The British former fishing village of Brighthelmstone has been a popular destination since the bacchanalian Prince of Wales, later George IV, entertained a mistress there in the 1780s. The Lanes is a maze of narrow walkways meandering past centuries-old buildings that have been converted into pubs, restaurants and boutiques. Browns 3 Duke Street, Brighton Ceiling fans add ambience and a cool breeze to this lunchtime hangout that offers a relaxed setting, good service and stylish food. Start with the shared dish of red peppers and vine plum tomatoes roasted with garlic and olive oil. For the main course, try the suckling pig with apple and onion mash. It's a little expensive at GBP14.50 (HK$200), but worth it. Casa Don Carlos 5 Union Street, The Lanes The casa, with its Spanish waiters and red-and-white checked tablecloths, has a Mediterranean flavour. A fine selection of fish dishes includes Iberian-style shellfish soup and marinated octopus. A carnivore's favourite is roast shoulder of lamb at GBP6.95. Food for Friends 17 Prince Albert Street, The Lanes Brighton's original vegetarian restaurant offers 'real food for real people', including vegan and gluten-free dishes. Start with the pan-fried Peking tofu on wilted greens (GBP4.95), then try the zucchini and cannellini patties (GBP8.75) and citrus-baked cheesecake for dessert (GBP4.95). This is a good place to stop for afternoon tea (with lavender-iced cupcakes) from 3pm-5pm. Momma Cherri's Soul Food Shack 11 Little East Street, Brighton This is one of The Lanes' more quirky restaurants, serving Soul in a Bowl real American southern recipes. It achieved notoriety when featured on television, in chef Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares. But the owners say business has boomed. Recommended dishes are Daphne Barker's Bajan jerk chicken with plantain and sweet potato, and Momma Cherri's jambalaya in meat, fish or vegetarian versions for GBP11. Ristorante Pizzeria Donatello 1 Brighton Place, The Lanes Donatello's is a three-storey outlet popular with groups and children where no one minds if you turn up with a boisterous brood. The food is reasonably priced. At GBP14.95, the three-course meal covers a starter, main dish of pizza, pasta, chicken, veal or fish, and dessert. Druid's Head 9 Brighton Place, Brighton Claiming to be the oldest pub in Brighton, the Druid's Head has a floor stone near the entrance inscribed with the date AD1510. Where better to sample traditional British fare, including a ploughman's lunch at GBP4.75, or pork and red Leicester sausages with buttered mash and red onion gravy for GBP5.25? Hand-battered fillet of fish with chips, salad and mushy peas costs GBP5.25. All this can be sluiced away with a pint of Harveys bitter, brewed in nearby Lewes.