Every Pub in Brighton #6-10
Post number two in this silly little project. Another five pubs visited and recapped below - a veritable feast on offer for beer lovers in Brighton in this entry. Let’s go!
#6 // The Hop Poles
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Address: 13 Middle St, Brighton BN1 1AL
Date visited: July 2022
Continuing on from entry #5, we moved on from The Market Inn to The Hop Poles which was a great little place and a pub I’m keen to get back to.
The pub blends the traditional dark wood pub furnishings you come to expect from a building of this age with quirky retro artwork and vibrant colours that gives it a very welcoming feel. I’m a big fan when a pub tries to do something different (within reason!) and after visiting lots of identikit bars in my time, it was nice to find one a little less conventional.
There’s a very intimate outdoor terrace at the rear of the pub which was the perfect suntrap during our visit. We didn’t have a chance to try the food as this was a pre-drink visit before a restaurant on the same road but the drink selection was good - the usual macro beer selection with a few locals mixed in to cater for most people. I had a fantastic pint of 360° Brewery’s Green Monster - a hazy New England IPA that went down so quickly I had 2 in 30 minutes or so.
Definitely one to revisit and try the food one day.
#7 // The Foghorn
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Address: 55 Boundary Rd, Hove BN3 4EF
Date visited: July 2022
Tied with The Railway Inn in the first entry to this project, this micropub on Boundary Road is probably the closest drinking spot to our house. We actually visited here when house hunting and it sort of cemented in my mind that the area would be a good one to live in. I’m so happy we have two great options within walking distance.
The Foghorn was opened in December 2018 so it’s still a mere whippersnapper compared to its contemporaries but what it lacks in history, it more than makes up in with… pretty much everything else really.
Being a micropub the main focus is cask beer with a huge room behind the bar housing all the casks in their stillages. But there’s always an equally good selection of keg and cider on offer too with a focus on local and independent (quite often both) drinks producers. On weekends there is a rotating choice of food trucks (so good Premier League footballers turn up after match-winning performances!) and there are regular events held here ranging from comedy shows, open mic nights, and a classic pub quiz.
It’s one of the larger micropubs I’ve been to (converted from an adult learning centre, apparently) and definitely the most colourful - the sky-blue painted mural that wraps around the exterior of the building is always a welcoming sight and feels like it has a gravitational pull whenever I find myself on Boundary Road.
Well worth a visit if you’re in the area. Worth a visit even if you aren’t!
#8 // Hove Place
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Address: 37 First Ave, Hove BN3 2FH
Date visited: July 2022
We popped in here for dinner one evening and it was doing a roaring trade - several punters outside, even more in the garden out the back, and the majority of the tables in the dining area filled so I had no need to be worried when I picked it on a whim.
The only downside with it being so busy meant we didn’t get to experience the impressive garden as it was full of people enjoying the summer evening. The garden is probably the biggest draw to this pub so make sure you book in advance if you want to spend time there. The pub itself is decent though and the food was worth the trip. Plus the staff were in good spirits despite how busy it was.
The Sunday roasts look very good here so definitely one to revisit!
#9 // The Urchin
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Address: 15-17 Belfast St, Hove BN3 3YS
Date visited: July 2022
We visited this after Hove Place, cutting through the giant Tesco Superstore car park and onto a residential street. It wasn’t long before the seafood smells alerted us we were in the right place.
The Urchin is a self-described ‘shellfish and craft beer’ gastropub. Converted from an old neighbourhood boozer back in 2016, this place shows what you can do to breathe new life into something traditional and make it more contemporary without taking away any of the charm.
The space is all wood and filament bulbs dangling from old rope so it’s very much living up to the claim that you don’t need a special occasion for a plate of oysters and a pint of stout.
I’m a bit gutted we’d already eaten as this is very much a food-first pub and it smelt incredible. Even though I’m still a bit of a seafood novice, I’d definitely love to return and try some of the dishes here - a chalk board lists the specials that rotate based on what’s fresh and available (octopus, lobster, crab) as well as a smaller paper menu on the tables with their regular staples (oysters, mussels, squid, prawns etc.).
Not only this but since 2018 they have been brewing their own beer on-site as a tiny brewery known as Larrikin (an Australian name for an unconventional, lovable rogue - a street urchin, larkin’ around) - just enough to supply the pub, a few other locals and some for canning and take away.
We secured a table near the bar and I opted for the El Dorado NEIPA which was absolutely delicious. I imagine it tastes even better with some freshly cooked shellfish but I’ll have to go back another time to test that theory. A must visit for seafood fans, beer fans and seafood and beer fans.
#10 // Bison Beer, North Laine
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Address: 103 North Rd, Brighton BN1 1YW
Date visited: July 2022
Bison Beer began as a bottleshop back in 2015 and in the years to follow appear to have gone for a jack of all trades approach - they brew their own beers, have their own bars and also had time to setup a pop-up bar and street food joint on the beach front.
They now have two permanent bars in Brighton - this one in North Laine and another in Hove (that I’m still yet to visit at time of writing). They also ran a pop-up bar at the Sea Lanes from 2019 to 2022 and it appears to be making a comeback in 2023 following the redevelopment of the area.
I visited the North Laine bar before we moved but rules is rules so this visit counts as the 10th pub in this project. The bar is split over two floors with the bar and seating downstairs and a spiral staircase leading you up to more seating (although recent news suggests this may not be the case going forward sadly). There is a rotating spot in the kitchen and it happened to be pizza slices on our visit (courtesy of Toby’s Slice Shop) which were gigantic and packed with flavour - the crusts were liberally doused in parmesan which made for a cheesy lunch!
There are a wide range of beers here from lots of independent beer makers up and down the country with several draft options and even more cans. I had a Pineapple Schöfferhofer which I drank in double quick time due to it being a super hot day and it being a 2.5% shandy.
A really good craft beer option in the heart of Brighton!
