again, all this is made on the premises and they regularly replenish the bowls with fresh batches. Expect to pay about £5 for a meal, which is extremely reasonable. They also offer your expected range of coffee's, speciality teas and home made smoothies. Even if you are not hungry, it's worth stopping by for a beverage, just because the place has such a nice atmosphere. You really should give this place a go even if you are not a vegetarian. Top food, drinks and service should never be passed up! read more

Iydea - Taken by me - Vegetarian Near Me - Brighton, BNH

Great great restaurant! I love the idea of picking freshly made items (kinda like a better & vegetarian version of Lemonade in California). For a standard plate, you get to pick 1 main dish, 2 sides and 2 "toppings". I got veggie lasagna, mash potatos, spring asian salad, hummus, and roasted nuts. Everything tasted great (although I'd prefer it to have slightly more salt in the mash potato, I know I'm eating something healthy). read more

Iydea - Veggie lasagna, mashed potatoes, spring Asian salad, hummus and roasted nuts. - Vegetarian Near Me - Brighton, BNH

Iydea is located in the heart of the North Laines and is the perfect place to enjoy the hussle and bussle of Brighton. I became a regular in this restaurant during my uni years as it was the perfect excuse for me and my housemates to escape work! The restaurant serves fresh, hearty vegetarian food which is reasonably priced and never disappoints. Meat eaters please don't be put off by the fact it is a vegetarian restaurant! This is no ordinary vegetarian! I have taken many of my macho meat eater friends to lunch here and they have been converted by the delicious flavours on offer. The food is set up in a canteen style which means you are served immediately and there is no waiting around. Choose from a selection of healthy main dishes such as Sweet Potato Curry, Filo Pies, Chic Pea Stews, Lentil Soups, all accompanied with a heaped side of vegetables, salads and a range of toppings such as home-made houmous. I am still working my way through the array of toppings, the possibilities are endless! The drinks board does not disappoint either with home-made cloudy lemonade, Iced Teas and fresh Juices. They even offer a take-away service so you can enjoy these delicious delights on the move. This is a favourite restaurant of mine with consistently good food that fills you up but you can leave feeling guilt free as it's really healthy! read more

Iydea - Vegetarian Near Me - Brighton, BNH

i recently visited my cousin with my brother and sister in Brighton and went here for lunch. The food is delicious and so reasonable priced for a plate full off food. Between the four of us there was nothing left on the plates. i hope you expand looking forward to going again read more

Really great quality organic, warm wholesome food served here. I stopped eating meat after Christmas, Brighton isn't the worst place to be a vegetarian ! This place is purely vegetarian friendly - but lots of people who eat meat also will eat here. It has a very organic feel about it. The food it's healthy oozes taste. Each week or day the food menu changes. So it could be veggie curry then spinach pie. They mix it up, which is why lots of people probably often come back. For £6 /7 you can choose a hot dish, with 2 choice of salad dishes. It operates slightly like a canteen. I've had some really nice meals here before and I'd def recommend it! They do , do take away as an option, personally it's in a great location. So if you have any time, sit out side- providing the weather. You can watch all the hustle and bustle in the north Laines. In fact It's probably one of the busiest streets in the Laines! Only negative, as mentioned it operates as a canteen but it also feels like a canteen. So there is never a huge amount of options on where to sit. Plus, as soon as your finished your tray is taken away quickly- I'm not a fan of that kind of service. It makes me feel rushed and a little like... YOUVE EATEN NOW GET OUTTTTTT. Then, people will be Eying up your table because they will need somewhere to sit ! That's what happened to me, but it was a weekend -so if you have time go in the week. read more

Iydea works by offering a counter service of delicious hot food and salads. The choice is great and the quality rivals Food for Friends. The cafe gets really busy at lunch times, but you have the option to take away also so you don't miss out and if you are lucky enough to get a seat, the outside benches are great for people watching. There is a wide array of meals on offer - soup, tortilas, enchilladas, lasagna, falafal, salads etc. and all are freshly prepared, vegetarian delights. They also offer fresh fruit juices and smoothies and everything is served with a smile. read more

Such a great spot for lunch, ideal if you are busy shopping in the laines and just want a quick lunch stop. I'm not vegetarian but I regularly eat here as the food is delicious and you don't feel guilty afterwards as there are so many vegetables and goodness in each meal. I love that the food is all on display so you can go up and create your own meal by choosing from the various sides and toppings. It is always such a tough decision and I am always getting in the way and holding up the queue as I keep on changing my mind what to have.... The breakfast menu looks good so I will need to try that sometime. They also do yummy cakes like chocolate chilli cake...I am craving this now. It is closed in the evenings but their other restaurant Iydea 2 on western road stays open until 9pm from Monday to Saturday. read more

Visited here many times in the past and it never disappoints , it's always busy and it's hardly surprising because the food is packed with flavour and bursting with colour. read more

Iydea - Caribbean bean pot curry - Vegetarian Near Me - Brighton, BNH

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Amazing food! The place was packed, so there was plenty of time to decide between mains while waiting. Everyone in our group had a hard time choosing between the amazing mains available. The food was definitely worth the wait though. I had the Spanakopita with tofu and the sides completely filled my plate - it looked as though I would never eat it all. I was wrong. Lovely food. Fresh, tasty and lots of it. Great service here too despite the busy small area. Would definitely come back again. read more

Always a go-to ! Vegan friendly and people friendly! Excellent staff and very cool people watching location. P.s the baked items are amazing Eat them :) read more

Honestly some of the tastiest vegetarian food I have ever had! I used to work up the road & I visited them every day. Great idea having an offer on at the end of the day so they don't waste food. Keep going strong guys! read more

The best place for lunch on this street in my opinion. All veggie. Healthy. Lots of organic. On the dear side (fiver for a lunch). Friendly staff. Very busy at lunchtime. Lots of choice (with subway style counter pick n mix). Best aspect: get leftovers from around 4.45-5.30pm for only £2.70! (Alternatively sit outside the White Rabbit pub opposite and be offered leftovers just before they shut!) read more

Impressive spot. Delicious vegetarian food at ridicolous price, it's definitely the best I have ever had in Brighton. Can't be missed read more

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Perfect for a quick lunch and a firm favourite. I pretty much always get their enchiladas - YUM! The kick of jalapeños is perfect paired with sour cream and their mixed seeds topping. The hot sides vary day by day but generally include beans, beets, broccoli, root vegetables... always fresh, lightly seasoned and really delicious. Their slaws and salads are always to die for, really filling (think lots of legumes!) but not heavy. I always always non-veggies to go here, because everything is so brilliant and satisfying you'd not really notice there's no meat in your meal! read more

SO good! my boyfriend and i followed the sun and ended up in brighton on a sunny, saturday. we checked out yelp and decided to try this place for lunch. we wanted to take away which worked quite well as it was very busy both inside and out, but sitting at the tables outside would have been a fabulous people watching spot, so i will keep that in mind for the next time i am here. the food was amazingly delicious! you pick a main dish and then either 2 side salads or 4 side salads (depending on how hungry you are, but seriously, you'd have to be HANK MARVIN to tackle the large, the portions are very generous!) and 2 toppings. i had a wonderful gnocci with goats cheese and pesto as my main (all the options sounded good though from lasagne, to enchiladas, to quiche), with pearl barley cous cous and broccoli, plus salsa and hummus. OH YUMMMMMMMMM. i don't normally like mixing my food as i like to keep my flavours and textures separate, but this was just so good, i didn't care. for 2 "small" meals, and a sparkling water, i paid £11, so really good value for money, and it kept us full all day (well, apart from the cheeky frozen yoghurt we had later on...) the staff are friendly and efficient, they offer wine and beer as well as teas, coffees and organic juices. there really was nothing i didn't like about this place and will definitely return the next time i am in brighton (& i will be bringing my vegetarian friends who will be overjoyed by this place!) read more

I come for breakfast at least once a week. The food is always delicious. My favorite dish is the simple eggs on toast, but my friends order the avocado on toast, breakfast muffins, and the various other delicious dishes. Portion sizes are large, perfect for brunch. The smoothies and juices are so fresh, you can see them cutting the fruits and veggies as they go. Coffee and tea here is fantastic as well, but it's hard to pass up the fresh fruit smoothies. read more

Iydea - Strawberry smoothie with avocado toast. Scrambled eggs on toast with the mango smoothie. So good!!!!! - Vegetarian Near Me - Brighton, BNH

Whenever I think of Brighton, I always think of Iydea in the North Laines. It's a veggie restaurant that can make any meat eater feel a little guilty (in a healthy way). I've found myself devouring several of their dishes with the thoughts "meat is just so unnecessary" over the years. Idyea shows the meat eaters, like myself, how lovely vegetable-only meals can be, and gives vegans and vegetarians a gorgeous little cafe where they can prove it. You've got to try their smoothies. It's a real must. read more

Great place to hang out for tear and good vegetarian place. My wife is a vegetarian so this place is wonderful place for lunch. She loved the place please check it out. read more

Iydea - The front - Vegetarian Near Me - Brighton, BNH

Go there for breakfast! Most enjoyable experience I have had thus far was taking a visiting friend for a farewell breakfast before he left Brighton. I usually go to Iydea in the afternoons, and while the food is delicious; the long queue and rush for seating makes it a bit of a stressful ordeal. Breakfast here however was chilled and relaxed. We easily got a table to ourselves, and enjoyed great coffee waiting for our food. Turns out, they actually lost the slip for our order this time! When we questioned the wait, the manager was incredibly apologetic and gave us free drinks. We went for the peanut butter and banana toast and an avocado on toast dish. So so good, could not have enjoyed it more! read more

When people ask me what my favourite restaurant is, I immediately answer Iydea. So much variety and everything always tastes amazing. I think the price is definitely right for a box stuffed full of delicious, highly filling food. And they win extra bonus points for their amazing labelling system, allowing people of all dietary needs to have a really good, hearty meal. The curries are always great. Once I had garlic savoy cabbage and I swear I never knew cabbage could taste so good. Iydea is just a total gem. read more

Iydea - Vegetarian Near Me - Brighton, BNH

Due to the diversity of the city there is so much on offer regarding music, food and all other things debatable. One of my favourite stop offs on a Saturday afternoon has to be Iydea. This little vegetarian café in Kensington Gardens (near Snoopers Paradise) serves top quality organic fresh food. Especially good is the enchilada, which when fully loaded can be a substantial meal or even a snack to go back to. Iydea'a location in the vibrant cosmopolitan North Laine makes it a popular hotspot to many of Brighton residents. read more

Iydea - IYDEA - Vegetarian Near Me - Brighton, BNH

MMMMMM..... Any place that serves buttered Kale deserves to be written about. Iydea is a healthy hearty local haunt situated in the ever so hip area of the North Laines. Keeping in the whole Vegan/Veggie theme that Brighton has going for itself, Iydea is a fancy cafeteria-styleesque option in the veggie mix. With wooden benches where people can share space to enjoy their meals, Iydea offers real veggie style home cooking. Make sure to read the boards to understand what is being offered, as there are different selections for meals. Main dishes come in S or L are served with any 2 or 4 salads from the bar (plus a free dressing). Or you can have S salad selection of 2. M of 3 and L of 4. Main dishes generally run for a bout £5-6 pounds and include Falafel, Spinach Lasagna (my fave) and Roti.. just to name a few. Salads are always plentiful with colourful selections such as Bean Salad, Mixed greens and Baked Root Veggies. Iydea is the perfect place for a lunch stopover, but come well equipped with a proper appetite, because portions are generous. read more

I absolutely love this place, it's one of the things that makes me think very seriously about relocating to Brighton. The first time I came here I was searching for the perfect vegan breakfast. Here it was, all yummy sausages and mushroom and beans, in lovely surroundings with super friendly serving staff. As I chomped away happily I saw them starting to bring out trays of delicious looking things for lunch, and cursed the breakfast for being so tasty and so filling! My boyfriend's face was a picture of surprise and mild disgust as I mentioned my plan to hang around for long enough after breakfast to feel hungry again just so we could try some of the delicious dishes - and yet boys complain if you don't eat! Thankfully on a more recent trip to Brighton I managed to get in for lunchables and was not disappointed. It's proper, hearty vegetarian fare with plenty of good vegan options, and you pay for the dish alone, with a choice of two salads or with unlimited extra bits. It's all very reasonably priced I think, and there's free Wifi in there if you want to make a day of it. In summary - yum. read more

Iydea is a wonderful canteen-style restaurant in North Laine catering for vegetarians, vegans and coeliacs. All of their dishes are clearly marked as to their suitability for each of these dietary requirements meaning that I find it an incredibly easy and delicious place to eat. They have a range of both hot and cold food, which varies on a day-to-day basis. Of the hot dishes, my favourites are their gluten-free falafels, vegetable thai curry and veggie 'n' bean shepherd's pie (which are there pretty regularly). When you get a hot dish, you can choose between large or small - the 'small' means you get two side dishes, the 'large' means you can have pretty much ALL the side dishes piled on to your plate (it's well worth getting the large!) Their side dishes are always things like roasted root veg, steamed vegetables, couscous or bulgar wheat salads, bean or chickpea salads, red cabbage coleslaw, Greek salad and potato salad. The portions are amazingly generous too - for between £5-7 you can completely stuff yourself on the most wonderfully healthy food. If you don't want a hot meal though, you can opt for a plate of just the salad (about £3-4). Like the hot dishes, the sides and salads seem to vary day-to-day so you'll never have the same meal twice. Their takeaways are a teensy bit cheaper for exactly the same amount of food and come in a square cardboard box with a wooden knife and fork (which I think is a great way of eating!) More often than not during the summer I'll happily opt for a piled up a takeaway box and head down to the beach rather than sit in a hot and inevitably crowded little café. read more

Iydea always has a variety of equally delicious meal options; there usually have about 6/7 main meals and dozens of veg/salad dishes to pair with the mains. The food is really exciting and they love to use only the best fresh produce and create very flavoursome recipes! It's a vegetarian cafe, and although they dont sell any meat, all my friends vegi or not absolutely love this place- its a real treat and not too expenaive either! read more

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Oh my, the butternut squash curry is so good here! This combined with the homemade lemonade makes a perfect meal. A very big selection of veggi dishes, and a fixed, reasonable price around £6 where you get a main, and all the veg and salad you can eat, plus 2 dips, or seed for the top. This place is so delicious, and such good value, you won't be able to resist going back over and over and enough range to make non-vegetarians see just how tasty and wide ranging veggie food can be read more

A cafe restaurant - more of a good quality cafe, I suppose - but either way, it's lovely. Whilst made for vegetarians, this is pretty much the closest source to home cooked just-how-your-mother-made-it food (if not better) for something even students can afford. If you fancy a taste of non-commercial yummy Brighton life I recommend Iydea for warm tummy type food. Whilst it's vegetarian based (which can, on occasion taste good! 1), there's a great array of food and the serving format is genius. Simply ask for a small portion and pick two veg, or ask for a large and pick however many you like (although this was enough to confuse my dear Mother upon visitation). The menu continuously changes and costs £4.70 to £7.70 which provides you with as much food as humanly fits on a plate. Foody examples include regular Lasagna, Tortilla, and Chilli style things, and occasionally a Gypsy stew, although we aren't quite sure what this is (Seasonal veg with a paprika sauce and basmati rice & salad, we found, after short investigation). 1 - as a reformed vegetarian, there's a lot of tosh out there but this is genuinely nommish. And as someone who now eats meat, it's so good you won't miss it (for one meal). Iydea is open from 9:30-5:30 weekdays (10am-5:30am at weekends) and if you head there towards closing time you can pick up a food box on the cheap, which I like. http://boredofbrighton.blogspot.com/2009/12/lunch-at-idea-brunch-or-snack-at-iydea.html read more

The food here is pretty good, although not consistently so. I've had a few meals there that I haven't really enjoyed at all but most of the time the food is good. I don't really like the atmosphere though. It always seems so crowded and rushed and I prefer to relax and take my time when i eat. More of a cafe than a restaurant. It's not the most comfortable place to eat either. You don't get much room and the tables are quite high and I don't like that much. read more

My husband has just decided to go veggie so we popped into Iydea for breakfast one Saturday to see if he could be inspired (he's struggling with the whole 'no meat' thing -sigh). Had a great breakfast there - husband had veggie fryup with baked beans, sausages and hash browns - everything was homemade and he said it was all delicious. I had fried eggs on toast - eggs could have done with being runnier but guess that's personal taste. Nice atmosphere, clean, staff are friendly - what you'd expect in good old Brighton :) read more

I had the best vegetarian meal of my life at Iydea. My friends and I walked in overwhelmed by the delicious smells. Iydea has a variety of options at decent prices. The servers were friendly and gave generous portions. read more

What an amazing little cafe in the heart of the North Laines in Brighton. The staff are all friendly and knowledgable and the food is amazing, freshly cooked vegetarian and vegan food. My wife wife and I took my three kids and our good friend Kate here and we had a lovely time, I couldn't recommend this place enough. read more

went to the North lanes for a stroll and popped into see what's on the menu... and everything looked really good sitting in front of me. I think it helps when they show the food.. because otherwise i wouldn't really know what to order. Had the Cauliflower pie ... and tried the lasagna.. both very delicious. definitely going back to taste a few more things i spotted. They also do half priced boxes towards closing. Friendly staff and very cozy setting. read more

This place is delicious. I went during lunch and it was pretty hectic. You need to be on your toes as far as having your choices ready by time time you get to the front of the line -I can't even say I've seen it slow. read more

I found I piece of glass in my food. They were kind enough to give me another meal but still. It makes me wonder about their hygiene conditions. read more

Wonderful place. Definitely a lunch type of spot. Go in and they serve you from their warm and cold veggie buffet. Prices are spot on, service is always with a smile, and seating is nice and cozy. First time I went I struck up a nice conversation with the other people at the table. Second time, friends walked by and we all enjoyed together. Their soups are really nice... and the thing that gives this place a 5 star... at the end of the night they package up the extra food and leave it on the doorstep for those in need. Thats whats needed, thats what I love. read more

This place is fantastic for vegetarian food. Its one of those services where you get to choose between different mains, sides and veggies as you go along the track. The main dishes are always gorgeous and the sides are always very tasty, I don't know what they do with that cabbage but its very clever. It's a nice set up in there, although on a Saturday shopping run it can be hard to find a seat. The interior is as wholesome as the grub meaning and you leave knowing that you got 7 out of your veggies-a-day and feeling rather smug about it. Very tasty and the price is right, excellent. read more

As ever, Alice has nailed this one. Very pleasant & chilled; they were playing a Nat King Cole record when I was there. What a voice!!!