THE BEST PUBS WE'VE VISITED IN & AROUND BRIGHTON… SO FAR
We like pubs. And having been to a fair few in our time, we thought we’d highlight some of the best ones we’ve visited in and around Brighton and Hove over the past few months, years, decades and millennia.
(OK, maybe not millennia. But you know what I mean.)
From the heartbeat of Hove to the back streets of Worthing to the seafront of Brighton, we’ve unearthed some absolute hidden gems throughout our various pub crawls.
So, discover some of our must-visit pubs (and stunning videos) in all their glory below.
N.B. We will be updating this list as and when we discover any more haunts we love, so keep your eyes peeled! 👀
THE JOKER, Brighton
📍 Where: 2 Preston Rd, Brighton BN1 4QF
🍺 Cheapest Pint: Oxford Gold £5.10
As you stroll in after a rough day of dealing with Clive from accounts, The Joker embraces you with its soft, smokey interior.
Warm lamps line the entire pub and their booze is kept in what I believe is a giant repurposed 19th-century set of mailing draws. Very cool.
Its V-shaped layout means no matter where you sit, you’re never too far from the bar. Always a plus.
Upstairs, they’ve got an oaken bar and a slick games room with a pool table and darts board. Two games I’m delightfully average at. This room leads out onto their wooden roof terrace which is ideal for cradling an Old Fashioned and judging people from afar.
I probably don’t even need to mention the award-winning legends @lostboyschicken but they’re here wingin’ a kaleidoscope of tender goodness to their adoring fans.
Bartender’s Booze Pick: Pineapple Tom (secret recipe)
Bartender’s Food Pick: Thuddbutt Hot ‘n Smokey Wings with a blue cheese dip
Weirdest Drink: Once upon a time, a customer ordered an apple cider, and a previous bartender rustled up half an apple juice and half a cider. “Not bad, but not great.” was the feedback.
Vibes: Tall, wide and long, The Joker is no joke when it comes to pubs that are tall, wide and long.
Best Encounter: Group of lads bowling in (average age 15, all donning the same haircut) and asking ‘what’s the best pint?’ before realising this isn’t something someone over the age of 18 asks. They were shepherded away soon after.
Trivia: Originally known as The Stanford Arms back in the early 1900s, The Joker used to be the main train station in Brighton and went from Preston Road to Old Steine.
They also have a carriage-style booth at the back, named Joker Express, which is a nice callback to its past.
Overall: The Joker is a big name in the Brighton pub scene and it’s no wonder why. If you’re looking for a slice of Brighton and a tray of award-winning wings on the side, The Joker nails it every time. No joke.
The Basketmakers Arms, Brighton
📍 Where: 12 Gloucester Rd, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN1 4AD
🍺 Cheapest Pint: APA £5.45
You won’t find fruit machines, karaoke or quiz nights here. Just a strong selection of ale and beer, incredible (award-winning) locally sourced food and a warm atmosphere. There’s also live jazz every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month.
Old cigarette, car wax and biscuit tins litter the walls, and if you open them, you might find a little poem or haiku written by locals.
I left my Monzo card in one of them. Good luck kids.
Bartender’s Booze Pick: Cruzcampo £6.10
Guest Ales: Two rotating.
Bartender’s Food Pick: Fish and Chips
Weirdest Drink: Buckle up kids, we have one for the books here: Guinness in a wine glass... topped with soda water.. Shocking behaviour. Bang out the WANTED posters.
Vibes: Who in Brighton hasn’t frequented the Basketmakers Arms at least once? Locked away in the Laines, the Basketmakers is one of the best-loved Brighton pubs, and for good reason.
Best Encounter: The bar staff, Scarlett and Becky were ace, and introduced me to the Squashed Frog - which I will be coming back for. Plus, that little white dog that refused to meet my gaze.
Trivia: Shock, this place used to be a basket-making business. It was owned and run by Thomas Knight in 1852 and he employed his son and a man by the name of Thomas Cook, a blind basket maker from across the street.
Knight then thought “fuck these baskets, I’ma give the people of the mid-19th century what they really want”, so he started brewing beer.
By 1859, the name shifted to ‘The Basketmaker’s Arms’, even though Knight was still slinging pints willy-nilly.
When Knight left in the mid-1880s, the Basketmakers was taken over by a Mr Boyd, who, alongside his pal Harry, decided that pints were the way forward. Henceforth, we have the pub we all know and love today.
Overall: Love a pub with a rich history, and what I love more is how traditional it’s remained. Great food, solid selection of beer, warm vibes and weird drawings of people drinking lining the top of the bar is what I’m here for.
Baskets ain’t bad either.
The Brooksteed, Worthing
📍 Where: 38 South Farm Road, Worthing BN14 7AE
🍺 Cheapest Beer: Anything on cask is is £4.80, anything on the keg is £5.70 and anything between 5-6.4% is £6.30. 6.5% and over is £6.90
It was particularly busy when I bowled in, namely because it was the @worthingtto - but that didn’t stop David from giving me a rundown of this wicked pub.
As soon as you walk in, you’re greeted by the L-shaped bar, donning 6 guest ales (rotating) and 2 kegs. Prices for both are based on percentage, which is a nice touch (@lostpierbrewing were the guests here).
Inside, it’s cosy but not cramped. Tables, stools and booths line the walls and a rustic garden sits out back.
Both toilets are (oddly) worth mentioning here. One has a golden octopus, which I failed to steal, the other has a plaque dedicated to Kevin Bishop, who apparently opened them in 2018 (the pub or the toilet? I’m unsure).
Bartender’s Booze Pick: Loudshirt brewery’s ’Hazed and Confused’ @loudshirtbeer
Bartender’s Food Pick: Hard to pick but @chuckaburger_uk - they have a different monthly special and it’s great every time! Hickory burger is on at the moment and it’s a banger.
Weirdest Drink: Apple Jack Daniels Shots - kinda love it, won’t lie.
Vibes: Located a mere 7 mins and 29 seconds from Worthing Station, The Brooksteed is a cute micro pub adorned with peculiar ornaments and a welcoming vibe.
Best Encounter: David, what a lad. Great energy, great dog and treated me to a stunning HALLO beer from Lost Pier.
Trivia: Not strictly to do with The Brooksteed, but I had no idea that Worthing was peppered with so many micro pubs?!
The name? Comes from the street name, Brookstead. Does what it says on the tin and I like it.
Overall: David was a delight, The Brooksteed has everything you need in a pub, micro or.. medium..sized.. or large?
Whatever this pub is ace and and must visit for any @worthingtto
The Rook, Brighton
📍Where: 38 Dean St, Brighton BN1 3EG
🍺 Cheapest Pint: Hells, Lost and Grounded, £5.20
I’ve only ever loved two things in my life. My nan and the Brighton Beer Dispensary. So you can imagine how pissed I was when both shut down.
At the same time, you can imagine my elation when I discovered one had been revived (pub, not nan).
Inside, The Rook is smart and suave. It’s kept the original layout of old, but with a copper-tiled bar and a green and oaken colour scheme. Decent low-hanging lamps too, if I was a moth I’d 100% set up camp.
Additionally, the return of the giant rotating beer chalkboard adorned with tonnes of ale, lager, stout and cider made my eyes freight-train out of my skull like Bugs Bunny on an acid trip.
I thought The Rook had peaked here, until my eyes and ears were drawn to a wondrous artefact. The familiar sound of dense brass coins slapping slate fondled my eardrums. It was akin to the feeling Maximus Decimus must have felt upon caressing the wheatfields of Tuscany...
So yeah I found a Toads Table.
Bartender’s Drink Recommendation: We’re in for a treat here:
IPA: Juicy Bangers, Gardens of Green 6.5%
Pale: Bulldog, 5.4%
Lager: Augustiner, 5.2%
Cider: Sour Cherry, Ascension, 4.0%
Strongest Drink: At the moment, Fear City at 8%.
Weirdest Drink: Half a Dest lager and half Goce.
Best Encounter: Met three Toads enthusiasts. Always a delight.
Trivia: The Rook, previously Brighton Beer Dispensary (a place I frequented all too often), and previously previously known as the Prince Arthur.
Back in 1928, this pub was split into three tiny rooms. A saloon sat at the back of the pub, with a public and private bar sitting at the front with two separate entrances.
I also found out that it used to be known by the locals as ‘Esme’s’. She was known as a firm but fair landlady, and apparently for her legendary sandwiches.
Overall: Ian, who runs The Rook, has absolutely nailed it. Everything from the aesthetic down to the booze selection harkens back to the glory days of old but with many welcoming changes and additions. Ace work all round 👏
@the_rook_taproom
The Westbourne, Hove
📍 Where: 90 Portland Road, Hove, BN3 5DN
🍺 Cheapest Pint: Ale – Plateau £4.30, Keg: Arise at £5.80
The Westbourne had a bit of a makeover some 5+ years ago, which mainly involved knocking down walls and flooding the place with light and plants.
I love it.
This is a big pub. I could confidently set up my own personal bowling lane and still have room to play swingball tennis.
It’s oak tables galore at The Westo. Tables line the outside of the pub, and a cute little beer garden sun trap sits out the back.
Onto the b0ooo0ze and f👀d.
While not strictly a tap room, The Westo has an impressive 12 taps and 4 cask pumps lining the bar. Burning Sky and Hand Brew being a few of my personal favourites.
They also have a gin shaped like a gnome.
For food, they have an impressive mix of traditional pub grub and unique additions like the mushroom pappardelle, their open kebab and the cod and chickpea coconut curry.
They also have ‘Quiz on the corner’ every Tuesday for those of you that dig a pub quiz.
Bartender’s Booze Pick: Arise (simply cannot go wrong 🔥)
Bartender’s Food Pick: The Mushroom and Chicken Pappardelle
Weirdest Drink: GINome, a Kentish dry but the bottle itself is where the weirdness lies. It’s a gnome. Shock.
Honourable mention: Someone occasionally comes in and orders half a Guinness mixed with half a cider. It goes by ‘The Poor Man’s Black Velvet’.
Best Encounter: My own reflection. And Aaron, who runs the bar. What a gent.
Trivia: The Westo began its career in 1881, and was first named the Aldrington Hotel. It was also the first building on what later became Portland Road.
It then became the Aldrington pub, and in its third revamp, the Westbourne was… born.
The road name itself is a reminder of an old ditch or stream that once formed the parish boundary between Hove and Aldrington.
Overall: The Westbourne has nailed it. This is a totally independent pub with some of the best beers and artisanal wines in Brighton and Hove.
Big thanks to Aaron who didn’t judge me on my poor use of my gimbal - and kudos on making the Westo one of the best pubs in Btn & Hove 🕊️🙌 @westbournehove
The Victory Inn, Brighton
📍 Where: 6 Duke Street, Brighton, BN1 1AH
🍺 Cheapest Pint: Amstel - £5.95 🍺 BUT, £4 during Happy Hour (3-5pm) 🍻
Love a pub with a bit of naval history. The Victory is actually a pretty chilled boozer considering it’s bang in the middle of Brighton.
During the day you’ll see a few friendly locals waddle in, but post 5pm, you’ll encounter swarms of stressed marketers demanding Neck Oil by the gallon. Plenty of seating and 4 big rooms means you can set your own vibes.
Personally, I like to dress in Edwardian attire and enjoy a gloomy bitter while staring longingly at the toy ships, wishing I could return to my wife that I don’t have back on land.
Bartender’s F&D Pick: Mackai Spiced Rum with a dash’a coke. For food, the Halloumi sizzler🍹🧀
Weirdest Drink: Chilli Bacon vodka shot, best had with a Bloody Mary (I was explicitly told not to shot this) 🥓 🥃
Trivia: Built in 1854, The Victory is named after our old pal Lord Nelson’s flagship, uh, ship.
The Vic used to have two separate drinking areas and an opening at the back leading to a former shop.
No idea what this shop was, but I like to think it sold pillows for pugs.
It also looks as if it had a ‘Smoke Room’ (entrance with the red oaken door), which would have likely popped up in the inter-war period.
Overall: Any pub that bangs on the drum of naval history is a yes from me. The two bar staff were ace and saved me from having bacon vodka mouth for the rest of my day 👏 @victoryinnbrighton
The Blind Busker, Hove
📍 Where: Hove, 75 Church Road, BN3 2BB
🍺 Cheapest beer: Carling - £4.25
Nooks and crannies galore at the Blind Busker. Perfect for the couple or the crew. Great hybrid sports bar (darts and footy) and the Hammers vs Brighton game attracted a few guls. Love to see it.
Even saw the iconic @paulythepainterhove (unsure if you saw me awkwardly waving in the corner, Paul 👋).
Bartender’s booze recommendation: Guiness (does a great pint) 🐧
Weirdest drink: Peanut Butter Jelly (peanut butter whisky & Chambord) - £2.50
Trivia: The Blind Busker is named after a popular local entertainer from 1880, named Harry Vowles. Harry was, quite literally, a blind busker, and often performed in and outside the pub.
Best Encounter: Me, awkwardly waving at Paul.
Overall: The Blind Busker is a solid local that ticks many of the proverbial boxes for the average pub-goer. Friendly staff, great selection of cider and ales and cosy nooks for laughs and heated arguments.
The Blind Busker is one of the rare all-round locals that will please anyone you drag in.
The Geese, Brighton
📍 Where: 16 Southover St, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN2 9UA
🍺 Cheapest Pint: Long Man, £5.20
The walk up the hill is worth it, trust me.
While I’ll admit I was upset not to be greeted by a giant goose shrine, their award winning bangers and mash and Sunday roasts made up for it.
Light floods this pub, and there are plenty of cosy spots to sit and chill with a wine or pint. Dog friendly too, evidenced by the enigmatic @lionel_flair
Some real unique Guinness memorabilia on display here too. Tried pinching the LED Guinness sign, but I’ve got the pace of Andy Carroll after a few Carlings, so was caught almost immediately.
Jake behind the bar served me a solid pint of Deya pale for my troubles, and sent me on my merry way.
Favourite drink: Staropramen with a top OR a pint of Munich Good
Favourite Food: Pork Chilli Sausage with Garlic and Herb Mash, and Onion Gravy
Weirdest drink: Coke mixed with a Guinness.
Trivia: Before The Geese, this banger of a pub was known as The Golden Cross.
Opening in 1869, The pub’s name refers to sixteenth century Irish history when the nobility, artists and poets of Ireland fled to escape English rule.
This period is also known as the “Flight of the Earls”. The old pub sign showed a picture of a sailing ship leaving Ireland for France.
Overall: The Geese does everything right. The food, the decor, the staff and the vibes. It’s a good size too, and works well as both a winter and summer pub.
However… I want to see more geese here. I’ll have a word. Maybe we can have a goose that just roams about the pub. Good USP to be fair.
The Urchin, Hove
📍 Where: 15-17 Belfast St, Hove, BN3 3YS
🍺 Cheapest Pint: Larrikin, Radler, £5.50, Heineken, £5.90, Long Man Best Bitter, £5.00
The Urchin (@urchinpub) is an effortlessly cool pub. Weathered floorboards, a brushed metal bar, nautical decor and ship rope lighting are a big fat yes from me.
Why? Because I have an unhealthy love affair with pubs that look and feel like 18th-century ships.
The Urchin nails this theme throughout their bar side and into their restaurant. It’s not a particularly big pub, but the L-shaped bar and open dining room means I can switch between my daytime beer and evening dining personalities with ease.
The bar dons its own beer line, Larrikin, which is brewed down in the cellar using witchcraft, sheer willpower and I’m assuming years of experience in brewing.
I had the pleasure of tasting the full selection thanks to Bar Manager Ben, and I can safely say, as a lad of 31 with a C in GCSE chemistry, they all tasted exceptional.
Bartender’s Booze Pick: Larrikin, Oyster Stout 5.0% (Yep, made using oysters)
Bartender’s Food Pick: Sweet & Spicy King Prawns
Weirdest Drink: A few notable mentions here:
Someone ordered a premium Malbec with a cork mixer.
‘The Badger’ - Half Guinness layered with Smirnoff Ice
Best Encounter: A lovely bloke demanded I daren’t show his face on Instagram, and by Odin, I’ll honour his wish.
Trivia: Their most popular beverage is from their own line (Larrikin): a pale ale, named ISO.
Why ISO? It was created during the dark times of COVID, ISO stands for Isolation.
I love it.
Overall: Ben, the bar manager, was a true gent for allowing me to sample each of their Larrikin beers. This might be the most authentic 18th century pub/ship I’ve set foot in - and their menu is top deck.
Plus, I feel like my palette achieved a Masters degree after trying their Oyster Stout. I don’t know what I mean by that, but I left feeling a better, and more intelligent man.
The Brick, Brighton
📍 Where: 45 Preston St, Brighton, BN1 2HP
🍺 Cheapest Pint: APA, £4.50
I didn’t know what to expect when I entered The Brick. I was half expecting a laddy pub heavily influenced by bricks. Pictures of bricks, brick-based drinks and brick-like blokes eating bricks.
But I was wrong.
The Brick is a cool, understated and cosy little pub. I enjoyed witnessing Mark (the owner) hanging up paintings of stags and deer while I sipped a sensational beer that I no longer remember the name of.
Which reminds me, I can’t talk about The Brick without mentioning their lager emporium.
There’s more taps on display here than in a B&Q showroom.
If you want a selection of premium lager, I haven’t found a place better than The Brick. Plus, there’s a strong focus on German and Czech lager - and these guys know their stuff.
🍻 Recommended Drinks:
Cask: Revival, APA
Lager: Vinohradsky, 12 degrees
🥘 Recommended Food: The Classic Chicken Kotu
🥃 Weirdest Drink: Becherovka (herbal liqueur, was told it was Jæger-esq)
Best Encounter: Mark telling me about Daisy and Violet Hilton, conjoined twins, who lived above The Evening Star (around 1910-1920) and people paid to go up see them.
Trivia: Mark assures me he’ll think of something to rival the trivia of The Evening Star.
Overall: There’s a warm and subtle buzz about The Brick that I really enjoyed. With DJs and live music happening most Fridays and weekends, The Brick is a great little pub on one of the most iconic streets in Btown.
Mark clearly knows his stuff when it comes to beer and deer. If you’re looking for a one stop shop for lager in Brighton, you won’t find a better place than The Brick. @brick.brighton
Royal George, Hove
📍 Where: 98-101 George Street, Hove, BN3 3YE.
🍺 Cheapest Pint: Pravha £5, Aspalls, £5.
The Royal George (TRG) has successfully broken free from its ex-Wetherspoons shackles. It’s now a Shabby Chic bar with the biggest collection of seating options I’ve ever witnessed in a pub.
We’re talking booths, tables and chairs, high chairs, high tables, short tables, stools, high stools, short stools, spinny stools, and stools circling massive plants for those craving nature after a few Madris.
TRG boasts some severely cosy vibes, with its warm ambient lighting, cosy nooks and inviting atmosphere. Pretty impressive considering this place is the size of a commercial aircraft hangar.
Bartender’s Drink Recommendation: Pornstar Martini.
Bartender’s Food Recommendation: Buffalo Chicken Burger & the Korean Chicken Wings.
Weirdest Drink: Pickleback (pickle juice and bourbon).
Best Encounter: The three elderly gents monitoring my every move as I desperately tried to turn myself into a human gimbal.
Trivia: Much like Jesus and Gandalf, TRG was reborn anew. The OG TRG opened around 1860 and was demolished in 1965, replaced by a Pricerite Supermarket.
More recently, it was The Cliftonville Inn (Wetherspoons). In 2022, it was sold and transformed into @royalgeorgehove.
Overall: It’s hard for a big pub to nail the cosy vibe, but TRG has done well here. With a new Thai kitchen opening soon, super friendly bar staff and one million seating options, TRG has a bright future ahead.
Also cheers to @alexforfoxsake for introducing me to Pickleback 🥃🥒
Sussex Cricketer, Hove
📍 Where: Hove, Eaton Road, BN3 3AF
🍺 Cheapest Pint: Gun Brewery Bitter - £5.40, and a £6.15 Pravha
I don’t like cricket, oh no. I loathe it. But I like this pub.
Bartender’s F&D Pick: Kraken, lime juice and sugar syrup (short glass). For food, the Crispy jalapeños with blue cheese sauce.
Weirdest Drink: Black Moon (half Guiness and half Blue Moon)
Vibes: The Sussex Cricketers hits different now it’s been obliterated and turned into a gastro giant. I can tell this place gets heaving during match days but with plenty of room to sit and stand, and a massive circling bar, it more than caters for the crowd.
On weekdays, this is a very chilled and dare I say it, sophisticated pub that resembles more of a hotel bar than a local boozer.
Best Encounter: Saw a bloke in his 60s slowly circling the bar like a shark for 25 minutes.
Trivia: Most Brightonians and Hove.. Hoveians? Hovites? Hovvits? Anyway, most remember the Sussex Cricketer was demolished as part of a re-development of the cricket ground.
Now, it’s pure gastro vibes with a 9-storey block of flats plonked on top.
Overall: The Sussex Cricketers has gone full Beverly Hills makeover. For cricket fans, I see the appeal of having a room above looking over the grounds.
This is an iconic local in a great location, and I’d love to see some more nods to its roots somewhere.
I just want an old cricket bat on the wall or something.
But overall, a solid modern pub for cricket fans and casuals alike. Also, props to bar lad legend Charlie for adding Black Moon to my booze lexicon ✅ @thesussexcricketer
