Every Pub in Brighton #16-20
We’re through the teens now and if this project were a person, it’d be an actual fully-fledged adult. Weird introductions out of the way, let’s get stuck into the 4th edition of this nonsense.
#16 // The BRZN Arms
Website // Instagram // Twitter
Address: 62 Beaconsfield Rd, Brighton BN1 4QJ
Date visited: September 2022
Both The BRZN Arms and BRZN brewery itself have only been operating for a few years but in that time they’ve built up a big local following. Brewing out of of a shipping container around the corner from Unbarred (more on them in the next entry), BRZN (pronounced ‘brazen’) started slinging their beers direct from said container to customers to takeaway during one of the lockdowns (remember them?). They then found a location to have a pop-up bar temporarily. That pop-up became permanent. That bar is the BRZN Arms.
Just around the corner from London Road train station is where you’ll find the BRZN Arms, located in an old builders merchants. The bar itself is very DIY with the brick walls left exposed, a counter made from scaffold boards and several reclaimed tables and chairs scattered throughout (although they did have to replace the entire floor themselves so it’s not as minimal effort as it looks!) - I’m a fan of the stripped back aesthetic as it really helps drive home that the beer is the star of this establishment. The inside may be understated but the back garden space is anything but.
Tucked away under the gargantuan Victorian arches of the London Road viaduct is a hidden gem perfect for outdoor drinking. A huge brick outbuilding (presumably where all the builder’s materials were housed and presumably where the brewkit will end up eventually) at the very rear is home to several long benches to hide away from the sun with more benches filling the rest of the outside space. The whole area is festooned with string lighting and there’s an ever rotating food option to soak up all the beer (check BRZN’s instagram for the latest offering).
And what of the beer? Well, it’s bloody great. BRZN are probably the most exciting brewery in Brighton right now. Being such a small brewery allows for experimentation and lots of different styles - on draft there’s 6 keg lines and 1 cask option and across them there’s always a range of dark beers, pales and sours so pretty much something for everyone. There’s also wine if you’re that way inclined.
I’ve been a couple of times now and have had a mild on cask, a table beer, a pale, a NEIPA and a stout and they have all tasted beautiful. Not only do the beers taste good, they also have great names - we spied references to film (Hot Fuzz, Lord of the Rings), TV (Arrested Development, Peep Show, Community) and even some great bands (Set Your Goals, Four Year Strong) which we are huge fans of.
I’ve waxed lyrical enough. Basically, get yourself to the BRZN Arms!
#17 // The World’s End
Website // Instagram // Twitter
Address: 60-61 London Rd, Brighton BN1 4JE
Date visited: September 2022
Another Laine pub next. The outside facade is jet black with a Kraken rum err.. Kraken adorning the front of the building so it’s pretty difficult to miss. This one is a bit different though - an arcade pub!
Offering VR games, pinball, arcade machines (duh) and even a massive big boy Scalextric track - this pub is definitely made for big groups to relive their childhood. There’s plenty of seating throughout and they’ve even squeezed in some seating on the pavement out front as well as a smoking area at the rear.
Food is currently provided by Vegan Noms and the beer is your standard Laine offerings which I’ve mentioned before and will do again given how many pubs they own and operate in Brighton.
Suffice to say, I’m probably a little too old and curmudgeonly for their target demographic but can imagine this place does well with the student crowd and big groups out celebrating.
#18 // The Shakespeare’s Head
Website // Instagram // Twitter
Address: 1 Chatham Place, Brighton BN1 3TP
Date visited: September 2022
From one Laine pub to another here (told you there were more to come) although this one is a bit more my old boy vibes.
Situated in Seven Dials (and up a pretty steep hill) is The Shakespeare’s Head. Boasting not one, not two but THREE outside spaces, this pub felt much more on my level. Offering three rotating cask options from Sussex breweries (Gun, Dark Star, Bedlam etc.) as well as several keg options (mostly Laine Brew Co. from what I could see) this is a pleasant spot to stop for a well earned rest after the ascent.
We sat out the back in one of the wooden seating booths in the late summer afternoon sun, soaking up the last of the day’s rays and supping our beers. It may have been that we were there on a Friday afternoon rather than a weekend evening but it felt very chilled out and a good place for a catch-up with some pals.
Although I didn’t eat here, if you’re looking too then you are in for a sausage fest. Literally. Bangers and mash is the big menu item here with no less than 11 types of sausage, 8 types of mash and 6 types of gravy to choose from. Although there are other choices in the shape of sandwiches and cod/halloumi/tofu and chips also but you’re going to get a banger in the mouth, right?
Also, I believe it’s colloquially referred to as “Shakie’s” but I refuse to entertain such nonsense. Surely it should be “Willy’s” or something equally as childish.
#19 // The Craft Beer Co.
Website // Instagram // Twitter
Address: 22-23 Upper N St, Brighton BN1 3FG
Date visited: September 2022
Hidden away from the hustle and bustle of Western Road and Churchill Square shopping centre is the Brighton branch of The Craft Beer Co. This is the only pub in their portfolio that’s outside of London - I’d been to pretty much all of the London incarnations over the years so was pleasantly surprised to see one existed on the south coast.
If you’ve been to a Craft Beer Co. pub then you know what you are going to get - a great selection of beer on both cask and keg as well as some interesting bottles. The Brighton bar boasts a whopping 19 kegs, 3 cask and 3 ciders to choose from. Despite being tucked away from the busy road of shoppers and buses, this place is deceptively large. It looks quite unassuming from the outside but being on the junction of two streets, it wraps around and is bigger than you expect on the inside with plenty of seating throughout. Despite technically being a chain pub, it has a pleasant old school vibe and is welcoming without being overbearing.
Sadly, since January 2023, The Craft Beer Co. Brighton as been closed due to a member of staff committing theft/fraud which fucking sucks. Why are people such scumbags? CBC hopes to re-open imminently but at time of writing (May 2023), the bar remains closed. Here’s hoping they can get back open soon.
#20 // Brighton Beer Dispensary
❌ CLOSED ❌
Address: 38 Dean St, Brighton BN1 3EG
Date visited: September 2022
From one (hopefully) temporary loss to a permanent one and the first pub closure in this list since we started this whole thing. Given the current climate, I’m surprised it took until pub visit #20 but here we are.
We visited this pub on a Friday and by the following Sunday it had announced that from Monday it was closed for good due to “rising energy prices and Brexit”. We were gutted because, even though we were on a bit of a pub crawl of sorts, we stayed for an extra pint due to how much we were enjoying it here. I had a best bitter on cask and a NEIPA on keg and both were very well kept and tasted great.
It was a very old school boozer with draft options listed on a chalk board taking centre stage at the back of the room with the bar along one side and seating dotted throughout. Small but perfectly formed. I’m glad I got to visit before it closed but sad because now I know how good it was and I only got to experience it once.
Ugh - it’s horrible writing about a pub in the past tense. I hope I don’t have to do this again for a while.
