THE ROOK
đș Pub Name: The Rook
đ Location: City Centre, Brighton and Hove
đïž Date of Visit: 15/09/2024
đ» In One Sip: A fantastic taproom just off Western Road with arguably the best range of craft beer in Brighton. Maybe even the world.
đș Must-Try: Any of the beers while playing a game of toads. Our fave? Beak Breweryâs DĂ©st Czech Pilsner. Absolutely delicious.
All you need to know about The Rook
Weâve only ever loved two things in my life. Our nans and the Brighton Beer Dispensary. So you can imagine how pissed we were when both shut down.
At the same time, you can imagine our elation when we discovered one had been revived (the pub, not our nans).
Inside, The Rook is smart and suave. Itâs 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 we were moths, weâd 100% have set up camp.
The return of the giant rotating beer chalkboard adorned with tonnes of ale, lager, stout and cider also made our eyes freight-train out of our skulls like Bugs Bunny on an acid trip.
And just as we thought The Rook had peaked, our eyes and ears were suddenly drawn to another equally wondrous artefactâŠ
The familiar sound of dense brass coins slapping slate fondled our eardrums. It was akin to the feeling Maximus Decimus must have felt upon caressing the wheatfields of Tuscany⊠so yeah, we found a toad table.
Food and drink at Hove Place
Which types of drinks is it good for? đș
The Rook excels in craft beer, lager, wine, cask ale and cider. So unless you insist on drinking anything other than craft beer, lager, wine, cask ale or cider, youâll do just fine here.
When we visited, the cheapest pint was Lost and Groundedâs Helles at just ÂŁ5.20 â not bad considering Brightonâs normal pint prices.
We also were feeling brave, so we asked the bartender for their recommendations. Hereâs what they told us:
IPA: Juicy Bangers, Gardens of Green 6.5%
Pale: Bulldog, 5.4%
Lager: Augustiner, 5.2%
Cider: Sour Cherry, Ascension, 4.0%
Strongest Drink: Fear City at 8%
Weirdest Drink: Half a Dest lager and half Goce
Discover their full beer list here. (They also offer free Friday beer delivery, just FYI)
Does it do food? đ
No, The Rook doesnât serve food. But with the plethora of amazing beers and other drinks available, you wonât miss it.
Its location is also perfect for grabbing a quick bite from elsewhere â whether that be a pizza from The Robin Hood a bit further down the road, Indian street food from Easy Tiger or the fantastic food offered by nearby pubs like The Windmill, The Lion and Lobster and The Freemasons.
Does it do roast dinners? đ
With no food comes no roast dinners. But do not fret â with the number of beer options they have, thereâs bound to be a roast dinner IPA on the menu at some point. I mean, thereâs got to be, right?
Features and amenities at The Rook
Does it have a beer garden? âïž
Sort of. There are a couple of picnic benches out the front where you can park yourself and enjoy the hustle and bustle of Western Road passing by.
Out the back, they also have a conservatory-cum-beer-garden-type-thing thatâs a great place to sit. Itâs also right next to the toad table, so thereâs a strong likelihood youâll bump into us while youâre there.
Is it dog friendly? đ¶
Absolutely! The Rook welcomes furry friends with open arms.
In fact, when we visited with our pub dog Daisy the doodle, she ended up with a lot more dog treats than we did pints. She also received plenty of fuss, water bowls and was a firm favourite of the bar staff within seconds of walking through the doors.
Does it have any games or activities available? đČ
Yes! The Rook offers a few board games. Oh, and did we mention it also has a toad table? Fantastic stuff.
Does it run a pub quiz? đ§
While thereâs no pub quiz here, donât you worry for one second â the pub has plenty of other events and things to keep you entertained, including regular drinks deals.
Does it show live sport? âœ
The Rook prioritises good pub chat and even better beer. This means thereâs no screen and no live sports, unfortunately.
How far a walk is it from the nearest train station? đ
The Rook is approximately 14 minutes away from Brighton train station when walking.
Youâll also pass a fair few pubs along the way, including The Caxton Arms and all the ones around Churchill Square, so itâd make a great addition to a pub crawl of Brighton.
How would you describe The Rook...?
...to a friend? đŁïž
The Rook is a fantastic taproom just off Western Road. It also regularly runs drinks-themed events, such as brewery takeovers, beer-tasting socials, wine-tasting socials, toad tournaments and record fairs.
However, its fantastic range of beers is where it comes into its own. Itâs arguably the creme de la creme of taprooms in Brighton â in our opinion, anyway. (Eat your heart out Mad Dog Brewery)
The pub is also incredibly dog friendly and the bar staff are always lovely and welcoming. So itâs an absolute must-visit any time you find yourself in Brighton.
...as a film? đż
Shrek 2 â as a follow-up to Brighton Beer Dispensary, itâs arguably that much better than the original, and has a very green and classy overtone!
