Brighton Beer Map

Google Maps link

UPDATED 30/3/21

If you want to buy good beer in Brighton, there’s no shortage of places. In fact, there’s so many pubs to choose from, I thought it a good idea to get a nice little map organised. You should be able to add this to your account and use it to guide you around the city on your phone.

I’ve emphasised smaller, independent shops and pubs, but included one or two craft beer non-independents (Brewdog, Craft) due to their quality and selection. Some have been missed off, sorry about that. If you’ve a suggestion, please email or contact on the site and I’ll endeavour to update it. Bear in mind this is not meant to be a complete list of pubs in Brighton, just a list of what I consider to be the best places available based on selection, quality, service.

I’ve put those with craft beer available in the craft section (e.g. The Evening Star, Craft), even though they may have quality cask available, they have a selection of craft. In fact as far as I know, the only craft places that don’t have cask on are Brewdog, The Pond and The Black Dove. All the other places serving craft kegs have cask on as well.

The Shortlist

Those on a very fleeting visit to Brighton might wish to try the following places. Chosen with an emphasis on small, independent, non-chain, characterful places. Apologies if we’re upsetting anybody by their exclusion here!

North Laine

Evening Star

Where ‘craft’ started in Brighton. Darkstar brewery also started here with Mark Tranter and co brewing in the basement. Excellent selection of beers – quite a few keg lines, and 6 on cask, usually 3 Dark Star + 3 guest. They’re fans of German beers as well, so you’ll almost always have a hefe + a lager on keg, as well as some decent, reasonably priced bottles. There’s a vibrant community of regulars who visit as well, who will likely be more than willing to have a chat with you. If you’re going to drink in one pub in Brighton while you’re here, it should be this one.

BRZN Brewery (Saturdays only)

Only recently had a chance to check this out. Excellent value for money takeaway beer available for collection on Saturdays, 11-7pm. 1 litre of beer will set you back £5-7 at time of writing.

Vine Street Tap (Good Things taproom)

Great spot just round the corner from Basketmakers and Bison NL, very small seating area, (4 x 4 seater tables) but good service and some decent keg beers from Good Things brewery. If you turn up and they’re busy, they’ll take your number and call you when they have a spot.

See also

• The Pond (slightly pricey, stylish hipster craft beer joint with great food)
• Bison (3 floors, great food, decent bottle selection, taps tending towards hoppy beers)
• Brewdog (just off the North Laine – good food, friendly staff, great service, good selection of beer. It’s Brewdog, so you probably know what you’re getting)
• North Laine brewery (personally not a favourite of mine, but I haven’t been for a while, found the quality of the beer not great, and the ambience quite noisy)
• Unbarred (takeout pizza, hoppy / juicy / fruity craft beers, the head brewer Jordan is a friend and ex-attendee of HBB)
• Basketmakers (Fuller’s owned but amazing place one of the best kept cellars in Brighton. Sit on the pavement outside the pub and enjoy a nice pint in the evening sun.)

Kemptown

Hand in Hand

Great little (ex) brewpub with a very friendly atmosphere. In 2020, the Hand Brew Co. moved to a location in Worthing, so the brewery in the pub is no longer in operation. I can’t image why carrying a ton of malt up and down 3 floors of cramped staircase was an issue. Nice selection of modern craft, Hand Brew co, Belgians, and Augustiner helles on tap. Toad in the Hole pub game, if you’re into it, as well as jazz on Sundays.

Sea Laines

Bison’s seafront bar. Good choice for some seafront beers. Excellent kitchen. Cons: slightly pricey pint, not a huge keg selection.

Bierhaus

Fantastic venue, probably my top 3 in Brighton. Friendly staff, quality beers from Brighton Bier and plenty of guests – including German and Belgian beers on keg. Excellent bottle/can selection. Lots of German and Belgian beers to choose from as well as the usual UK craft stuff. Food is delivered to the venue from a Kemptown restaurant, this seems to rotate – sometimes this isn’t operational, worth checking if you’re planning to eat. Very close to Brewdog, so worth doing both of them. If you like Bierhaus, Brighton Bier have 2 other venues in Hanover (Haus on Hill, Freehaus) as well as their brewery near the Marina.

See also

• ~The Cloak Room – Cloak and Dagger taproom. Stylish, banging, Kemptown taproom. C&D have been kicking out some decent beers since they opened several years ago. Well worth trying if you’re in the vicinity~. EDIT: Cloak Room has shut, presumably due to covid/the Worthing taproom.
• Black Dove – some great cocktails, very cool venue in the heart of Kemptown. Last time I was there, we had a couple of cans that were expired or close to expiry, so stick with the kegs, or check the dates on any bottles/cans you buy.

Western Rd

Brighton Beer Dispensary

Independently owned craft beer pub. Great food and a decent selection of keg and cask ales. Recommended. In the vicinity of Craft Beer co, so while you’re there, pop into both of them to see what’s on tap.

Craft Beer Co.

London chain, one of the longest established craft beer venues in Brighton after the Star. Present management have been there for quite a while now and while they have moved towards attracting sports/after office crowds, do still seem to be passionate about decent beer. Usually quite a decent selection of kegs, mostly hoppy modern craft beer, but they’ll usually have a few trad cask ales, and a couple of German beers on.

The Brunswick

A bit out of the centre, but has quite an amazing selection of decent craft beer on. I sometimes wonder whether the clientele really understand what they have on their hands! There’s usually enough broad appeal stuff there to please most customers though. Music venue, big garden, beer festivals several times a year.

Hove

Watchmaker’s Arms

B&H’s only micropub, just round the corner from Hove station. Very friendly (2) family run place, with a great selection of cask beers – I think they have a few kegs now. Well worth a visit, but keep an eye out for the micro-opening hours.

The Westbourne

Bit of a trek from Hove station but The Westbourne is well worth it. A huge pub with a great selection of brews and friendly service.

Bison Bar/Bottleshop

Good little spot, personally prefer this place over the North Laine venue as it’s a usually a bit less tightly packed and more airy. Great selection of cans and bottles in the fridge, as well as a decent amount of keg beer – tending towards modern, hoppy craft beer.

Breweries

• Brighton Bier venues (touched on above) – Bierhaus, Haus on Hill, Freehaus as well as a taproom near the marina.
• Loud Shirt – friendly local small scale brewery, while they don’t reach the heady heights of BB, they’re a friendly bunch and the events at the brewery have a great atmosphere.
• Cloakroom – Cloak and Dagger – see above
• Unbarred – see above
• BRZN Brewery – small local brewery operating out of containers near Unbarred. They only sell on Saturdays I believe.

Bottle Shops

• Quaff – several venues around town. Good beer, wine. Have their own in house brewery Lost Pier, as well as other beers they sell on keg for takeaway.
• Wine Barrel – great spot on Western road with a really good selection of German, UK, craft and Belgian beers.
• Seven Cellars
• Higgins of Hove
• Kindly of Brighton
• The Well
• HISBE Food – health food supermarket with a decent range of craft cans.