The Open Market, Brighton

A real blast from the past. Quirky and interesting shops, people and street furniture (including an upright piano and stool chained to a lamp!). A little improvement would help but I fear a total transformation and renovation would kill the soul of this unique Brighton venue.

The Open Market is managing to cling onto a bit of real marketness but is becoming a bit Brightony with a few hippy-dippy stalls.

Come shopping here is you value cheapness over quality. It all seems very much second rate.

I used to shop here all the time when I lived at Rosehill Court just around the corner and I know that this is a place where you can watch pennies whilst the pounds are watching something more important. I also know that it is actually only worth what it costs.

This place surely can't continue to exist for much longer in a town where butchers such as Bramptons charge at least 10 times as much for their locally sourced boutique sausages as the Open Market Butchers charge for their economy pork fat and offal offerings.

Maybe it's just an example of the wealth schism in Cool Brightonia.

nice lil traditional market with a few differnet business and stalls, well worth a lil look but not a highlight of brighton….the fish smell has overwhelmed me at times. can buy many items. i bought everything from sofas to tables to bikes from here ;)

nice on a sunny day but a bit of a struggle to find something that you actually want to buy

I’ve lived in brighton all my life and have seen the sad decline of this little market. Gone are most of the fishmongers and butchers and what’s left looks a little depressed. There are so many places now in Brighton which sell fruit and veg and this place is falling behind. It doesn’t help that it’s on what is perhaps the worst road in Brighton (The London Road) and badly needs renovating.

Having said this, the stalls still there are not bad, and the shops are interesting too. Everything just needs a clean and an update.

great for some fresh fruit and veg bargains which with a family is always great towards their 5 a day!also the cheap eggs and bacon for my hubbys 5 a day lol medium range of stalls friendly stallholders always willing to sell you a bargain!

Best value for fruit and veg, lovely cafe which serves affordable breakfasts, good fishmonger and quality cheese and egg shop.

Only 3 out of 5 because I didn’t think the array of stalls was that impressive when I went - having read the other reviews though, I think I need to get out of bed earlier! I did get some very good value bacon and eggs mind as Dr02e mentions, and the fishmonger looked great but I wasn’t going straight home and didn’t want to chance dodgy fish food poisoning. Am definitely going to keep an eye out for the Thai place.

If you live nearby this market, its a no brainer for just about all your food shopping. The vegetables on offer tend to sometimes be a bit lackluster, but the egg shop is unbelievably cheap, and the fishmonger is really, really good. If you havn’t already, give it a try. You might be pleasantly surprised.

I have loved the open markets since i was very young its a great place to go and support you local business people and onces you get to know the sellers you really love the friendly feel that you don’t get in most shops, the quality is always very good but i do recommend getting there earlier in the morning for the best stuff, if you have not been go you will love it.

I most of my grocery shopping here. It’s cheap and lovely and even has a shop dedicated to chilli :)

This market has plans to be redeveloped and not soon enough. The best part is the entrance when the visitor is welcomed by flowers and a good flower stall. After this its down hill. The back of the market is fruit & veg. The middle is not well loved & seems not cared for by the stall holders. The cafe is very greasy Joe’s.
I don’t know when the revamp will happen but it won’t come soon enough!

This place has everything…. and at very reasonable prices. Wheter it be fruit and veg stores, a bike repair and sell shop (2 of them one is Dutch bikes) meat and fish. The special attraction has to be the Tai shop. Run by a man and his wife it sells all stuff from Tailand. They have this hot noodle dish in a of duck, pork and other flavours for just £1.50. Cheapest eat out in Brighton! A definite must go.

This small local market is found in between the level and the opening to London Road high street. The stalls vary in size and offer fresh fruit and veg, meat & fish, organic produce. cheese and even a bicycle stall! The produce is fresh and of a good quality and prices are quite a bit cheaper than that of your local store - be it Sainsbury's or Somerfield. The market doesn't get too busy and everybody working is helpful and more than happy to help! Which i find quite rare in retail! If your thinking to cook an exotic thai meal or would just like your food fresh and local for a change i suggest a visit!

This is a cracking little local market just opposite The Level at one end and the London Road high street at the other end. It is quite small, but it's got a good variety of stalls and I'd rather be putting my money towards the little man than big corporates. The stalls run down the two main alleys, and there's an intersecting indoor part where you can buy great eggs and bacon at about 20-50p cheaper than you'll find them in a supermarket. There's also Sid the fishmonger, who's happily passed on a few recipe ideas when I've asked. Other stalls include Organic foods, Thai foods, Bicycles, cheese and Shaman supplies (don't ask..). The one stall I'm really glad to see is a decent haberdashers, virtually impossible to find these days. There's a real community vibe here, how it should be, and I'm happy to show my support.