Is Lantern Theatre and Cafe Still Open? The Hotel Inspector Update
The Hotel Inspector, Season 19 Brighton, South East England
Current status
As of October 2026, Lantern Theatre and Cafe is listed open on lanterntheatrebrighton.co.uk, reviewed by our team on October 20, 2026; not yet independently confirmed through direct contact.
What the source shows: The theatre's own Brighton Fringe 2026 programme lists shows from 1 to 31 May 2026 at 77 St James's Street with online booking and a cafe bar, and its website still links it. How we decide a status →
- Episode Season 19, Episode 7
- Aired
- Address 77 St James's Street, Brighton BN2 1PA
- Website lanterntheatrebrighton.co.uk
- Show map
© OpenStreetMap contributors © CARTO
What happened after The Hotel Inspector?
The Lantern Theatre and Cafe in Brighton, a fringe theatre and studio space, was the subject of the nineteenth-series Hotel Inspector episode 'Lantern Theatre and Cafe', which aired on Channel 5 on 2024-05-16 with Alex Polizzi. TVmaze's listing says owners Daniel and Janette had hosted shows there for a quarter century and that their plan to expand the venue into a hub for local artists had left them in debt. TheTVDB's listing for the episode describes the same plan.
Brighton and Hove News reported on 2025-05-02 that the Lantern Theatre had 38 shows in that year's Brighton Fringe, and gave the theatre's address as 8-10 Rock Place, with its entrance and box office at 77 St James's Street. The theatre's current website, lanterntheatrebrighton.co.uk, links a Brighton Fringe 2026 programme, posted in March 2026, that lists shows from 1 to 31 May 2026 at 77 St James's Street. The programme gives online and phone booking and describes a cafe bar serving drinks, snacks and cakes by day and wine, beer and spirits in the evening. The website also lists venue and studio hire and describes the building as home to ACT Brighton, a drama school. A Google Places listing named The Lantern Theatre, Cafe & Bar was marked operational when checked on 2026-10-20.
The episode
Synopsis (tvmaze.com) : Alex Polizzi is called to help Lantern Theatre and Cafe in Brighton ran by Daniel and Janette, who have been putting on shows at the fringe venue and studio space for 25 years. Their idea for an expansion to create a hub for local artists and a much-needed income generator has left the owners in debt, so Alex sets to work energising the business to try and avoid closure.
Also in Season 19
Season 19: 10 of 12 still open · 1 renamed, moved or under new owners
- Open
-
Ep 4The Royal George
Open - Open
- Renamed
-
Ep 8Fraser's
Open - Open
-
Ep 10Hotel Celebrity
Open - Closed
Nearest restaurants
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The Hotel Inspector
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The Hotel Inspector
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The Hotel Inspector
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The Hotel Inspector
New owners -
Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares
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The Hotel Inspector
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Before you go: Businesses change fast. Always confirm directly with the restaurant — call ahead, or check its own current website or social media — before making plans around anything on this page.
Sources we checked
- TheTVDB https://thetvdb.com/series/the-hotel-inspector/seasons/all
- tvmaze.com https://www.tvmaze.com/episodes/2853615/the-hotel-inspector-19x07-lantern-theatre-and-cafe
- brightonandhovenews.org https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2025/05/02/brighton-fringe-at-the-lantern-theatre
- lanterntheatrebrighton.co.uk https://lanterntheatrebrighton.co.uk/
- lanterntheatrebrighton.co.uk https://lanterntheatrebrighton.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Brochure-Fringe-2026-A.pdf
We work hard to keep every status accurate and dated, but restaurants change fast and our sources aren't perfect. If something here is wrong — a status, a name, an address, anything — tell us what you're seeing and where you saw it, and we'll check it.
Record thi-141 · checked by Cal Marchetti.