Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Black Lion

    3.7 (39 reviews)
    ModeratePubs, Gastropubs, British
    Open 12:00 pm - 2:00 am (Next day)

    Black Lion Photos

    BLACK LION ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Live music
    Loud
    Outdoor seating

    Recommended Reviews - Black Lion

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Kerry G.

    This is a great Brighton pub. I've been in here a few times and will most certainly be back! There's a great atmosphere about this place. It is, essentially, an 'old man pub', but it's by no means dingy or intimidating and is a great balance between casual and well-done. There was football on, for example, last night and though there was the occasional rowdy cheer (which you've gotta expect during the World Cup) the atmosphere remained pretty civilised and my friends and I were still perfectly able to sit and have a nice dinner amongst the buzz. The food here is really great. I've eaten here several times and always been impressed. They do you usual suspects - burgers, salads and the likes - but they do them well. I had a chorizo & haloumi salad, which was really tasty and my friends had some fantastic looking burgers! They serve a range of drinks too, beers, wines, cider and they also do some incredible cocktails for a very reasonable prices, which is always a great find in my books! The staff are great in here too - very friendly and helpful - and the service in general was slick and fast. A great place for dinner or a drink with friends. Oh, and I guess the football, if that's your thing...! :)

    Sophie W.

    The Black Lion is located right in the centre of town, between the South Lanes and the seafront. It is a deceptively big pub: what might look like an oldy-wordly fisherman's cottage from the outside turns out to be a spacious contemporary pub on the inside! The decor is light ans modern, its all clean lines, white walls and minimalist wooden furnishings. For this reason, the pub can feel a little characterless- I would have preferred a restoration of the original cottagey interior. Saying this, the pub does have a nice atmosphere and is vastly superior to some of the nearby chain pubs. Drinks are not extortionate, but like most central pubs, they don't do particularly great drinks specials. Nevertheless, the Black Lion draws an impressive crowd- located right next to the new office development above Jamie's Italian and close to the town hall, it's a favourite with after work punters. Friday and Saturday nights see the Black Lion fill with students, as it's one of few decent, large pubs in the area.

    Alice C.

    The Black Lion offers a great combimation of traditional pub, and funky bar. The outside is uniquely interesting, being a tall, old fisherman's bulding, inside stretching back tardis like away from the frontage. The interior is sleek and modern, in contrast to the outside. At weekends it does get very busy, thanks in part to the fact that they generally have DJs playing at weekends, playing various styles of music, making this a good Saturday night choice. They also serve a basic but tasty selection of standard pub food.

    Chris H.

    The Black Lion is one of my favourite pubs, and yes, avid readers, it's because it has a nice big smoking garden. More than just being nice and big, it is heated, covered, and they serve a variety of ales and wines: just my sort of pub. The food is also perfectly good and very nice: little to compain about here, beyond everything inside. Inside, the Black Lion is a disaster. The music is too loud, the bar is understaffed, and the clientele atrocious. This is the only pub I've been in and never sat inside: I just can't see the point. If I wanted to spend time with a bunch of drunk, unruly students, or a chavtastic crowd of deadheads, I'd venture onto campus or West Street past 7pm. Honestly, it isn't that brilliant here, I just like the outdoor bit and the selection. If you're not thick-skinned, or a smoker, there's little point going here: there's much nicer places nearby, like the Hop Poles.

    Black lion garden by night
    Laura H.

    Particularly on a Friday night the Black Lion is a great night out. As the night goes on - a dance floor appears and you could spend the night dancing and drinking the evening away! They've recently done up the garden & smoking area and it's much much better now - lots of heaters and making the most of the outside space. If you want a lively night out but want to stay in a pub - this is for you.

    Always busy on a weekend, The Black Lion is one of those places where you know there will be a good atmosphere and decent music if you can't decide where to go on a night out (basically me and my friends last night) It does get a little bit rammed which makes it quite hot in there, but it's not a major issue. Nice vibes, good mix of people and friendly staff. It seemed a lot more packed than usual last night, but then I noticed the large smoking area out the back was closed off for some reason, so maybe that made a difference. They do food here during the day and early evenings, it's been a few years since I have eaten here so can't really say what the food is like. I'll just use that as an excuse to eat out yet again :)

    See all

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Sarah-Jane B.
    280
    1096
    3360

    16 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Kerry G.
    215
    128
    775

    12 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Sophie W.
    12
    326
    332

    17 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Alice C.
    7
    319
    359

    16 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Chris H.
    6
    379
    416

    16 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Rob L.
    0
    20
    0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    14 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    16 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    15 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Kate J.
    104
    47
    77

    15 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Rob L.
    40
    194
    39

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    17 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of James Y.
    2
    794
    763

    16 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Felix T.
    4
    430
    377

    16 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    18 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    16 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    17 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    16 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Brian L.
    49
    113
    25

    12 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Joseph J.
    7
    324
    352

    17 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    15 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    16 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    15 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    14 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    15 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    17 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    14 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Black Lion Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Black Lion

    The beer garden is HUGE, and is a great place for people to go for both a smoke and to hangout.

    Mentioned in 4 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Pubs 189 times last month within 10 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Queensbury Arms - Photo taken from mybrightonandhove.org

    Queensbury Arms

    3.3(3 reviews)
    0.4 mi
    ££

    This tiny pub - also known as 'the Hole in the Wall' - is tucked away at the sea-front end of…read moreQueensbury Mews. Reputed to be Brighton's smallest pub, it has two small rooms either side of a central bar, serving a couple of real ales, and the usual range of lagers, wines and spirits. The decor is plush and cosy - rather like the inside of a theatre. This is appropriate, as the walls are covered with hundreds of old theatre posters and signed photos of theatre performers. (Or should that be 'artistes'?) It's reputed that Laurence Olivier (among others) once drank here. The staff are very friendly, and it attracts a loyal following of (mostly) gay men, although it's not exclusively gay. A perfect spot to escape from the winter gales on Brighton sea-front.

    The Queensbury Arms, weather it intends to be or not, is something a bit different. This pokey…read morelittle pub behind the Hilton is rich with the kind of charm normally possessed by an old Gay thespian. The seats are of faded pinkish velvet and the air somehow stuffy as though thick with back stage stories from days that have long since come to pass. It's not going to be everybody's cup of tea, but if you've ever watched the fast show's Arthur Atkinson story and aside from the comedy been taken in by the romance of 1950's theatre this place is well worth a trip. The drinks selection's not bad either it has the usual standards and last trip a made there I enjoyed some Harveys Sussex best and marvelled with complete ignorance at the signed monochrome photos across the back wall.

    Hop Poles - Open mic night !

    Hop Poles

    4.2(41 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    ££

    I hate leaving bad reviews but I am worried someone might DIE here…read more I ordered a whisky and after sitting down noticed it had fruit flies in it. I went back to the bartender and he apologized and then offered me another drink. I looked at multiple bottles and ALL of them had flies. I said they needed to throw them away and I would just take a beer. He gave me a beer free and then went outside to hang with my friend. I then watched him pour the bottles through a strainer and then back into the bottles. Not only did they never rinse the glass but didn't rinse the strainer that had the flies in it. So - Do NOT drink any whisky in this place. In fact don't drink any hard liquor in this place. Other bottles had flies but didn't see them "recycling" them. Bartender was very nice and amicable but this place should be shut down. Someone will get sick. No idea if they clean their beer lines or not but just stay away.

    Five minutes walk from Brighton Centre, The Dome and Corn Exchange, the Hop Poles is a great pub to…read morego to after a gig. I went here after seeing Kings of Leon and Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds earlier this year and noticed lots of other people from the shows wander in. The staff are friendly, the bar stock everything from Guiness and ale to quality spirits and the atmosphere is warm and bustling. There's clusters of wooden chairs and tables and a window seat where you can watch the world go by or strike up conversations with - equally intoxicated - locals.

    Photos
    Hop Poles - Ranking.

    Ranking.

    Hop Poles
    Hop Poles

    See all

    The Mesmerist

    The Mesmerist

    3.8(18 reviews)
    0.0 mi
    ££

    As far as Brighton bars go, The Mesmerist is maybe as most versatile as you're going to find…read more Came here with a party of 30 people. I let Cat, the booking manager, know the situation, and she was a wizard at making sure everyone had the food that they ordered. We had a room upstairs to ourselves, and everyone loved the food and service. We all got what we had pre-ordered with Cat, and the people who didn't preorder were proffered dinner in a timely fashion. The food was great! I got the tomato tart and the beef cheek. I had never had a tomato tart before but really enjoyed it, and I thought the beef cheek was very tender. Other people raved about the fries. There were lots of vegetarian and vegan options. Drinks were good! I had a cocktail called "The Bees Knees," which I really liked. There are plenty of beers on tap, and the waitstaff gets around to bar belly-uppers quickly. The space is amazing. There's a second story, rooftop courtyard, and a large downstairs area for dancing, live music, picture taking, and a brewery/beer store attached. As someone who loves lots of diversions and micro-vibes within a bar, I really enjoyed bopping between all of these areas. What better way to finish off the night than to catch a trio downstairs playing motown and rock? These guys were terrific: the bass player/singer was getting the crowd dancing, and the guitar player and drummer were seamlessly providing a groovy beat. This band is good enough for a high cover and the Mesmerist brought them in on a Thursday night, no cover. Thanks for everything, Mesmerist!

    The Mesmerist is a bar in the very centre of Brighton. As far as bars go, this is definitely a…read moredecent one. As it is central, it is pretty much always busy - and particularly in the evenings - but it doesn't take long to get served as the staff are efficient. The decor is really rather lovely. It has a very vintage feel to it which goes well with the music that they play which I believe is soft jazz (I am not very good with those sorts of genres so please forgive me if I am wrong!). Upstairs, there are several tables and it feels homely but spacious at the same time. I have not had food here in a few years but from what I can remember it is very decent indeed.

    Photos
    The Mesmerist
    The Mesmerist - Sunday Roast

    Sunday Roast

    The Mesmerist - Chelsea Rose

    See all

    Chelsea Rose

    Black Lion - pubs - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...