Fika

Fika, ah sainted Fika! Many a hungover Sunday has been salvaged by the egg-drippingly-good buns of this Hove (Worthing and now Brighton!) mainstay. Now in its 4th year, it’s all so very unassuming from the outside, with the shipping-container chic following through within. The chipboard and cushions vibe is very on point though – besides, it’s nicer to sit outside on the occasional morning that the weather isn’t howling up Fourth Avenue. Inside or out, the service is invariably efficient and genuinely friendly.

The main pull is the fried-egg sandwiches, a term which really doesn’t do justice to what’s on offer. Having eaten my way round the menu and back again I think choices fall rather neatly into two halves: more breakfasty sandwich-type affairs and more brunchy, burgery substantials. 

I invariably opt for the relatively purity of the “Ton Bacon”. I say purity, but we are talking beautifully griddled bread (of toast-meets-fried-bread excellence), top quality bacon, smoked cheese and sweet/savoury tonkatsu sauce all oozing with yolky delight. Not pure at all, plump and wanton really. It’s just not quite as out there are some of its buttermilk-fried-chicken, n’duja-and-chimichurri or grilled-haloumi-and-harissa-aioli compadres. There’s usually a special or two as well: invariably something delicious to tempt you from the path of “Ton” righteousness.

I have, almost unbelievably, never tried the wonderful-sounding Ugly Nug sides. Goes to show just how filling the main events are. I do however always manage to cram in one of their mighty cinnamon buns, just to tip my hat to their Scandi roots you understand. Coffee is, as they claim, damn good and there are excellent value weekday deals to lighten the rainiest of Tuesdays. “Filthy fried eggs & damn good coffee”, you say? Well, yes please. And be quick about it!