Blog

We are pleased to announce a brand new second-floor restaurant and bar, Light, which will open from mid-May for breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea. It will also open on Thursdays and Saturdays for a pre-theatre menu, sundowners and dinner.

The former café and adjacent meeting room have been completely reimagined, to make the most of the building’s tall ceilings, skyline views and sunsets, with new interiors and a horseshoe bar. Its name reflects the airiness of the new space, as much as its casual, welcoming atmosphere and style of food.

Created and run by the team from the highly acclaimed Eight Bells in nearby Jevington, Light’s rolling menu features ‘smørrebrød’ (the indulgent Scandinavian-style open sandwich) and beautifully created, fresh and locally-sourced plates, ideal for daytime dining and sharing – including for families.

A number of tables are available throughout the day without a reservation, but you can also make a reservation at lighttowner.com, which is recommended for the evenings.

The same team has also take over Towner’s downstairs Cinema Café & Bar, serving barista coffee (from Eastbourne’s roastery, Nelson), freshly prepared salads, sandwiches and cakes throughout the day, as well as wide range of bar drinks and cinema snacks. No booking is needed to visit.

The new services, which include affordable options and a welcoming atmosphere for all, will coincide with Towner’s summer exhibition, Barbara Hepworth: Art & Life, which opens on 27 May. The show will display some of Hepworth’s most celebrated sculptures including the modern abstract carving that launched her career in the 1920s and 1930s, her iconic strung sculptures of the 1940s and 1950s, and large-scale bronze and carved sculptures from later in her career. Light will also be open during the Turner Prize, which comes to Towner Eastbourne from 28 September 2023.