The Prince George

I spent about a week in Brighton/London area visiting my daughter as she was going to school at the…read moreuniversity of Brighton. While, I have a lot of highlights of my trip in the UK, one of the best was going to The Basketmakers Pub for drinks and dinner. It is interesting how many people asked me when I got back to the states if I'd gone to a pub and they wanted me to share the experience with them. It was a joy to be able to tell them about my time at The Basketmakers.

I loved my visit to this pub. The bartender was very friendly in helping me choose a beer and an…read moreorder of food to eat. I ended up with the HSC beer and Sausage & Mash with the leek and chive mash on her recommendation. The food was very good and the beer selection was good as well! They have multiple food & drink specials in addition to the regular menu items. I will be back next Thursday for the surf & turf special. Can't wait!

Outside

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Photo taken from www.thebasketmakersarms.co.uk

The Lion & Lobster

4.2(71 reviews)

0.8 mi

Such a good vibe!! Dogs were everywhere it was so special! The food was so good and the service was…read moreamazing! The overall ambiance was just wonderful! Would recommend to everyone!

This place is very cool! I've done few quizzes and we are always pretty well served. Waiters are…read morenice, it's buzzing but in a quiet way, I love this mood! Drinks are good, food is fresh and prices are well attractive! I will definitely go back again to makes more quizzes with friends! Such a nice place, there is few tables in the back, quite "behind the scenes" mood and I love it!

Loin& lobster

Loin & lobster

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Artwork in the rooftop terrace!

Queensbury Arms

3.3(3 reviews)

0.7 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.

Fiddler's Elbow

3.8(16 reviews)

•£

Bit of a dive. Worn decor, dusty in places, dirty windows…read more Terrible - TERRIBLE - pint of Guinness. Bubbles in the head, served in a greasy glass, and the lines needed to be cleaned. You can't screw up a pint of IPA, but a full-to-the-top pint glass would have been nice. Bathrooms... well, the wet on the floor smelled like disinfectant at least, and there was toilet paper.

Come for the pub quiz rather than the food. I once raved…read moreabout the BBQ chicken burger that I would invariably eat before a Tuesday night pub quiz, but alas those days are over. Apparently the pub was beset with misfortune when the chef decided to leave one dark and stormy night and take all the crockery with him, he even took the salt and pepper shakers! Vicious rumours aside, I can definitely say that since the change in kitchen management, the menu here has been sadly lacking... although 2-4-1 burgers on Tuesdays almost makes up for it. You might be asking yourself why I'd give such a high review for somewhere with such low food expectations, and simply put, it's the ambiance. There's such a friendly atmosphere here, the pub quiz is a hoot (especially on Ro's watch!) and only a quid to enter, so you won't care that the menu isn't as varied as you would like.

Note filthy skylight windows...

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Fidlers Elbow after St Patricks Day

Bath Arms

4.2(39 reviews)

I was hoping to have a drink at a pub in the heart of Brighton's laneways, and this pub ended up…read morebeing it. Actually, from what I can remember, with the exception of a couple of pubs on the fringers, this was the only pub in the Laneways (but only having been to Brighton once I cannot say for sure - I'm certainly not an expert). Anyway, the service was pretty awesome, and while I wasn't hungry my brother was a little insistant on having something to eat so he ended up grabbing the sausages as mash. When I was here the place was pretty quiet though, but still it was a pretty decent pub, and quite large as well. However the thing that stood out to me at least was the friendliness of the staff.

It was exactly what we wanted!…read more We had been wandering the beach a November afternoon + were wanting a pint and lunch. It was the perfect stop. The food was great, the service lovely, the room comfortable and the ales were delicious + local. I can't recommend it highly enough.

The shepard's pie, which is properly made with lamb. I'd go have it again today if i wan't back in London.

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Hop Poles

4.2(41 reviews)

0.6 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.

Ranking.

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The Mesmerist

3.8(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.

Sunday Roast

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Chelsea Rose

Druid's Head

3.9(21 reviews)

Wide selections of drinks and bar food. I ordered the Fish and Chips + Sticky Toffee Pudding with…read morecustard. Yummy. Good ambience to catch up with friends. Staff were helpful and nice.

Fun little pub with great service. Enjoyed the meat pie and everything was fresh. Good selection of…read moredrinks too.

Sticky toffee pudding with custard .

Fish and chips

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Wetherspoons

3.1(19 reviews)

•£

Like most Wetherspoons, this place is huge and noisy. Their no music policy means that, even when…read morenot particularly busy, the wall of chatter hits you as soon as you walk in to this echoey space. With two floors, .you'll generally find a table fairly easily (in the day at least, I've never braved the place at night), and the food and drinks are great value. Definitely a good place for a pitstop or perhaps a feed up if you're heading to the Brighton Centre or Odeon down the road.

Everything you'd expect from a Wetherspoons - decent food & cheap booze…read more Nothing fancy but good pub grub and much nicer than the one on North Street.

Unlimited refills of coffee drinks and tea

From website

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The Cricketers

3.9(32 reviews)

We popped in for a beer and a snack and were should to get a great table that was in a covered area…read morebut still kind of outside. We had some beers and loaded tots which were really delicious- we almost stayed for a second order! The place is situated well to watch what's happening around while you have a drink

Fish and chips is one of my favorite meals, so finding somewhere with good fish and chips is always…read moreappreciated. The flavor of the fish and the batter is really yummy. I don't always use vinegar when eating fish and chips, but it seems to go particularly well with the dish here. I'm also one of those people who loves to squeeze lemon on my fish and chips, and I thought it was cute how the lemon came wrapped in a little cloth. The peas were also good and had a bit of a black pepper taste to them, which may seem odd but I liked it. The one thing I was a bit disappointed with was the price in relation to the portion. The fish is a pretty good size and it comes with a decent amount of fries, but I think for the price it could have been just a tad bit more. However, it will still fill you up for the most part. I also like where this restaurant is located, and the building has a cool old-timey feel to it. There's a decent amount of seating, and if you sit in more of the restaurant side (instead of the pub/bar side) it doesn't get too loud or crowded.