Every Pub in Brighton #52-58
ELEVEN - January 2023, only over two years behind on these write-ups now, lololol. This entry has seven pubs because we did them all on the same day. Behold!
#52 // Caxton Arms
Website // Instagram
Address: 36 North Gardens, Brighton BN1 3LB
Date visited: January 2023
We met some friends for the day so kicked off proceedings in the best possible way - a pub lunch. I was inevitably in charge of choosing the pub so consulted the map and settled on the Caxton Arms due to its proximity to the station.
The Caxton Arms first opened in 1862 and was reconstructed into a community pub in 1928 to support a local dairy. The dairy no longer exists but the pub is still standing. It is named after William Caxton - credited with introducing the first printing press to England in the 15th century and being the first English retailer of printed books, publishing Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales at his press. Sounds like a bloody good bloke and I’m sure he’d be delighted to know there’s a pretty good pub named after him.
The pub itself hosts a large central bar that serves two separate rooms and although we didn’t venture outside (it was January don’t forget), there’s a pretty impressive split-level beer garden. A mezzanine balcony overlooks an outdoor patio set below street level that looks like a bit of a hidden treasure. Shepherd Neame owns the pub so expect mostly their beers on tap and a few macro choices.
The food options were a lot of pub classics and quite an extensive burger menu - if memory serves, I had a mini slider platter which was great. It looks like the menu has changed since our visit - the substantial burger offering still exists as well as some pub classics like fish and chips but there are also hot dogs (dogs supplied from The Sausage Man) as well as more exotic choices like Mongolian Beef or Whiskey Peach BBQ Chicken Skewer which both sound excellent.
More importantly though, this pub has THREE Toads tables! A very good (and somewhat hidden) option if you’re near the station and want to escape the masses heading down to the seafront.
#53 // The Prince Albert
Website // Instagram
Address: 48 Trafalgar St, Brighton BN1 4ED
Date visited: January 2023
Following our lunch, I was going to take our friends to one of my favourite pubs (The Evening Star) when one of our group suggested we go to a pub I haven’t yet been to which was like music to my ears. Instead, we went to The Prince Albert - a pub I had been meaning to visit for ages. Serendipity!
The Prince Albert is a Brighton institution and has been a huge staple of the live music scene for years. Many stumble across it when leaving the station, emerging from the underpass to one of the most visually striking pubs in the city. The side wall has a huge mural of dead music icons which catches your eye immediately. The front of the pub is multi-coloured with several wooden benches to perch on and enjoy the sunshine. As it was January, we decided to head inside.
The eclecticism continues inside with the walls adorned with all sorts of music memorabilia maintaining the vibrancy from outside. The pub itself is a bit of rabbit warren with several rooms to explore and sup pints in. The garden area has more colourful graffiti (Dot Cotton having a ciggie) and the upstairs is reserved for the many gigs it hosts. It’s a real treasure and cultural icon.
I was a little prejudiced expecting this place to just offer your standard macro beers but the beers are equally as good as the surroundings. Burning Sky can usually be found on tap and who can say no to a pint of Arise or Aurora? There are also usually beers from other local favourites such as Beak, ABYSS, Long Man and so on as well as from breweries further afield. There’s a decent bottle selection too in the fridge.
I’ve been a few times since and always had a good time. I’d love to wile away the hours in one of the living room-esque spaces.
#54 // Lord Nelson Inn
Website // Instagram
Address:
Date visited: January 2023
The Lord Nelson Inn was next on the hit list because it is approximately a one-minute stroll down Trafalgar Street. This pub, decor-wise, is the complete opposite of The Prince Albert. It’s a classic British pub with all the fixtures and fittings you’d expect (with plenty of nautical nods due to the pub’s namesake). I was expecting a dark, cosy pub, and whilst you do get that in spades upon entry, if you pass the bar and head towards the rear of the pub, you stumble into a bright conservatory space that adds something a little different.
Harvey’s Brewery owns The Lord Nelson Inn so they unexpectedly dominate the beer selection here, which is no bad thing. We grabbed our drinks and took a pew in the aforementioned conservatory area which was surprisingly bright for a January afternoon. The vibe here was a little more sedate than the frenetic Prince Albert but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing as it allowed us to catch up a little more freely.
I’ve been back here a few times due to its location and it has always been a solid stop to recharge your batteries before heading out into Brighton. Or if you fancy a Harvey’s beer that isn’t Best.
#55 // The Green Dragon
Instagram
Address: 8-9 Sydney St, Brighton BN1 4EN
Date visited: January 2023
This pub used to be called The Office, presumably so you could make lots of, ‘just popping to The Office’ type jokes to the amusement of absolutely no-one. It was called the Green Dragon before that and sense has prevailed with it returning to that name in the present day with behemoth beer company, Stonegate taking the reins.
It’s located pretty much slap bang in the middle of Sydney Street in North Laine and seems to do a steady trade presumably due to its location. We ventured in as it was due a tick and it was pretty busy, although we managed to grab some stools at a central table. The seating felt a bit higgledy-piggledy and quite thrown together with little room to manoeuvre through the pub.
It’s the first place I ever saw a bottle of the mysterious Tuaca on the shelves - an Italian liqueur that has gained popularity in the pubs and bars of Brighton and seemingly nowhere else in the UK. It’s a sweet herbal drink with notes of orange that tastes like a sweeter version of Jagermeister. To me at least. (Read this Time Out piece for a detailed history.)
We contemplated our first foray into Tuaca but decided to move on elsewhere because it was a little cramped. I had a pint of Hunky Dory from Bedlam Brewery, a local-ish brewery that was decent enough. I think that sums up my thoughts on the Green Dragon. It’s fine but I’m in no rush to go back.
#56 // The Eagle
Website // Instagram
Address: 125 Gloucester Rd, Brighton BN1 4AF
Date visited: January 2023
This was my first visit to The Eagle and it was rammed. So much so, that we had to hover near the crowded bar with our pints before swiftly moving on to somewhere less busy.
Thankfully, I’ve been back several times since to experience it properly and I’m glad I did because it’s a great pub. The classic central island bar welcomes you in as you enter surrounded by lots of tables and seating throughout the pub. It’s a fantastic spot to hole up in and lose an entire evening. The beer selection is pretty decent too, your usual macro range is on offer as well as a rotating option of local independent breweries. I’ve also spied Siren on draft a few times.
The food on offer comes from Namo - offering authentic Thai food in the form of small plates, stir-fries, curries and noodles. I haven’t ever eaten here but need to as the food is always highly recommended by friends and lots of people online.
I probably should’ve mentioned this at the start but the exterior of The Eagle is pretty striking thanks to the large mural that covers the building. Local artist Nick Burdett created the impressive mural and was given the brief: ‘no eagles’ which explains the stars, clouds, planets, hot air balloon and… space sharks?
A decent North Laine option, especially for groups.
#57 // North Laine Brewhouse
Website // Instagram
Address: 27 Gloucester Place, Brighton BN1 4AA
Date visited: January 2023
I’ve spoken about North Laine, their beers and their pubs enough on this blog that you probably know my views on them by now. (If not - overall, pretty average.)
I’d been to the North Laine Brewhouse many years ago when North Laine were churning out more traditional beer styles than chasing the haze like they are now. Think brown ales, bitters and porters as opposed to hazy IPA, hazy IPA and hazy IPA. That’s not a dig at North Laine, just the general direction beer has gone. The brewhouse also had a much more old-school feel and felt like a massive pub, so much so that I forgot I’d been here before. Now it’s multi-coloured with lots of long bench seating and offers games such as interactive darts, cornhole, beer pong and shuffleboard. And there’s an ice cream truck. It’s like it’s done a Benjamin Button and aged backwards.
It’s a massive space which is amazing for big groups and it has to be said that the beer offering here is much more interesting than their pubs (there’s only so much Source or Sonar I can take). I guess that’s not hard when they brew the beer here so can afford to be a bit more experimental - as well as the ubiquitous hazy pales there are stouts and sours and everything in between so you can’t knock the range on offer.
I sound like a curmudgeonly old man which is true but I am probably not the target audience anymore. Still, it’s a fun place to check out. They were also blasting out some mid/late 2000 bangers so we got to reminisce about our Uni days over some Lily Allen, Nelly Furtado and Scissor Sisters. If they’d played Chelsea Dagger by The Fratellis I would’ve been transported back to my first year of university and people group chanting the chorus at 3am outside my halls window that definitely didn’t make me want to throw myself out of my seventh-floor flat window.
#58 // The Prince George
Website // Instagram
Address: 5 Trafalgar St, Brighton BN1 4EQ
Date visited: January 2023
Our final stop of the day took us to The Prince George for a final beer before we bid our friends goodbye. Which is handy because it’s very close to the train station.
Things were a little hazy here and the various nooks of the pub didn’t help with that. I grabbed a pint of Guinness after a cursory wander through the joint to check for somewhere to sit. We managed to find somewhere near the front in a cosy little snug which was absolutely perfect. The pub felt very welcoming and is quite a lot bigger than it looks from the front - the rooms seem to stretch on further than you’d think. It’s either that or the 7 pints I’d had.
The pub is well known for its vegetarian and vegan menu but the kitchen had long closed by the time we arrived. I feel like I’m due a revisit here in a more sober state with our vegan friends to enjoy the food.
We saw our friends off at the station before heading home via a KFC which probably gives you a good indication of our levels of inebriation. I can’t remember the last time I ate fast food sober.
