I went on a mission to find out who served the best cup of coffee in Brighton and, for some strange reason, it's 3am and I'm wide awake.

So why not write it up now?

I'll name three coffee shops that hit the spot. Out of the big names I found Starbucks the best.

But modern coffee shops lack character - their ambiance is clinically friendly rather than welcoming.

I trekked tirelessly on my quest to find the Holy Grail of coffee. St James's Street loomed before me.

I hiked up the hill and stepped through the door of the Tin Drum. Although more of a restaurant than a coffee shop, it's obviously a great meeting place.

Local artists' paintings hang on the walls and they provide books and magazines for customers. The coffee was okay.

The Tin Drum deserves to do well. It puts great effort into pleasing the customer.

The Bony Foodie deli, halfway down the hill, is an oasis for the weary traveller. Cosy and cool, the few tables at the back provide a quiet place for contemplation as you sip its delightful caffe latte.

Across the street lies the quaint Mediterranean deli. Only hard graft could make it as pleasing as it is. It has a charm of its own and your eye wanders over the abundance and variety of foods and bread. The coffee is enjoyable.

But the Big Daddy of them all has to be the Red Roaster at the lower end of the street.

It's the kind of place you don't want to leave. The caffe latte is heavenly and you can smoke.

And on top of that it has the prettiest girls in town working there.

-Bill Grant, Brighton