Overlooking New Steine Gardens, where the AIDS memorial by local sculptor Romany Mark Bruce reaches into the sky, the positioning of New Steine Hotel is just perfect. “We really want to be considered as a gallery as much as we are known for our restaurant,” says owner Herve Guyat, who has encouraged local artists to exhibit here since opening New Steine Hotel in the building next door 10 years ago. Now that address is occupied by Gullivers – Herve’s second hotel, which has 12 bedrooms and offers bed and breakfast along with a similar dose of local art. The New Steine Hotel, with 20 bedrooms, French bistro, private dining and conference facilities, has become established as a destination for fine art and fine French cuisine. Herve holds regular supper clubs.

Its kitchen is home to Sussex Young Chef of the Year Oliver Darby. Its menu boasts a flavoursome choice of locally sourced produce. (“When we can do Sussex, we do Sussex,” says owner Peter Allinson.) And its window display is frequented by seasonally attired, knitted hamsters. There are so many reasons to visit Temptation we’ve almost forgotten to mention the art. (At the back Peter has created an oasis of calm, complemented by regularly changing exhibitions by local artists.) The attention to detail is faultless, and Peter’s concern to meet customers’ needs is paramount (he also knits the tea cosies). When we visited Temptation was launching a baby menu. It also offers a catering service, hampers and can be booked for private functions

I can’t promise the Chihuahuas will be having a tea party when you visit. But I can assure that you’ll never forget Metrodeco – and you’ll want to go back again and again. Any doubts that high tea in a high-end antique shop doesn’t really mix are dispelled as you recline in a gilded leopard skin-print chair – sipping one of Metrodeco’s uniquely blended infusions. As you bask under the twinkling chandeliers, you can imagine how great they would look in your own home – then just add them to your bill. Co-owner Maggie Morgan is an Art Deco expert, and all the furniture and accessories you see around you are for sale. And as if creating a 1930s style Parisian tea salon in the heart of Kemptown wasn’t challenge enough for Maggie and Helen Wilkinson, they’ve identified another niche Metrodeco fills perfectly. Dogs aren’t just welcome here – they have their own menu and special events.

Take a trip out to Rottingdean where a wonderfully diverse group of artists are living the bohemian dream: running their own gallery while serving up great tea and cakes. The original plan had been to restrict exhibits to fine art, says Christine Harfleet, but it wasn’t good business. Well it certainly is now. The café area is corralled by extremely affordable art and craftwork, including Christine’s fused glass sculptures along with paintings by visiting artists of the month, jewellery by Sue Warner and Marcus Harman, and much more. In the kitchen Aimee Harman has developed ‘edible mosaics’ – shortbread biscuits with icing for grout and sweets for decoration – for children. “They can eat them or varnish them and put them on the wall.”

Conveniently located on the seafront, opposite the West pier, Oriental Place is “Brighton on a street,” describes Catherine Anderson. It’s also where you’ll find everything that makes the city such a great place to stay wrapped up in a hotel. Because with its creatively styled interiors, quirky breakfast room that doubles as a plush cocktail bar in the evening, and walls that give gallery space to local artists, The Oriental captures beautifully the spirit of Brighton. (When we visited it provided the perfect showcase for Scott Allen’s pop art.)

Enjoy Brighton from this relaxing and quirky bolthole in the heart of Kemptown. It’s the perfect place to dip in and out of the city’s action from a unique, award-winning guest house. Filled with memorable touches of nostalgia wherever you look, the snooze vibe is laidback and easy. You can lounge in one of six individually styled supersnooze rooms crammed with touches of vintage and contemporary design, and enjoy a leisurely breakfast in the gallery breakfast room. For that unforgettable getaway, book into one of the two luxurious, retro-inspired supersnooze suites, which include breakfast in bed and ensure that you’ll never want to leave. Get snoozed-up in Brighton, there’s nowhere quite like it.

A truly independently-spirited coffee shop where you’re promised ‘kick-ass coffee’ and ‘life-changing’ cake. It’s served up in an atmosphere of chilled out creativity. The decor is an audacious mix of local artwork hung alongside the reclaimed, recycled and re-invented... And it works. Upstairs Marwood Studios provides offices and workspace for a selection of Brighton’s small creative businesses, and is home to the new red k gallery. Anyone interested in renting or sharing a unit should contact Richard Grills.

Situated just outside the grounds of the lovely Queens Park, Home Café was established in November 2007. Since then it’s earned a reputation for being a superb brunch destination – serving up killer bloody Marys and eggs benedict, which are sure to see off any hangover. Its Sussex full English breakfast is legendary, but Home Café offers a lot more. As the name implies, most of the food is homemade: burgers, chunky chips, soups and daily changing specials all served in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. The café is licensed, serving Sussex cider and ales along with locally ground coffee. Home is open seven days a week for breakfast, brunch, lunch and teas and cakes, and is available for private hire.

This little corner of France in Brighton’s North Laine is the perfect place to relax and revive – for breakfast, lunch or afternoon coffee with pastries. Light and airy, the quirky bistro-style decor is complemented by a warm, friendly atmosphere. Upstairs doubles as a gallery space, where you can lull yourself into a state of complete langour in one of the giant rocking chairs. Or sink into a sofa. There’s ample space for languishing and plenty of reasons to wile away a few hours working your way through a menu that includes seasonal homemade dishes and some great sandwich-filling combinations.

I’d always wondered what sort of person would answer the call to pose in a Spencer Tunick photo. I’d never imagined someone like Mark McCullough owner of Hotel Nineteen. But under his rather dry, laconic exterior, you realise this psychology graduate and former BA manager is not entirely what he seems. “My creativity has always been hidden under a bushel,” he remarks.

In the heart of Brighton’s pedestrianised New Road, Mrs Fitzherberts has some of the most covetable tables in the city. Whatever festival or event is occurring, customers have a free, front-row seat – and there is always something happening here. But it’s inside during the winter months that the cosy corners of this small bar come into their own. Snug and enticing, the ceiling sparkling with a web of tiny blue lights, it’s a favourite with students and locals. Look out behind the bar for local artists Jennifer Roberts and Jemma Johnson, who have work on permanent display downstairs and use the upstairs venue room as a gallery during the May Open Houses. “People tend to stumble up there when they’re looking for the toilets,” Jemma says.

The Windmill owners Paul and Pam Sardy make fantastic use of the pub’s wallspace to showcase their collection of art. It’s a truly eclectic selection – with most items for sale. Paul is also always on the look out for prospective exhibitors. But it’s not just the art that lures locals and visitors from nearby Western Road to the pub’s tucked away location on Upper North Street. A warm welcome is pretty much assured, and The Windmill has a friendly, lively vibe. If you’re in the know, you’ll also head here for menu. The lunch specials and veggie options come highly recommended from a seasonally-changing menu that includes homemade fishcakes.

Guests At the Claremont, Hove, can eat, sleep and relax among one of the most eclectic selections of local art you could hope to find in one building. And when it’s time to pack their bags, they only have to look up at the walls to find a suitably memorable piece of Brighton to take home. This magnificent 11-bedroom hotel on the elegant Second Avenue acts as a constantly changing gallery for around 50 artworks – paintings, ceramics, sculptures – or whatever takes curator Alison Haye’s eye. If it seems that Alison has an uncanny ability to place just the right piece in its perfect space, that’s because probably no-one knows the Claremont’s architectural idiosyncracies better.

On permanent display at The Gallery are the paintings of Dutch artist Pepijn Krigsman. They’re rich, vibrant works in oil, and the perfect accompaniment to any meal. On the edge of the South Lanes in the heart of the city, The Gallery is perfectly positioned for people watching the crowds flocking down to the seafront or the Royal Pavilion. And you’re almost guaranteed free entertainment from the street musicians nearby. Its menu is generous and varied: from homemade meatball pasta to locally caught seabass or Barbary duck breast.

If the display of local art doesn’t lure you in, then the sight of cakes and pastries will probably do the job. This spacious, unpretentious French eatery on Trafalgar St is a stone’s throw from Brighton mainline station and a laidback way to enjoy the North Laine. Let everyone else do the shopping. Here you can enjoy traditional French favourites such as Croque Monsieurs and Madames, generously filled croissants and French onion soup.

Local art, local produce and one of the best views in Brighton. It all adds up to a great eating experience, right on the beach front. Deservedly popular, Due South’s accolades include being named Best Seaside Restaurant in Britain by The Observer Food Monthly and a prestigious AA Rosette. Its insistence on the finest seasonal ingredients means the menu changes monthly. Extremely popular, so be sure to book.

Having a “flea market feel to it” is not the marketing spin you expect from the manager of a hotel recently opened in the fiercely competitive Regency Square. But Megan Barlow-Pay is not your typical hotel manager. She applied for the job of cleaner, but was promoted within the space of the job interview by the hotel’s owner Justin Salisbury.

Whether you’re breakfasting alone, brunching with the family or out for dinner, The Tin Drum doesn’t disappoint. The original venue in Seven Dials is worth the steep trek up Dyke Road (reward yourself with a large glass from its impressive wine list). There are sister venues in Kemptown and Hove, so wherever you find yourself you’re never far away from the chatty atmosphere of these family-owned, European-style restaurant bars. Artwork comes courtesy of Cadmium Art promotions and is beautifully lit, with plenty of space to appreciate individual works. At the time of publication, Seven Dials was showing oil paintings by Sam Hewitt. Now on display is Greg Sturges until 8 June. Cadmium is interested in artists looking to show their work. Contact them at the email address below.

A two-minute train journey from Brighton mainline station takes you to London Road and The Open House. It’s a great way to get a concentrated hit of the local Fiveways artists’ work, jam-packed on the walls. But although close to the city centre, its residential location feels a million miles from the Brighton buzz – particularly during the weekend daytime when the pub’s family friendliness means fighting through pushchairs to get to the bar.

Best discovered in the evening, this quirky, contemporary bar is as much a gallery as it is a drinking haunt. The interior may be relatively small, but its light walls and airy feel provides an ideal showcase for the work (at the time of writing, photography by Jean-Luc Brouard). Exhibitions change every six weeks.

From the outside, the Black Lion looks as if it’s had to squeeze up, take a step back and make room for its neighbouring, and perhaps more famous Brighton watering hole, The Cricketers. But don’t be fooled by the narrow, dark olde worlde exterior. Inside it is tardis-like and spacious, and with a relaxed, friendly vibe that attracts a mix of locals and visitors. Weekend lunchtimes can get packed thanks to the reasonably priced, home-cooked food and central location. But don’t get too engrossed in your burger and chips (which, by the way, comes highly recommended). Look up at walls where an eclectic selection of local fine art prints are provide by Graeme Locke, owner of Hove-based Eye 4 Colour. Graeme works with celebrated artists such as Jenny Beresford – look out for her triptych on the right hand wall as you enter – Steve Wilson and Simon Dixon, as well as displaying his own photography. For Graeme, the beauty of Brighton’s artists is their freedom from convention: “They follow their hearts and do what comes naturally.”