Casablancas is a Brighton classic; one of the biggest and crummiest music venues, this jazz dive is…read morea big student attraction, as well as one of the coolest and cheapest places in town to grab a drink and hear some funky tunes. Not your average club or bar, it does repel most of the West Street chavs with it's jazz, funk and slightly-more-out-there music: a boon in this area, to be sure. Thanks to the immense popularity of this place waning slightly, it is now slightly more fun to hang out in (it used to be so packed you could hardly move), yet is still a bit too busy for my liking. Still, one of the nicer of Brighton's music bars, with the occasional live band to round it all off. Although it used to be wall-to-wall rammed with students here, this has now calmed down somewhat: not sure what soured at Casablancas, but it seems many of the students aren't coming back. The prices are still cheap, which is a bonus, but I suppose it does look more and more run-down: a spruce-up wouldn't do this place any harm. Still, if you're looking for a cheap night with slightly more esoteric music, this is as good a place as any to start!

Admittedly I've only been to Casablancas once, but I was sorely disappointed. It's the sort of…read moreplace that people rave about going to, so I was expecting something amazing. In fact, it was a bit plain and grubby looking inside, with not that great music. I wouldn't be against going back there on a different night, though (we went on a Thursday night, which seems the stereotypical night for students to go - I saw loads of acquaintances there), so it clearly wasn't too bad. Just not as good as I'd expected judging from other people's opinions of the place.

This place was a fabulous surprise for out trip. On a hot summer afternoon we were dying to get off…read morethe streets and shelter with a nice drink and a nibble. The lady's in here came to our rescue. We walked in to a beautiful African styled room with large bar at the rear. Plenty of seating around the room and a lovely inviting bar tender on the bar and ready to serve. Emma ordered a iced, vanilla chai tea latte using almond milk. I ordered an interesting looking Cornish beer from the fridge. For food we had some interesting potato wedges. The next great point was that they offered a student discount allowing us to save a few pennies. Next up was the quality of the food and drink. I couldn't fault anything with any of the products or people here. Other nice factors were the little phone charging safe attached to the wall. Defiantly a place that is worth a visit.

The Blueman has travelled in Brighton and it's new location is easily assesible for walkers. The…read morestaff are always friendly the food good and very fairly priced and always fresh. More importantly you can sense it is prepared with Pride and care.

Nice local, just off St James's Street, at the Steine end of Kemp Town…read more The interior is cosy, with main room at the front and an alcove-like area at the rear; and there's a beer garden to the side which, as others have said, is great for people watching. The main event is the Blues Music, for which it is well known - gigs are normally on Thursdays or weekends. They normally have 3 or 4 real ales on tap, which on my visit seemed well kept. On our visit these included Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter, Harvey's Old Ale, Gales HSB and Sharpe's Doom Bar. (The Doom Bar in particularly was superbly kept). The clientele reflects the slightly bohemian mix of the area, with gays, straights, locals, visitors and students alike. They have a wonderfully skittish dog, and on cold nights a lovely log fire.

The Ranelagh is a live music pub primarily offering Blues, but also has Rock & Country…read moremusic.artists. Live music nights at the moment are every Thursday and Sunday. This little gem is one of the only bars in Kemp Town with outside space on St James Street. Its a right little suntrap and awesome when its hot. The venue can seat roughly 40 outside & has outdoor heating which is a must with the off sea breeze. The interier is wintery with dark woods and not a lot of light, but its cosy and has an open fire to snuggle round in the colder months. They're obviously going for a bit of New Orleans vibe and theres a lot of old records and instruments hanging around the place.

A monthly jazz night with dinner at the Sussex County Ground. Generally taking the form of a three…read morecourse meal followed by two hours of jazz. Plenty of nearby parking (unusual for Brighton & Hove). Normally first Thursday of the month around £42.

Ali Cats is an odd one. It's an underground venue that looks more like a middle class college…read morestudent's large garage basement with low ceilings and random art graffiti painted on the birck walls. One word to describe this place would be grimy. It's full of grime.. and it's very dark, however there is something a little quirky and originol about it. It fits in very nicely in Brighton - it's got that 'cool' sort of vibe about it. It's extremely cheap with £1.50 drinks on selected nights, this makes it very popular with students and they usually have DJ sets going on and occasionally gigs. It can also be hired out for private functions and parties. Overall you can have a pretty fun night here and it has a friendly, lively atmosphere, but it's not somewhere I'd choose to go that pften/regularly. It's worth checking out if you want some cheap drinks and somewhere a little grimy!

Oh dear oh dear, won't someone please rescue this terrible dive bar. Whilst pretty groovy six years…read moreago it has fallen into utter disrepair - I only went in out of a sense of morbid curiosity for a Brighton Live gig. The first thing that hits you as you enter is the powerful smell of damp, the second is that all the draught beers are off except for Fosters (no ta), the third is that most of the furniture is broken, and should you dare to venture into the gents you'll find a Doctor Who-esque selection of fungal creatures evolving into new species on the walls, pipes and sanitary ware. On the upside, they've repaired the huge hole in the door of one of the two cubicles. On the downside they've removed the door from the other cubicle entirely. My advice - try not to touch anything unless you're well equipped with anti-bacterial wipes or happen to be wearing a hazmat suit. Better still, wear a hazmat suit.

Formally the Joogleberry Playhouse, now under the less fun name the Latest Music Bar, the venue…read morecontinues to provide a constant supply of live music and common interest events. From week to week you could find a local teeny bopper indie band, a political speaker or a cabaret evening. Fundamentally it is still a music venue though, downstairs is quaintly cosy so not much room for dancing, but it gives a nice Greenwich Village cafe vibe. There's a really nice wall feature of a 3-D rooftop scene and little star lights cover the rest of the walls downstairs, apparently the original scenery from CATS the musical. The light and airy upstairs is used as a restaurant/bar where food is served Thur - Sat 6pm til 10pm & Sun 12pm til 3.30pm & has free wi-fi. Unusually for Brighton the downstairs is closed on Friday & Saturday nights and available for hire. Definitely worth checking out if your at a loose end on a weekday evening.

Located at the foot of the unconventional and sometimes grubby St James' Street, The Latest Music…read moreBar is a welcome retreat for those wishing for a bit of style and panache. With varnished wood furnishings, a high ceiling and one wall covered in neatly framed photos of local and famous musicians; the upstairs bar has a refined cleanliness found in only a handful of places in Brighton. The atmosphere is best when the place is at a comfortable capacity, as it suits a seated audience. Serving average quality food and a reasonable selection of drinks the upstairs bar is always a nice place to be. However, the real draw is the cabaret bar downstairs. Having previously hosted such names as Amy Winehouse, The Kooks, Herbie Flowers and Chris Difford, the downstairs bar is definitely where it's at. The walls have been made to look like a charming cityscape complete with real, backlit windows and twinkling stars. This combined with the low ceiling and slightly raised stage makes the venue an intimate place, better suited to bands that are comfortable dealing with much audience participation. Drinks are a little expensive but definitely worth it. The simple pleasure of watching great music in a genuinely charming setting is enough for me to just shut up and pay. Great for folk, blues, jazz or anything rootsy. One of my favorite gig venues!

Small spot to shake the stress away, really nice sound system. Friendly door people, but don't mess…read morearound since the bathroom stalls don't lock!

Aside from high-capacity venues like The Dome and The Brighton Centre, The Concorde 2 is arguably…read moreBrighton's premier music spot. Regular appearances from big name acts, such as Florence and The Machine, Kaiser Chiefs, The White Stripes, Bloc Party and De La Soul, mean that it's a must-play for any semi-successful touring act. The ample £250 000 sound system and professional staging gives every show a sense of occasion, lifting the venue above the amateur but not so high as to be inaccessible. Adorned with enough character and history it's possibly the only independent venue in Brighton that consistently delivers first-class entertainment in an elegant setting at an affordable price.

Fitzherberts is one of the first pubs I went to when I moved to Brighton and it remains one of my…read moreregulars. The inside is so cosy that on a really busy night - when there's clusters of people standing - you usually end up with someone's elbow or handbag in your face. Luckily, the atmosphere is so friendly and laidback nobody seems to notice or care! There's a cluster of seats outside and a ramshackle assortment of wooden tables and chairs inside. Gig posters decorate the hallways and toilets and there's live jazz and acoustic bands most weeks. The rest of the time, the music depends on which bar staff are working. Most of the time they seem to rotate classic rock, indie and hip hop but I was once subjected to an hour of speed metal. I would have left but it was torrential rain outside. If they'd played The Supremes or Amy Winehouse instead, they'd probably have an extra star. :-)

Often overshadowed by the adjacent Mash Tun and Waggon and Horses, Fitzherberts is smaller and more…read moreatmospheric than either of these. Entering, there is a small bar, with a little bar seating for those who drink fast. The best feature though, is the strangely lit main seating area, a drinker's fairy cavern. A mass of blue fairy lights cover the stark white ceiling, and the effect this creates (especially after a few vodkas!) can be slightly disorienting, in a good way. Outside, like its neighbours, the place has some outside seating, which in summer is a great people watching spot. Its proximity to the Dome and to the Theatre Royal means that this is also a great choice for a pre-show drink.