Brighton is brimming with buffets, and they’re a great option for the city's students.

My first Brighton buffet experience was Foodilic in North Street, and it didn’t disappoint. For £6.95 you can fill your plate as many times as you like, and what a spread! The window display of salads tempts customers in the Foodilic doors, and once you’re settled in to a table you can fill your plate with as many meat dishes, crusty breads and veggie delicacies as you like. The best time to come is mid-afternoon – that way, you’ll be hungry enough to really get your money’s worth...!  The buffet service isn't available in the Western Road branch though.

Other buffets in the city include Bombay Aloo (and its meaty counterpart Bombay Aloo Mix), Day’s, and Bombay Lounge. Bombay Aloo offers the best value for money, with its Ship Street all-vegetarian Indian buffet costing just £5.99. What you see is what you get, and Bombay Aloo Mix on St James’ Street is now open for meat-eaters; you pay just a little extra to include meat dishes in your meal.

Day’s is another all you can eat place with an Asian flavour. At £13.99 per person, there are over 200 dishes to choose from and this is probably a ‘long dinner place’ rather than a quick lunch place if you’re on a budget. Indian, Chinese, Thai and sushi dishes are on display, and there’s a grill station where you can watch your food being cooked. The desserts selection sounds like a winner too...

Bombay Aloo and Day’s have both got mixed reviews online (I always check out tripadvisor before I go somewhere new!), so it’s probably best to go in expecting the following:

-          Good value for money

-          A meal that you can tailor to your tastes

-          Not the best service in the world (they’re cheap, buffet style places, focused less on service and more on making sure the dishes are topped up)

-          A full tummy afterwards.

Foodilic, on the other hand, I can vouch for as a place where you’ll get a hearty, healthy meal, quick service (albeit quick because they probably want to turn their tables over quickly) and a range of options unlike any other all you can eat place I’ve seen.

So students, if you don’t fancy takeaway or microwaved ‘cheap pub grub’, bring on the buffets! They’ll work out better value for money and might even be slightly healthier too.