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    Grand Central

    3.3 (21 reviews)
    ModeratePubs
    Open 11:00 am - 2:00 AM (Next day)

    Grand Central Photos

    GRAND CENTRAL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Live music
    Quiet
    Classy
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - Grand Central

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    Reviews With Photos

    www.nightingaletheatre.co.uk
    Samantha C.

    This is a fab little stop off for a half if your waiting for a train but can get expensive if you spend a evening there. It has plush interior with chesterfields and wooden panel walls. Its popular with afterwork drinkers sp can get mega busy inbetween 5.30-7pm on weekdays. There's a large outdoor roof terrace which is a right sun trap in the summer months. The pub also plays host to a small theatre http://www.nightingaletheatre.co.uk/, which provides a variety of independent work formed outside the mainstream, from small theatre groups, poets and artists. Definitely worth checking out for all those arts boffs looking for something different.

    Look at this door!!

    I went to Grand Central ahead of its reopening this week. The decor has a marked improvement, it has a higher class feel to it than it did before (it used to be quite grimy). The upstairs area/theatre is absolutely lush, velvet furnishings with a feeling of opulence about it. Unfortunately I didn't get to sample any cocktails from the cocktail bar this time, but I will make sure I do in future! I had Steak Onglet for dinner, which was tasty but nothing out of this world. I'm not sure whether I would go back for food - My friend had the spatchcock chicken, which wasn't actually spatchcock chicken, it was a roast poussin, so they may need to change the description on the menu. The Roof Terrace is an absolute suntrap, complete with a new seating area, and lots of Jasmine has been planted, which smells absolutely divine. I can see this being a hotspot once the hot weather kicks in! The prices behind the bar are a bit above average - there is a wide selection of craft beer, ale and cider but it was a little on the pricier side for me. I don't want to pay over £5 fora beer or cider if I can help it. All in all, a lovely place, but due to its location and the price of the beer, I doubt it will become a regular place for me.

    Alice C.

    This is the first pub you see when exiting Brighton station, and for this reason is a popular place for a post work pint for many, and is a good place to meet friends coming from out of town for the same reason. The exterior is an unusual, with a round half-tower on one corner, so it is immediately noticeable. Inside, there is a lot of dark wood and leather, which can seem either sophisticated or dingy depending on the time of day. It also boasts a church font, topped with wood to make it usable as a table. The food menu seems to change fairly often, but is consistently good - when I last visited the Mezze platter was espeically good value as a shared snack, with lots of fresh bread, feta and olives. Upstairs there is a small theatre showing local amateur productions, although I have yet to visit this. The real draw for me, at least in summer, is the highly unusual rooftop decked garden. Reached from stairs at the back of the pub, this is another world - a quiet, sun-filled oasis amongst the rooftops.

    Colin M.

    Quite a nice pub located right near the train station. There was only draught cider on offer, but a reasonable selected of the bottled variety. Gin-lovers are also well catered for with nearly twenty on offer. Upstairs is the really cool Nightingale Theatre with various cabaret, comedy and music events on throughout the month.

    gc
    adam s.

    Appropriately named, as it's the first pub you see when you come out of Brighton Station. It's a large pub filled with commuters and visitors and there's a handy LCD TV showing train timetables. There's a good happy hour where Strongbows are £2.50 and this usually runs from 5pm-8pm (Sun-Thur). Apart from that, the pub is quite standard and doesn't have much character. Weekends are a good laugh and food is expensive for what it is, £6.45 for a mediocre banquette.

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    Review Highlights - Grand Central

    If you're looking for a stop before or after getting your train this is a good choice.

    Mentioned in 7 reviews

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    Queensbury Arms - Photo taken from mybrightonandhove.org

    Queensbury Arms

    3.3(3 reviews)
    0.6 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)
    0.5 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

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    The Mesmerist

    The Mesmerist

    3.8(18 reviews)
    0.5 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.

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    The Mesmerist
    The Mesmerist - Sunday Roast

    Sunday Roast

    The Mesmerist - Chelsea Rose

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    Chelsea Rose

    Grand Central - pubs - Updated May 2026

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