The Ultimate Pub Crawl
of western road
When people visit the shores of London-by-the-sea, they will often either visit Brighton or Hove. But what about the ‘and’ in the middle?
Western Road represents the joining point where Brighton meets Hove (or vice versa depending on which way you’re walking). In fact, the actual crossover point is apparently the fruit and veg aisle in Waitrose – but we’re not sure how true that really is.
What we do know, however, is just how many pubs Western Road is home to: absolutely loads.
That’s why we’ve put together this pub crawl route for you. We want to make sure your visit to Brighton and Hove is as pub-filled as possible, so here’s a guaranteed way to see nine of the best pubs that Western Road has to offer.
Pub crawl in Profile:
📍 Location: Western Road, Brighton & HovE
🍻 Total no. of pubs: Nine (but up to eleven)
🧭 Total Walking Time: 24 minutes
🗺️ Total Distance: 1.1 miles
🗓️ Last updated: Feb 2024
pub 1: The Rook
We start with an absolute banger.
If you like craft beer, a welcoming vibe, board games and throwing coins into a metal hole, you’re going to absolutely love The Rook.
Featuring a rotating range of beers and ciders from breweries around the UK, grab a seat before heading to the bar for your tipple of choice. Our favourite? Pretty much whatever the latest magical incarnation available from Beak Brewery is. Top stuff.
Pub 2: The Temple Bar
Don’t worry, we haven’t gone mad and sent you to Dublin for your second stop.
By heading out of The Rook, walking down the hill and taking a right onto Western Road, you should arrive at Brighton’s very own Temple Bar within around five minutes (although that very much depends on how many of Beak’s latest incarnations you’ve had already).
Once you step foot inside, you should be greeted by a large square bar and a very tricky decision to make: which pint to get next.
After you’ve chosen, head upstairs if you fancy a bit of a quieter vibe or stay downstairs if you enjoy people-watching and being closer to the bar. We know which one we’d choose…
Pub 3: The Lion and Lobster
When you’re all finished at Temple Bar, head across the road and straight down Bedford Place. By the time you see the signs for Sillwood Street, The Lion and Lobster pub should have magically appeared on your left-hand side.
As soon as you set foot through its doors, you’ll be greeted by a large bar and a lovely, welcoming bar staff member ready to take your order – if you’re lucky!
Every time we’ve visited, they’ve always served a huge range of options – from local favourites like Only With Love’s Bongo to German pilsners we’re not sure how to spell without accidentally offending someone.
Take a look at our detailed blog review about The Lion and Lobster to find out more about the pub and the many wonders it holds inside.
Pub 4: The Robin Hood
Now onto one of Patch’s favourites: The Robin Hood.
Offering probably the best selections of board games you’ll find anywhere in Brighton (maybe even the UK), this pub is located just a stone’s throw away from The Lion and Lobster. So you won’t have far to walk.
It’s also incredibly dog friendly, with treats and water bowls greeting you as soon as you walk through the door. So if you’re debating whether to bring your pooch along with you, we think you definitely should.
In fact, all of the pubs we’ve listed here welcome dogs with open arms. They usually prefer seeing them to us to be honest, if our experience is anything to go by.
Pub 5: The Bee’s Mouth
When you’re suitably board-gamed out, you’ll have a mammoth 394-foot walk ahead of you to reach the next pub.
After you’ve braved the climb up the hill and turned left back onto Western Road, you should see The Bee’s Mouth appear on your left-hand side. That’s if you’ve managed to avoid heading into the Maris and Otter pub on your way, of course.
Now prior warning: The Bee’s Mouth is one of the quirkiest pubs we’ve ever been to. And after four pints, you may wonder if you’re seeing things once you step inside.
We promise you, you’re not.
Pub 6: The Farm Tavern
From quirky to quintessential, the next stop after the wackiness of The Bee’s Mouth is another animal-related pub called The Farm Tavern.
While it may look nothing like a farm itself, this small Greene King pub has a lot going for it and is always very difficult to leave once you’re inside.
With incredibly friendly bar staff, nice lighting and a great range of beers, it’s well worth the five-minute stroll along Western Road.
You’ll also walk past another pub called Cooper’s Cask along the way. Y’know, just in case you fancied adding another stop to your Western Road pub crawl.
Pub 7: The Freemasons
If you do manage to do the impossible and remove yourself from The Farm Tavern, we’d recommend heading back down Farm Road, past Cooper’s Cask and into the beautiful golden converted synagogue building on the opposite side of the road.
Known more formally as Freemasons, this pub used to specialise in all things cider but has now upgraded to become one of the multiple PUBBL offerings around the city.
In other words, it’s now a LAINE pub, where you’ll be able to find all of the classics. We’re talking Source, Fader, Mangolicious – all the good stuff.
Pub 8: The Wick Inn
Taking another two minute stroll down Western Road will take you to an amazing burger place called Grubbs Burgers. But approximately ten seconds from there, you should see The Wick Inn right on the corner by a load of traffic lights.
If you’re feeling a bit beer-ed out by this point, don’t worry. By heading the spiral staircase at the end of the bar, you’ll enter The Wick’s very own speakeasy bar, where you can order a wide variety of cocktails and long drinks.
Another word of caution though: the toilets for this place are down a fairly narrow staircase. So, after seven or eight pints, make sure to take it easy when heading to the loo. Trust us – we’ve learnt from experience.
Pub 9: The Brunswick
By this point, you may have had enough and want to call it quits. That’s absolutely fine. But if you want one more for the road, The Brunswick is a must-visit.
Fortunately, you won’t need to worry about any complicated directions either. After taking a left out of The Wick Inn, the pub should appear on your left within approximately three minutes.
Renowned for its live music events and beer festivals, this pub is the ideal place to finish your pub crawl in our book.
Whether you’d rather dance the night away, keep drinking until the early hours or enjoy some pizza in the large beer garden, The Brunswick is also very near the beach. So if you time it right you could even enjoy a nice sunset from there.
Us personally? Well, we’d be using our specially designed form to choose our favourite pub of the day – but we are slightly biased…