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    The Basketmakers

    4.4 (65 reviews)
    ModeratePubs, British
    Open 11:00 am - 11:00 pm

    The Basketmakers Photos

    THE BASKETMAKERS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - The Basketmakers

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    Daniel H.

    I found this on yelp and knew it was gonna be pretty good with all the awards it shows on its windows. The place is a nice and cute looking pub with and chill vibe to it with calm music in the background I got mussels and chips here and they were my favorite British meal I've had in my week here. Nice and flavorful and quite cheap compared to the US. They get their seafood from local fisherman here. Would recommend to anyone in Brighton who wants solid food and/ or wants to grab a drink at a chill pub

    Sandrine L.

    If it wasn't for the review on Yelp! I might never have found this little pub and stopped there...and this is why I love Yelp! L This little pub is a bit away from the centre, so you might not come across it when visiting BUT it is really worth going a bit further down the road. It's tiny but we were lucky to find a table straight away. The menu is not massive which is usually a good sign for me, you will find Sunday roast, fish & ships, burgers, classic pub dishes...I went for the chicken roast which was delicious and two of our group tried the fish & chips which was 100% approved...and this comes from people who are not this kind of dishes fans...to sum up, perfect lunch spot for a day in Brighton, not far from the station so perfect when arriving at lunch time! Have a look in the boxes on the wall as they contain message from guests! You can leave one too!

    Sarah-Jane B.

    Pubs might be closing at an escalating rate across the UK but it's still hard to get a seat inside the Basketmakers Arms. An old fashioned, British boozer at the bottom of the North Laines, it attracts a loyal crowd of locals all year round. There's about a dozen tables with old velvet stools and chairs and the walls are covered in vintage tin boxes and paraphanelia. As for the drinks, they serve proper pints of beer, ale and Guiness and packets of crisps and pork scratchings. In short, a friendly, feel-good boozer.

    photo taken from www.thebasketmakersarms.co.uk
    Mike F.

    Rarely do I enjoy a relaxed drink as much as I do in the Basketmakers Arms. It's such a snug little pub, perfect for a nightcap on a cold winter night and, with its low ceilings and charming décor, you always feel comfortable. It serves great value pub grub, a selection of real ales, whiskies and every other drink you could possibly want. What's more is that all the staff are very sociable and the service is usually very quick, even when it's rammed on weekends. Situated a few roads down from the often hectic Sydney Street, The Basketmakers Arms can be hard to find but I assure you that your search will not be in vane. You'll notice the walls are covered in various tobacco tins of all shapes and sizes and inside each is said to be a message written by a random punter. Despite many attempts at reading them all, I will have to conclude it's a claim that's impossible to verify but it's a nice touch that brings an extra dose of personality to the place. If you fancy adding your own message you don't have to ask. Happy times!

    Chris H.

    One of Brighton's nicer 'hidden' pubs, tucked away in one of the North Laine's many nooks and crannies, the Basketmakers Arms is a very nice place to grab a drink. I put hidden in quotations above as it is, despite being a little off the beaten track, often very busy; I think some of the call centres in the area stream into here at closing time. It's all very reasonably priced and the selection is good, and the food is splendid! However, what use is a great menu if you can't sit down? It's all very good, no denying that, but it's nothing special and there's nowhere to sit and enjoy it, let alone sit with a beverage. Still, everything's very good: I just wish there was more space this pub could expand into. Because it's always too busy, there are always people standing around like lemons, and there's often barely enough space to do even that. In the end, it's nice here, but it needs more space, otherwise it's just average.

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    2 years ago

    Delicious pub food in an authentic pub. Friendly service. Pie and mash was fire. I'll be back!

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    10 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Amazing authentic Pub food & Ambiance. Super friendly & efficient staff. A true Gem !

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    7 years ago

    Great atmosphere, a true local pub experience in Brighton. Had a perfectly cooked steak with chips and mushrooms.

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    6 years ago

    Very nice place with great amosphere teh food and drinks were good and service was very good.

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    Page 1 of 2

    The Basketmakers Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - The Basketmakers

    Snuggled away in North Laine, if I didn't know where it was I would probably never find it - that's it's beauty, tucked behind all the hubbub.

    Mentioned in 6 reviews

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    Queensbury Arms - Photo taken from mybrightonandhove.org

    Queensbury Arms

    (3 reviews)

    ££

    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

    (41 reviews)

    ££

    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.

    The Mesmerist

    The Mesmerist

    (18 reviews)

    ££

    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.

    Brighton Beer Dispensary - Brighton Beer Dispensary outside

    Brighton Beer Dispensary

    (6 reviews)

    ££

    I'm a big fan of BBD! It's not huge, but it's a welcoming space, with a great selection of bottled…read moreand draft craft beers and ciders. They also have a mystery light and dark beer selection that changes regularly, which they reveal once the cask or keg is finished. There's almost always a selection of Kernel, Partizan and Beavertown beers, in addition to some fine Belgian brews, like Delirium Tremens. The only reason I haven't added a 5th star is that a few more kegs would not go amiss here. Oh, and most importantly, they have deep fried gherkins that are FLIPPING DELICIOUS. Their chips are great too, but deep fried gherkins. Fried pickles. yes yes yesssss. The bar staff and proprietor (proprietrix, really) are friendly and fun (I suggest going during Oktoberfest for lederhosen looks and some great German keg brews) and it's a welcome addition to the growing craft beer community here in Brighton.

    Yes! A small little gem with a nice selection of various beers. They do keg and cask (which I am…read morenot to familiar with, but the bar keep explained the difference to us, but I think it got a bit lost to us) with different beers, both local and more not so local. We got to taste some of the beers before we decided as well and were explained what they tasted like as well, which I like. The place might get a bit crowded since its not the biggest one in the world, but it was a cozy little place and I would love to go here if ever in Brighton again. Did not have the time to stay for long, but I liked what I saw. They also to quiz and have a selection of board games if you are into that. Oh yes, they also do burgers and some sides, from the menu it felt tasty, but we didnt try any of their food, so I cannot tell. All in all, glad we walked in on this place. You do not have to be a beer geek to go here or add all your beers to untappd, but its a place where you can try a lot of different beers for sure.

    The Basketmakers - pubs - Updated May 2026

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