Brighton's Best Pubs - YOUR TOP 10

[Man of Harveys]

I think the GREAT EASTERN deserves a mention - great little pub.

 

[Dave the OAP]

I haven't been out in Brighton for ages:

However when we were young we did these:

meet at the 1st pub and then on to the rest

the Volunteer
The Green Dragon
William 4th ( bar billiards)
Shades/ Pavillion bar
Deryk Carver
The Cricketers
Henneckies - ship street
Smugglers - ship street


Also

 

[Uncle Buck]

I have a very love/hate relationship with this pub: I go there a lot - it's convenient, does Harveys and my mates like it - but there's not that much to recommend it really: the decor is awful (not even old/crap enough to be appealingly-oldfashioned, just dire), I'm not a big fan of the Harveys in there either, plus it's always full, a bit hot, devoid of totty and the toilets are pretty grim. The nearby Eddy, which is always much emptier, is a better bet, I'd say.

As a fan of the Duke of Wellington, the Battle is a rare place for me to go.

Never get as far as the Eddy, as you have to go past the Wellie to get there.

 

[Uncle Buck]

I think the GREAT EASTERN deserves a mention - great little pub.

Good shout.

Often used for a pint before attempting to eat ones body weight in Buffet Island...

 

[Timbo]

I used to really like the Font and Firkin, however it seems to have changed and now looks like it would be shit.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Cobblers Thumb would be great if they'd turn the fugging music down just a tad so you could hear yourself speak.

Makes me laugh what they've tried to do to the London to Brighton Hog to make it what they obviously think is a bit trendy and Brighton - slapped a massive Bhudda statue by the entrance, moved the pool table and put bead curtains around it, put a couple of red leather sofas and a crap DJ in at the back and dimmed the lighting. The piece de resistance is that the bouncer on the door now wears a stab vest, so the revamp has obviously succeeded in attracting a more upmarket crowd.

 

[Shizuoka Dolphin]

Cobblers Thumb would be great if they'd turn the fugging music down just a tad so you could hear yourself speak.

Makes me laugh what they've tried to do to the London to Brighton Hog to make it what they obviously think is a bit trendy and Brighton - slapped a massive Bhudda statue by the entrance, moved the pool table and put bead curtains around it, put a couple of red leather sofas and a crap DJ in at the back and dimmed the lighting. The piece de resistance is that the bouncer on the door now wears a stab vest, so the revamp has obviously succeeded in attracting a more upmarket crowd.

Oh, my God. That sounds HORRENDOUSLY CRAP. Bet they whacked 20p on each drink as well.

 

[Goring Gull]

Last time i was out in Brighton did a few pubs in the north laines - would have to say though the Caxton for it's Orangeboom takes some beating also like

The Nelson
The Albert - Staropramen on tap
King and Queen
Mash Tun - not sure why i just do
Basketmakers - decent lagers
Fiddlers elbow - slightly too close to West street for my liking though.

 

[The Large One]

I haven't been out in Brighton for ages:

However when we were young we did these:

meet at the 1st pub and then on to the rest

the Volunteer
The Green Dragon
William 4th ( bar billiards)
Shades/ Pavillion bar
Deryk Carver
The Cricketers
Henneckies - ship street
Smugglers - ship street


Also

Volunteer - Mash Tun
Green Dragon - The Office
Wilf IV - Same
Cricketers - Same
Hennekies - Hotel du Vin
Smugglers - Same

Where was Shades and Deryk Carver?

 

[Fourteenth Eye]

Shades is now the Pav tav

 

[Bluejuice]

The Ranelagh, Kemp Town
The Hanover, Queen's Park Road
The Barley Mow, St George's St
The Round Georges, Sutherland Road
The Conqueror, Upper Market Street(?)
The Fishbowl, East St
The Hub, Vogue Gyratory
The Fortune of War, Kings Road Arches
The Evening Star
The Lord Nelson, Trafalgar St

In no particular order

 

[Dave the OAP]

Volunteer - Mash Tun
Green Dragon - The Office
Wilf IV - Same
Cricketers - Same
Hennekies - Hotel du Vin
Smugglers - Same

Where was Shades and Deryk Carver?

shades was the Pavillion tavern ( round the back by the Wine bar bit)

Deryk Carver was next to the cricketers in Black Lion Street()

 

[Fourteenth Eye]

in no particular order...

The Caxton
The greys
The Constant Service
the Hartington
Evening Star
The Eastern
Fiddlers Elbow
Pub with No Name
Lion & Lobster
Basketmakers

 

[MikeySmall]

The Basketmakers has kept it's rustic style, where the Eagle opposite, has completely trendified....though their food looks good. The Pav Tav is ruined since the days I used to go there, and it's now a totally crap place to go for a drink.

The Office is quite good because of the Olde English Cider and excellent Thai food.
There's also a pub on a street just above Queens Road, Caxton's or something like that, it's okay.

When the tourist season is over and the weather is gloomy, the Royal Oak and Shepherd and Dog will be good locals

I used to work in the Shepherd and Dog. Haven't been back in a while. What's it like now?

 

[CHAPPERS]

Excellent shout from UB of Fitzherberts, that replaces the Setting Sun in my list.

There is literally NOWHERE better to sup on a Magners/Guinners whilst people watching than at Mrs Fitzherberts.

 

[crosbysleftear]

Stanley Arms, Portslade (Best pub in B&H as far as I'm concerned)
Romans, Southwick
Basketmakers
Great Eastern
Barley Mow
George (I have too many veggie friends)
Gladstone
Evening Star
Caxton
The Sussex, Hove seafront (big chain pub I know but its where I do my post-Withdean drinking)

 

[Uncle Buck]

Evening Star keeps getting mentioned and I can understand why with you ale people, but there is something with that pub at the moment that I do not like. However their sister pub in Shoreham is superb.

 

[Napper]

no order + names only as I know them

King and queen - bton
Tzar bar - bton seafront
Queens Hd - bton
Greens - Bton
Pav Tav - Btn
Pu na na - btn
Shkira - btn
Font - btn
Old Orleans - btn
One next to Pav tav - btn

 

[CHAPPERS]

Evening Star keeps getting mentioned and I can understand why with you ale people, but there is something with that pub at the moment that I do not like.

The amount of beard wearers in there? The fact that if they don't like the look of you (ie you're under 40) you won't get served if you've had a few? The fact you can't move without getting a faceful of sweaty armpit?

 

[Uncle Buck]

The amount of beard wearers in there? The fact that if they don't like the look of you (ie you're under 40) you won't get served if you've had a few? The fact you can't move without getting a faceful of sweaty armpit?

Partly that and partly that although it is an ale pub, it offers very little to the non ale drinker, even though CAMRA now classes proper lagers (such as the German and Czech stuff) as real beer. Go to the Duke of Wellington in Shoreham and he always has a couple of Czech beers on, so covering most people that are likely to visit tastes.