the Ultimate pub crawl
of hove, Actually
Did you know that Hove, actually is a wonderful place to go on a pub crawl?
Whether you’re in search of great craft beer, fantastic seafood or one of the best ranges of flat cider in the South East of England, Hove really has it all.
Everything is nice and evenly spread out too, which is exactly why we’ve cobbled together this little pub crawl guide.
in Profile:
📍 Location: Hove, Brighton & HovE
🍻 Total no. of pubs: Eight (but up to eleven)
🧭 Total Walking Time: 27 minutes
🗺️ Total Distance: 1.2 miles
🗓️ Last updated: Feb 2024
pub 1: The Station
Moments after you step foot out of Hove station, you will yourself staring at another building called The Station. The key difference between the two? This one’s much easier to lose track of time in.
With a wide variety of beers to choose from, this Greene King pub is one of the chain’s best within Brighton and Hove. You can also get 15% off there with an AA membership, just FYI.
It also has its very own wood-fired pizza oven, a pool table, a beer garden and a ton of screens to watch live sports on, so it’s a cracking place to kick any pub crawl off at.
Although saying that, if you’d rather start somewhere a bit more chillaxed and with more of a craft beer focus, The Watchmaker’s Arms down the road is a great alternative.
Pub 2: The Exchange
From one incredibly spacious pub to another. After you’re suitably settled up at The Station, it’s time to jump the barriers and head down the road to The Exchange.
After a swift four-minute walk, you’ll soon see a giant ‘X’ staring back at you from the wall. Without meaning to make a hilarious pirate-themed pun, this marks the spot.
Head in, find a seat and grab yourself a nice pint of whatever-the-heck-ya-fancy IPA. Our choice? Definitely one of the LAINE beers – but mainly because we’re a sucker for double PUBBL points.
Pub 3: the Urchin
Ever heard of a pub which specialises in seafood and has its very own microbrewery? Well, now you have.
Once you’re all finished at The Exchange, head down Goldstone Street and take a right down Clarendon Villas. When you hit the roundabout, take another right to reach Blatchington Road.
Turning right again, you’ll then need to walk past a wide variety of shops before taking a left down Belfast Street on the other side of the road.
Within moments, you’ll see the wonderful Urchin Brewery & Shellfish Pub appear, ready to welcome you in for a nice refreshing pint of Larrikin beer (or seafood sauce, if you fancy).
Pub 4: The Royal George
From a super pub to a supermarket, your next stop after leaving The Urchin will be to wander through Hove Tesco’s car park.
That is unless you fancy adding another pub stop to your journey beforehand. In which case, The Stirling Arms is located down the road, only a stone’s throw away.
Whatever you decide to do, you’ll need to make your way towards George Street once you’re finished. Once here, you’ll be greeted with yet another decision to make: George Street Tap or The Royal George.
For us, The Royal George slightly edges it (mainly because of its better beer choice and the fact it's no longer a non-dog-friendly Wetherspoons). But if you’re looking for a place to watch some live sport, the George Street Tap would be a better pick.
Pub 5: Old Albion
Now that you’re feeling nice and Royally Georged, it’s time to head to pub number five.
After taking a left at the end of George Street, you’ll make your way past Church Road’s wide array of charity shops, cafés, bars and restaurants before reaching the Old Albion – an elegant-looking pub covered in green tiles that can be quite easy to miss (especially after four pints).
Head inside, peer upwards to your right and you’ll soon discover a large chalkboard of beer and cider options. Pick whichever takes your fancy, grab a seat and marvel at the random selection of quirky artefacts spread throughout the pub.
Either that or head into the photo booth at the back to immortalise your pub crawl with some hilarious photos.
Pub 6: the Blind Busker
Once you’re all snapped out, you’ll find your next stop at The Blind Busker – a pub located slightly further along Church Road.
Offering some great value grub, a load of TV screens and one of the best ranges of cider anywhere in Sussex (let alone Hove), this pub is a firm O2L favourite and is somewhere we are often found spending our evenings.
In fact, we love it there so much we’ve even written a detailed article all about it. So go check that out to discover some fun facts about the place.
Pub 7: Hove Place
Do you like amazing roasts? How about giant golden dog sculptures? Oh, and massive Italian-themed beer gardens? If so, you’re going to absolutely LOVE Hove Place.
As one of the pubs within the Golden Lion Group, Hove Place is very similar in style to its sisters at The Cricketers, Ladies Mile and The Long Man. In other words, it’s nothing like your traditional local.
Instead of ‘pints of Carling with a dartboard’, it’s more ‘fairy lights with a cheeseboard’, boasting a ton of that elegance and je ne sais quoi you’d expect in Hove, actually.
Pub 8: Bison Beer
While Hove Place would be a lovely pub to wrap this pub crawl off at, we just couldn’t bring ourselves to do it knowing that Bison Beer is literally just up the road.
This place may be relatively small but it has one of the most friendly and welcoming atmospheres you’ll find anywhere in Hove.
Its beer choice is also unbelievable, featuring an ever-rotating range of drinks from brewers around the world and more cans in its fridges than you’d think it was possible to fit.
There’s also a small selection of board games for you to enjoy which, after seven pints, can only ever lead to hilarious results.
Unless, of course, you’d rather wrap your night up by rating some pubs. We know what we’d rather do, so here’s a link to our specially designed form just in case.… 👀