Here are 16 Super Happening Pubs in Brighton

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With over 900 drinking establishments in Brighton city, UK. It won’t be hard to find a nice pub to have a drink. Maybe get a bit to eat as well, or watch the football, or even somewhere with live music. But here are the Best Pubs in Brighton where you can get all 4. Odds are, though, that it won’t be all at the same time.

So, the 16 best pubs in Brighton for food, football and live music are: The Hope & Ruin, Caroline of Brunswick, The Richmond Bar, The Better Half, The Cricketer’s, The Seven Stars, The Joker, Bottom’s Rest Pub, The Walrus, Font, New Unity, The Lion & Lobster, The North Laine Pub & Brewery, Fiddler’s Elbow, The Mesmerist, and The Black Lion.

The Best Pubs For Food, Football & Live Music In Brighton

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Brighton is one of the UK’s top destinations for foodies. You can find some of the best restaurants in the land within the city boundaries but here, we’re not talking restaurants, we’re talking pub grub and we don’t believe you have to compromise on taste to get amazing food with a pint.

So, we’ve got the superstars of the local pub food scene to share with you and we’ll be honest, it’s not an easy choice to make – there are a lot of pubs in Brighton and we had to visit them all on your behalf and we might have to go back to all of them again to make sure.

They all also offer the thirsty punter the chance to watch football on big screens, at least some of the time, and better still, they are all involved in the local music scene too.

That means you can get the hattrick of food, football and live music, in these specially curated Brighton pubs, all at the same time!

The Hope & Ruin (Regular Live Bands)

Address: 11 Queens Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 3WA

Why It’s Awesome: If you like traditional soul and the occasional hit of jazz then you’ll be very happy to stumble through the doors of The Hope & Ruin in Brighton. They have a great catalogue of regular gigs from some of the area’s most creative acts.

Their food menu is welcoming and built around great hot dogs and an incredible range of tricks you can do with chips. We also like the fact that they have some genuine bar snacks on the menu and the Pengest Poppers are a personal favourite.

Caroline of Brunswick (Regular Live Rock/Alternative Bands)

Address: 39 Ditchling Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 4SB

Why It’s Awesome: The Caroline of Brunswick is a delightfully schizophrenic venue which promotes live rock and alternative music on the ground floor and some of the best comedy in the region on the top floor. It’s an LGBT-friendly venue with regular events including quiz nights and karaoke.

You can catch a match on the screens in there, though there’s no guarantee that you will be able to hear the action on any given night. They are currently waiting on a new chef to arrive to revitalize the menu, but they’ve tended to offer interesting pub grub in the past and we don’t expect that to change.

Caroline of Brunswick is one of the select pubs in Brighton that serves Brighton’s own Tuaca, a must-have shot with a pint, or with every pint depending on the type of night out that you’re on. If you order Tuaca in any other city in the UK, the barrister will know straight away you’re from or have just been to Brighton.

The Richmond Bar (Regular Live Music)

Address: 33 Richmond Place, Brighton, East Sussex, BN2 9NA

Why It’s Awesome: This may be Brighton’s longest-serving music venue in pub form. You won’t find much in the way of frills when it comes to the food but let’s be fair, this is also one of the cheapest places to eat out in Brighton and a full English for a fiver is a genuine bargain.

They have live music on, or a DJ playing almost every day, though not quite, and the range of artistic styles they represent is incredibly varied. You can rub shoulders with almost anyone in The Richmond, it’s that type of place.

The Better Half (Occasional Live Music)

Address: 1 Hove Place, Hove, East Sussex, BN3 2RG

Why It’s Awesome: The Better Half is all about the traditional British Pub brought up to date. We’re talking traditional ales, the ability to score a Scotch Egg at the bar and regular pub quizzes and occasional live acts. It’s a warm, friendly place and as the owner says, “it’s a million miles from the ordinary and just a few feet from Hove’s seafront.”

Their food is truly excellent, and it can pay to make a reservation on busy days – Christmas is regularly sold out months in advance, for example. We also like the fact that they have their own app and you can check out what you want and book with it.

The Cricketers (Regular Live Music)

Address: Cricketers, Black Lion Street, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 1ND

Why It’s Awesome: Just around the corner from our absolute favourite pub in Brighton for food, football and music is The Cricketers and it’s also a great venue. The menu focuses on traditional British but in fresh and modern form. The fish & chips is always great, and nobody should miss out on the Sticky Toffee Pudding – that’s what British desserts are all about.

Get here early to eat as it gets very lively in a friendly way once the music starts playing. They have regular live music in their “Courtyard Bar” and you can bank on something going on every Tuesday and Friday night when their house bands take to the stage.

The beer tends to be “One World” on draft and they even deliver some interesting American craft beers if you’re looking to try something different.

The Seven Stars (Sunday Swing Jazz)

Address: 27 Ship St, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 1AD

Why It’s Awesome: The Seven Stars is not your typical British boozer. It has an interesting menu which is a fusion of French and English cuisines with a modern twist. It’s got a very cultured feel to the place and might be best appreciated to the background of live jazz which plays every Sunday.

We think the roast dinners are among the best in the city and the portion sizes are generous in the extreme which is good if you’re trying to get a little more for your quid when eating out in Brighton.  Once you’ve finished eating take some time to appreciate the décor over a pint or three.

The Joker (Occasional Live Acts)

Address: 2 Preston Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 4QF

Why It’s Awesome: They won an award from Bravo Brighton which makes them officially the “Best Pub Grub” in the city. This place is all about the burgers and the Buffalo wings. We’re not sure why they decided to bring New York eating to Brighton, but it works and works amazingly well.

This is thanks to Lost Boys Chicken, who run in-house at the Joker and in their own right are one of the top deliveroo takeaways in the city. This all boils down to their magically spicy buffalo wings.

Be warned, the smoking hot shadow sauce is every bit as hot as it’s billed to be and unless you’re something of a chilli-based masochist – you might want to opt for one of the other house sauces or go with the weekly guest sauce. The railway car booth is a really nice place to sit too.

The Joker doesn’t have a band on every night but there are occasional live acts which do grace its doors, and which add a little something extra to a night out.

Bottom’s Rest Pub (Carefully Curated Tunes)

Address: Conquer House, 16 Lower Market St, Hove, East Sussex, BN3 1AT

Why It’s Awesome:  Vegetarians and vegans have got to eat too, right? Well, there’s no better place to do so than at Bottom’s Rest Pub on Jaldee Jaldee night. It takes a blend of Indian and East African ideas and makes them their own.

They say they’re trying to recreate the thrill of wandering around a bazaar and the street foods you will find. We’d say they’re doing a great job of making it work. There’s a vegan version of every single dish on the menu too!

The tunes are carefully curated to suit the mood and regulars say it’s one of the best places to chill in the city.

The Walrus (On-Site Live Venue: The Underbelly)

Address: 10 Ship St, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 1AD

Why It’s Awesome: This is a pub which feels like a traditional British pub, but which has been brought up to date with excellent service and top-quality beers behind the bar. The dining room, cunningly tucked away at the top of the stairs, is a fantastically ornate affair that everyone should try at least once while they’re in Brighton.

What makes the food stand out? A real focus on seasonal fare. Fresh, local and amazingly tasty. The Walrus is a true gem in The Lanes.

There is also a music live venue on the premises in the form of The Underbelly which hosts acts on an almost daily basis.

Font (Live Bands + DJ)

Address: Union Street, South Lanes, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 1HA

Why It’s Awesome: Font is definitely for the younger crowd though the 17th Century Chapel that it now occupies means it’s worth a visit as long as you’re young at heart. This is a two-tier affair that focuses on DJs every night of the week and cheap drinks to ensure the party goes with a swing.

We’re a big fan of the friendly attitude of the crowd inside and there’s definitely no attitude, be who you are and everything will be superb at Font.

And most of all, there are more screens in Font than in any other pub in the city and that means more chances to see the game than anywhere else too.

New Unity (DJs)

Address: 52-53 London Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 4JX

Why It’s Awesome: Not only do they have 10 screens showing just about every sporting event imaginable but if by some miracle they’re not showing what you want to watch – call ahead and they’ll arrange to put it on in a private space just for you!

You’ll also find that the food’s pretty good, the DJs and live music are great and there are regular comedy and games nights in New Unity too. In short, they’ve got everything that you need for a superb night out in Brighton including the football.

The Lion and Lobster (Occasional Live Music)

Address: 24 Sillwood Street, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 2PS

Why It’s Awesome: This is a proper working man’s pub and it’s the ideal location to enjoy a match accompanied by the enthusiastic cheers of real fans enjoying a pint and a good time together. We’re also big fans of their pub-grub which is both tasty and great value. We’d like to give a big shout out to the homemade pizzas, in particular.

They have three bars, two beer gardens and a regency restaurant within the grounds so whatever vibe you’re looking for – they’ve got you covered. You can easily spend a whole night in The Lion and Lobster and still experience a lot of Brighton.

Live music isn’t guaranteed at The Lion and Lobster, so you might want to check in advance before committing to a night out but it does happen on a semi-regular basis.

The North Laine Pub & Brewery (Regular Live Music)

Address: 27 Gloucester Place, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 4AA

Why It’s Awesome: Football’s not the only sport in the British Isles and at The North Laine Pub & Brewery they completely understand that. This pub is a rugby lover’s paradise with huge enthusiasm for the hooligan’s game played by gentlemen all around.

They have their own microbrewery on site and their beers are always good. It’s also a pleasant place for people watch and the walls are decorated with local arts. It always feels like there’s enough room for one more too no matter how crowded it is inside. This is a Brighton institution and rightfully so.

The pub is also hosting to regular live music and you ought to be able to get a good night’s partying done at least once a week.

Fiddler’s Elbow (Regular Live Acts)

Address: 11 Boyce’s Street, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 1AN

Why It’s Awesome: This is surely the best Irish pub in Brighton and it might also have the best value, Guinness, in the South of England (last time we went in – you could still get change from £3!) and they love their sport in the Fiddler’s Elbow, not just football, mind you, but also horse racing, rugby, motorsports, etc.

The Sunday roasts are fantastic value and they have regular live music nights to enhance the craic. The best part, however, comes in the summer months when The Fiddler’s Elbow likes to host a street party or two. So much fun, for such a reasonable price!

The Mesmerist (Regular Live Acts)

Address: 1-3 Prince Albert Street, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 1HE

Why It’s Awesome: The Mesmerist is all about the music of the 1930s and that means the inspired swing nights for which this awesome little pub is renowned and their take on pub food is to die for.

If you really want to party, then you might want to go for one of their Sunday “bottomless brunches” where you can eat and drink to your heart’s content but we prefer their elegant cocktail evening in The Flipside which is only open from Thursday to Saturday. Don’t miss out on The Mesmerist, it’s one of those places that holidays were made for.

The Black Lion (DJ + Occasional Live Acts)

Address: 14, Black Lion Street, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 1ND

Why It’s Awesome: There are so many amazing pubs in the city and many of them do great food, and have football on and have a music scene, so picking our favourite was very hard work but, in the end, we went with The Black Lion.

It’s an unapologetically British Sports Pub which welcomes families, children, pets and pretty much anyone and anything else that wants to enjoy some old-school hospitality in an unfussy and yet, more than satisfying kind of way.

The place has been operating as a pub since the 1500s. It has a great terrace where you can indulge a penchant for people watching over a pint. There’s a fabulous amount of artwork in the place if you want to see what’s happening in Brighton’s art scene. It has plenty of screen space for the match.

It also has regular DJ nights on weekends which seem to cater to just about every taste imaginable and every now and again, there are live bands on during the week.

Best of all, you won’t break the bank. The Black Lion is one of the most reasonably priced pub venues in the city.

Conclusion

Whatever you need from a pub, you can probably find it in Brighton. Locals like to boast that there are more pubs in the city than there are days in the year. There’s great food, plenty of chances to watch the football and a lot of music to be found. We’ll raise a glass to that. If we had to pick a favourite it would be The Black Lion but they’re all great pubs. Cheers!

On a final note, check out matchpint.com to see whos playing who, and where.

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