Best pubs in Brighton: where the good ones cluster
A Brighton guide dweller's honest take on the best pubs in Brighton: historic Lanes boltholes, North Laine craft rooms, seafront terraces and Kemptown locals.
By Oliver Bennett, Brighton bus tour guide & local sightseeing specialist
Push open almost any pub door in the old town and the room tells you where you are before you order. Low beams and a fire in the Lanes. Bare brick, a chalkboard of breweries you have never heard of in North Laine. A sun-faded terrace and the smell of the sea near the front. I have spent a lot of afternoons off the bus in these rooms, and the honest truth about drinking in Brighton is that there is no single "best pub". There are areas, each with a character, and the trick is matching the area to your mood. So rather than hand you a ranked list that will be out of date by the time you read it, here is how the good pubs cluster, and how to reach them.
Where are the best pubs in Brighton?
Brighton's best pubs cluster in four areas: the Lanes for historic, low-ceilinged boltholes, North Laine for craft beer and independent taprooms, the seafront for terraces and arch bars, and Kemptown for friendly community locals. Each district has its own feel, so pick the one that suits your afternoon rather than chasing one single pub.
The city packs an unusual number of independent pubs into a small footprint, which is part of why a weekend here turns into a slow crawl between neighbourhoods. You are rarely more than a few minutes' walk from the next good room. What changes, street to street, is the mood: quiet and beamed one minute, loud and hop-forward the next. Below I have broken it down by area so you can plan a route that matches how you want to spend the day. If you are hopping between several of these, the open-top loop links most of them, which I will come back to.
| The Lanes | Historic, snug, low-beamed boltholes down narrow twittens; classic real-ale territory |
|---|---|
| North Laine | Craft beer, independent taprooms, quirky rooms with a younger, browsing crowd |
| Seafront & arches | Terraces, beach bars and railway-arch spots; best on a bright afternoon |
| Kemptown | Community locals, LGBTQ+ friendly bars, relaxed and unhurried away from the crowds |
| Hanover & the hills | Residential backstreet pubs, the ones locals actually walk to; worth the climb |
What are the pubs in the Lanes like?
The Lanes pubs are the historic core: small, wood-panelled rooms tucked into the narrow alleys, or twittens, between South Lanes shops. Expect real ale, tight corners, and a heritage feel. They fill fast at weekends because they are tiny, so arrive early or be ready to stand.
This is where I send anyone who wants the old-Brighton feeling. The Lanes grew up as the fishing town's tangle of streets, and some of the pubs down here have poured pints for a very long time. The rooms are small by design, so on a Friday night people spill out onto the flagstones with a glass in hand. During the day it is calmer and you can actually get a seat by a window and watch the shoppers drift past. If real ale and a bit of history matter to you, start here. You can read the district's backstory on Wikipedia's page for The Lanes, and VisitBrighton keeps a current listing if you want to check what is open before you set out.
One honest caveat: pub names, opening hours and even ownership change here more than in most cities, because so many of these are independents. I am deliberately not printing a ranked list of specific pubs, because the moment I do, one will have changed hands or shut for a refit. Ask whoever pulls your first pint which of their neighbours is worth a look. Brighton bar staff are generous with that kind of tip, and it is always more current than anything written down.
Where do you go for craft beer in Brighton?
North Laine is the craft-beer heartland. The streets north of the shopping core hold independent taprooms, micropub-style rooms and bars with long, rotating keg lists. The crowd skews younger and the beer skews experimental, so it suits anyone who reads the board before they order.
If the Lanes are about history, North Laine is about what is new. Brighton has a genuine local brewing scene, and this is where you taste it: single-hop pours, sours, low-alcohol options for the daytime, boards that change week to week. Some rooms are tiny, standing-only affairs; others open onto the pavement so you can watch the street market. I like this area midweek, when you can chat to the person pouring and actually learn something about what is in the glass.
Because the beer choice moves so fast, treat any specific recommendation as a snapshot. A tap list is current for a week, not a year. The reliable move is to walk the streets north of the North Laine market and duck into whichever room looks busy with locals rather than tourists.
| Traditional real ale | Cask-conditioned bitters and milds; the Lanes and older backstreet locals |
|---|---|
| Craft keg & taprooms | Rotating independent breweries, sours, IPAs; North Laine and the arches |
| Seafront bar | Terrace drinking, cocktails and lagers with a sea view; best in sunshine |
| Community local | Unfussy, welcoming, dog-friendly; Kemptown and the Hanover hills |
Which Brighton pubs have a sea view?
For a drink by the water, head to the seafront and the railway arches between the two piers. The arch bars and terraces here trade on the view rather than a heritage interior, so they are at their best on a warm, bright afternoon when you can sit outside with the beach in front of you.
These are not hushed, beamed rooms. They are loud, sunny and busy, and that is the point. On a good day I would rather sit on a seafront terrace with a cold pint and the pebbles crunching than anywhere else in the city. The stretch below the promenade, near where the Palace Pier meets the beach, has the highest concentration of them. Prices on the front tend to run a little above the backstreet locals, so if you are watching the budget, one seafront drink for the view and then inland for the rest is a sensible rhythm.
The open-top bus is genuinely useful here, because the seafront, the Lanes and Kemptown are strung along the coast and the loop connects them. You can check the open-top bus ticket on Viator and use it as a hop-between-areas pass, since the same ticket also covers the ordinary city buses. If you would rather see the details first, the City Sightseeing Brighton tour page lays out the route and stops.
Where do locals drink in Brighton?
Locals drink away from the two piers, in Kemptown, Hanover and the Hove backstreets. These are community pubs: unpretentious, often dog-friendly, and priced a little kinder than the seafront. Kemptown in particular has a warm, LGBTQ+ friendly scene that stays relaxed even on busy weekends.
When I want an unhurried pint I walk east into Kemptown or uphill into Hanover. Kemptown's pubs feel like the front rooms of the neighbourhood, and the village end has a proper community feel with plenty of welcoming, queer-friendly bars mixed among the everyday locals. Hanover, the terraced hill behind the Level, is nicknamed "Muesli Mountain" and its backstreet pubs are the kind you would only find if a resident pointed you there. Neither area is far, and both reward the short walk with lower prices and more conversation.
If you are building a food-and-drink day rather than a pure crawl, the wider food and drink guide covers where these areas overlap with places to eat, and the Brighton fish and chips guide pairs well with a seafront pint. A pub lunch in Kemptown followed by a walk back along the front is about as good as a Brighton afternoon gets.
How should you plan a Brighton pub crawl?
Plan by area, not by a fixed list. Start inland in the Lanes or North Laine while it is quiet, move to the seafront for a view in the afternoon sun, then finish in a Kemptown or Hanover local in the evening. Use the city buses to skip the longer stretches so you are not walking on tired legs.
The mistake I see visitors make is trying to hit "the famous ones" scattered across town and burning the day on walking. Brighton rewards the opposite approach: sink into one area, then move deliberately to the next. Because the neighbourhoods sit along the coast and up the hills, the open-top loop and the ordinary buses on the same ticket do the connecting work for you. That keeps the walking to the fun part, the wander between doors within an area, and takes the slog out of getting from Hove to Kemptown.
A last word on honesty, since it matters with pubs. I have not named specific venues or quoted prices in this guide on purpose. Independent pubs open, close and change hands often here, and a list that looks authoritative is the fastest way to send you to a shuttered door. Check current listings on VisitBrighton, and trust the person behind the bar for the freshest tip on where to go next.
Common questions about pubs in Brighton
What area has the best pubs in Brighton?
It depends on the mood you want. The Lanes hold the historic, low-beamed pubs, North Laine leads on craft beer, the seafront has the terraces with a view, and Kemptown has the friendliest community locals. Most visitors enjoy sampling two or three areas rather than one.
Are Brighton pubs expensive?
Seafront and old-town pubs sit at the higher end because of the location. Head inland to Kemptown, Hanover or the Hove backstreets and prices ease off. Always check the board on the day, since independent pubs set their own prices and they move over time.
Is Brighton good for real ale and craft beer?
Yes on both. The Lanes and older backstreet locals keep good cask ale, while North Laine and the railway arches are full of independent taprooms with rotating craft keg lists. Brighton has a genuine local brewing scene, so the choice is wide.
Are Brighton pubs dog-friendly and family-friendly?
Many community locals in Kemptown and Hanover welcome dogs, and plenty of pubs allow children until early evening, especially those serving food. Policies vary by venue, so it is worth a quick check at the door if it matters for your group.
How do I get between Brighton's pub areas without walking?
The city buses connect the seafront, the Lanes, Kemptown and the hillside neighbourhoods. The open-top sightseeing ticket also covers the ordinary Brighton and Hove buses, so you can ride between areas on one pass rather than tackling every stretch on foot.
Which pub area is best for an LGBTQ+ night out?
Kemptown, especially the streets around St James's Street, is the heart of Brighton's LGBTQ+ scene, with a friendly mix of bars and community pubs. It stays welcoming and relaxed, and it is an easy hop east from the pier by bus.