Discover Worthing: England's overlooked seaside town

With its pebble beach, its lively beach bar Coast Café, the Crabshack restaurant on the seafront serving delicious seafood in a comfortable atmosphere, and the old car park which has now become a food court, the town has become the place to be for people who want to enjoy all the fun of seaside towns without the overcrowded character.

Not only are there cocktail bars and microbreweries, there is also a studio, East Beach, where you can find artwork from local artists, and a design shop called Inspired, which sells original and design clothes. Just nearby, you will find the Colonnade House, which offers exhibitions and performances, and is part of the circus festival that takes place in Worthing every year in September.

Much smaller than Brighton, the town attracts young people thanks to its amazing atmosphere, its beautiful coast, and its much lower prices. In fact, there are plenty of interesting places and events, such as the Pride festival, and for the foodies out there, the new Pitch restaurant from chef Kenny Tutt.

“Like a lot of seaside locations, which I believe have been a little overlooked, Worthing was crying out for more exciting dining spots. In recent years, there has been a massive flurry of great cafes and restaurants, supported greatly by lots of people moving into the town from larger cities, in search of the good life”, he commented.

The chef also opened another casual restaurant by the beach, called Bayside Social, which will definitely make you feel like you’re on holiday.

Another chef actually moved from Brighton to Worthing, opening a classy restaurant Perch on the Pier. He explained: “We thought that Worthing really needed a flagship. (...) So many people told me stories about what the pier had meant to them. They said, ‘We’re dying for you to make it better’. We really wanted people to be excited about it.”

You will also find places with beautiful retro architecture, such as Dome Cinema and The Connaught theatre, while the Museum and Gallery offers an amazing display of historical clothing. Because it is easily accessible from London (an hour and 20 minutes by train), the town is the perfect getaway for a weekend, as well as for families and young people looking to move out of big cities.

Coombes added: “We’ve never really been able to work out our demographic. It’s such a variety, which is nice, really, because we want to make everybody’s day.”

For a cozy stay in the city centre, stay at The Chatsworth Hotel. Overlooking the Steyne Gardens and the beachfront, it features beautiful rooms and the friendly Pebble Beach Brasserie if you are looking for food.