Tiny reviews of Brighton food and drink
Doesn’t quite feel right to call this a pub, but it’s not quite a bar either; we went in after a burger at the Mash Tun next door. Two floors, with a super cool terrace upstairs that covers over in the event of rain, as do tables out front. Quirky decor that I liked, and the food looked excellent.
Verdict: Awesome
Location: 25-26 New Road
Pub with big outdoor area, one of these rammed with junk decorations type places and loud-ish music inside. Very nice people, and they have the “Burger Kult” inside which does fancy burgers – had the “Chuck Satan” with chopped bacon, sweet onion relish, cheese – very tasty, but just missing something that I can’t put my finger on. Seasoned fries awesome but too salty for some. I’d say my fave Brighton burger so far.
Verdict: Awesome
Location: 1 Church Street
Didn’t eat here, but it’s a lovely place inside like a fancy West Hampstead type place, the food looked lovely and the garden is actually a garden. Winner.
Verdict: Awesome
Location: 48 Hove Street
Pub by railway station: you are expecting less than the finest. The Grand Central however is bloody brilliant. Inside all sorts of nice chairs and tables – lots of character and lots of space – and amazingly they have a secret roof terrace (big as well) to boot. Haven’t eaten here but enjoyed a couple of beverages.
Verdict: Awesome
Location: 29-30 Surrey Street
Huge pub-type place that brews its own beers. Nice food (halloumi and harissa hash most excellent) and lots of space and tables. However, loud music for some reason, and the bar staff had to look up how to make a margarita.
Verdict: Ok
Location: 27 Gloucester Place
Tiny pub (maybe seating 25 at a pinch!) full of really friendly people. Awesome atmosphere.
Verdict: Awesome
Location: 13 Broad Street
Just near Hove Lagoon is this pub with attached B&B, which I obviously can’t speak to. We went in for a couple of pints and dinner – one of us had a fish cake starter and the other burger and chips. Fish cakes pretty small even for a starter, burger ok but not going to win awards. True of the whole place really, nothing wrong with it, but nothing dramatically right with it either. Just a very basic pub.
Verdict: Ok
Location 330 Kingsway
A solid example of a Brighton pub. A bit quirky in the decor, chilled out staff. I’m docking them though for only having fancy schmancy lagers.
Verdict: Ok
Location: 16 Madeira Place
Couldn’t find a website
This was recommended by Time Out as a cool place with a mix of weird antiques and good cocktails. We headed in on a Sunday afternoon and the music was too loud to talk, so stuff that.
Verdict: Don’t go
Location 74 St James’s Street
Went here to see about Brighton’s largest selection of whiskeys (whiskies?), which they do have – immense. On a Friday night though no-one’s going to tell you anything about it (I’m not going to fault them on this, since we went to the Great Eastern after to do the same with bourbon and had the same problem, unlike my first time). The draw I think is all the picnic tables outside (since the inside’s a bit…spartan) to drink your whiskey or beer. For those, it wins.
Verdict: Awesome
Location: 109 Church Street
Couldn’t find a website