The Meeting Place progress

Right on the old boundary between Hove and Brighton and on the beach, sits a much loved cafe - The Meeting Place. It’s been through several transformations during nearly a century of serving teas, and is currently close to re-emerging in its new build form, modern, sleek and designed to fit aesthetically within the location.

Originally established in the 1930s a few feet on the Hove side of the boundary, the Meeting Place cafe was little more than a small wooden kiosk. In 2002, due to preservation orders preventing expansion on the Hove side, the café relocated a few feet east to a new building on the Brighton side of the border. Over the years, the cafe has featured in several books, films, and TV dramas, including the television series Poirot. A documentary was produced for the Brighton Festival, capturing the story of the beloved old kiosk before its demolition.

The establishment remained under the same ownership until 2021, when it was bought by Hikmet Tabak and Bulent Ekinci. The duo put forward plans to rebuild the cafe as a two-storey building with a roof terrace, but this was opposed by The Conservation Advisory Group and deemed too large and intrusive. The plans were revised significantly - by dropping the two-storey design and roof terrace, reducing the floor space, and decreasing the seating capacity. These plans were approved in June 2023, and construction started a year ago this weekend - see the cafe’s Facebook page (scroll down for a feast of cakes and other dishes). Architectural plans, maps and proposed visuals are all available in the council’s planning proposal documents.

In a statement (reported in the local news) prepared by the owner’s agent, Lewis and Co Planning, the applicants said: ‘To preserve the important character of the conservation area, the proposed cafe would be single storey in height so as not obstruct the sweeping views along the seafront and towards the Regency terraces and squares. As the proposal would replace the existing, somewhat dated and tired-looking cafe, it is considered that there would be a neutral impact on the setting. Although the footprint would be larger, the proposed replacement building has been designed with simple clean lines and finished in a muted colour palette to reduce the potential for it to compete visually with the Edward VII Memorial [Peace statue], the setting of which provides for clear views of the statue against expansive skies and the sea.’

Construction is nearing completion as can be seen by the top photo from recent days. In the meantime, a temporary structure a few feet to the west - a brief return for the cafe to Hove and to its more basic roots! - has been doing good business. The chalkboard menu offers gourmet burgers and fine illustrations.