Reminders of Geneva

“My favourite place is the Café Rouge. When I first arrived in Brighton I saw the café and it reminded me of the cafés in Geneva because it had such a nice atmosphere. It particularly reminded me of the Café Remor in Geneva where artists, writers, and students of the university often go to work.”

Comments about this page

  • Before becoming Cafe Rouge it was called Crusts, and when I was a student it was a little tradition of ours to go there once a term when exams were finished. They served absurdly cheap cocktails during happy hour and I am ashamed to say that we would usually have to be poured out of the bar after a few hours…happy days!

    By Adam Penwarden (18/12/2003)
  • Ah, Crusts, cheap cocktails, Adam, Chris, Jo, Kevin, Magenta and at least a couple of Louises….those were the days!

    By Paul Grainger (26/01/2004)
  • Sorry to be pedantic, but Crusts was on the opposite corner. Before that it was a branch of ‘The Great American Disaster’ burger chain. It is now Bella Pasta. Cafe Rouge was a place called ‘The Frock and Jacket’ and a bit posey

    By Gary Easton (28/06/2005)
  • I’m sure you’re right Gary – It was nearly twenty years ago and we had all had quite a few ‘Brain Neutralisers’.

    By Adam Penwarden (02/10/2005)
  • I am afraid that Crusts was the opposite side, the bar with the cheap cocktails was in about 1980/81 and was called Valmonellas (not sure of spelling) later to turn into ‘Frock & Jacket’ – bar downstairs and upstairs for cocktails. Great memories !!

    By Matt Wiltshire (19/12/2006)
  • They were both Crusts at one point. I worked in the restaraunt. Customers would order cocktails and staff would then go across the road to the rat-infested basement to fetch.

    By sanguineman (23/01/2007)
  • I’m not convinced that the old ‘Frock & Jacket’ was ever Crusts. I think that Crusts did span both sides of the road… but the ‘Frock & Jacket’ hmmmm…not sure.  I ordered my cocktails and they served them to me…very nice too.

    By Matt (29/01/2007)
  • They were both owned by the same guy back then. Maybe Gary something. Always wore really bright Hawaiian shirts.

    By Stacie the Yank (08/08/2008)
  • Please see my search for people I photographed at The Frock and Jacket in the late 1980s (post headed The Frock and Jacket).
    Hiya Stacie (one of the names I recognise/remember the face!).
    I am looking for anyone that I photographed when I worked as ‘Door controller/licenee’ at The Frock (1988-1991).
    Chris (‘High Tower’?), Carl, Katie, Grace – are just a few – but never knew their surnames so starting my search here in hope you are still out there/visiting here!
    Stacie, the guy that owned/ran the places at the time that I remember wearing those awfully loud shirts was Dave (I think he part-owned it with a consortium of silent partners from London). The last time I saw him, he was managing some grubby bar in South London (such a change from the free and happy days of The Frock).
    ‘Viva la segunda Summer of Love’!

    By Wendy A (06/03/2009)
  • Spent my best year at the Frock and Jacket and the Royal Escape night club circa 88, I’m here now in ‘Cafe Rouge’ with my husband and two little ones in Brighton for the first time in 21 years, am delighted so delighted that we have stumbled on my old stomping ground, can remember little, must have been the snake bite, don’t remember having the cash for cocktails.

    By Meryl (07/11/2009)
  • The burger place referred to above – and it was on the opposite side to cafe rouge – was called ‘Ed’s Diner’. The food was genuine American style and good but secondary as it was licensed and in the days when the pubs closed in the afternoon, bottles of bud flowed whilst waiting for opening time. The last time I visited, we had seen Schindlers list at the cinema in East Street and went there afterwards for a much needed drink. It closed virtually overnight shortly afterwards.

    By Ali (23/12/2009)
  • Wendy, I worked there then, with Julia, Ben etc. I remember you!

    By Anna M (04/10/2010)
  • Ah, The Frock and Jacket – I remember the coolest bar in Brighton before it became a branch of Cafe Rouge. Those were the days. I worked double shifts at Food For Friends to pay the fees for my masters degree, and we used to go round the the Frock and Jacket after work before the Zap Club. http://carolseatory.blogspot.com/2010/10/frock-and-jacket.html

    By Carol (26/10/2010)
  • Great stuff, I remember seeing you write about these when you first shot them, will be good to see them printed out full size. Heading down from London next week to check out some of these exhibitions, although currently have around 40 that I want to see, not sure that it will be achievable in only one day!

    By Danitza (15/10/2012)
  • I am pleased to say I have finally got around to creating a community page where we can share memories and photos about The Frock & Jacket.

      https://www.facebook.com/pages/Frock-Jacket-Brighton-Memory-Page/420895944780810 If  you are also interested in seeing my photos of the time, also go to this link: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Frock-Jacket-Brighton/442498665871119

    By Wendy Abbott (06/07/2015)
  • I remember The Frock and Jacket on a Friday night. 1986 to 1989. It was 2 for 1 cocktail, I think, before 9 o’clock. I drank Paralysed Priests, which looked like a Guinness. I think a friend drank Pink Panthers, and of course Brain Neutralisers. We would then go on to The Basement and sometimes The Gloucester.

    By Emma (11/07/2021)

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