Nightlife: Best of Brighton
Now I know what you’re thinking, shouldn’t I just assume London has the best nightlife down south? But my answer might surprise you. Brighton is a trove of treasures when it comes to nightlife. While London has quantity on its side, Brighton has quality. As long as you know where to look. That’s where I come in. Ladies and gentlemen in this post I’ll be going over the best nightlife venues in Brighton one by one. I’ve got about half a decades worth of experience when it comes to nightlife in Brighton. So not to brag, but I’m more than qualified to give you the low-down on Brighton’s late night destinations. So without further ado, here are my top places to go in Brighton on a night out.
First up we have ‘The Hare and Hounds’. Most of the pubs on London road are good in general but this one in particular has both chill vibes and lively ones as well. If you’re lucky enough to get a booth then you’ll be in the heart of its iconic low lighting area. Luckily we were (refer to the image below). You’ll be seeing red and I don’t mean that in a bad way. The crowd here is plenty sociable as well, all it takes is a bit of eye contact and some good vibes to strike up a conversation. You’ll find that the crowd is mostly trendy young professionals and students. Which sense considering the good selection of student deals and moderately priced drinks. Speaking of which there are so many beers to choose from. Thankfully the staff there are nice enough to provide you with good recommendations. If you’re favourite is unavailable then they will be quick to suggest a similar alternative.
If you do tire of the warm low lighting atmosphere then I would definitely recommend taking a break in their award winning beer garden. It’s actually sometimes much busier than the inside, full of people having a blast swapping stories of their wildest times in Brighton. It’s a beer garden that is about as quirky as it is beautiful. Boasting vine covered booths with high benches and other various greenery. This garden is only complimented further by its Mexican inspired art. Yes this place is steadily becoming a regular for my mates and I recently, if you end up going maybe I’ll catch you there on a Friday night. Oh and before I forget they do some bomb ass Mexican street food there as well if you’re looking for a bite to eat, although I believe their culinary services are largely limited to daytime. If you wanted to come during the day then the vibe is the same, just less intoxicated individuals.
Next up we’ve got Patterns, this is a multi purpose venue that while small has a great variety of music been played. There is something for everyone here. However while the club has great variety, I believe its biggest strength in terms of music is house and techno. I’d consider it a hotspot for those genres in Brighton. I’ve not found or heard of another club that does the genres justice. Brighton is mostly drum and bass from what I can tell. So Patterns is a breath of fresh air for Brighton’s music scene. While still catering other genres as well! This place also proves that good things can come in small packages. For most clubs this usually isn’t the case. Take Shoosh for example, a fellow Brighton based club that is of a similar size to Patterns. There I found it to be both a sweaty and sticky experience. This was simply not the case with Patterns. No sticky floors. They always keep the venue busy enough to thrive. But not so much that it becomes overcrowded.
But one also must bare in mind that this place also serves as a live music venue. So if the tickets are sold out on that occasion, expect it to be a bit crowded. As it would be with most venues. But that versatility is much more of a blessing than it is a curse. Expect live music, student nights, a chilled bar and even the occasional wedding. That’s not to say that you’ll just be able to gatecrash, but hey! Patterns has a ground floor where you can chill with some mates, get some food and some cocktails. All while listening to whoever is playing a set at the time in their DJ booth. It’s a great hipster atmosphere! Downstairs is where the magic happens. Club nights with live music, DJ sets and plenty of people cutting shapes. There is also a really cool terrace, where you can take in the sea view and enjoy the tunes whichever DJ is playing at the time. Sometimes during summer months there will even be the odd terrace party. So keep your eyes peeled for them! The terrace is an incredible atmosphere to say the least, one of the best outdoor spots in Brighton. While you take in the sea view, enjoy the tropical atmosphere! I found that the oil drum tables and the palm trees really made me feel like I was on some sort of topical getaway. Patterns is definitely one of the best clubs Brighton has to offer.
This next one is unique. Well not in its name but in its function. The World’s End finds itself somewhere in between a pub and an arcade. Once you step through its seemingly regular exterior, you’ll find its interior to be flashy and full of energy. If you’re hanging out with a bunch of new people this pub has many diversions that will help break the ice. Definitely give the remote control car racetrack a go! Up to ten players may play at a time and its great fun. If you or your friends weren’t competitive before, you will be after this! This is the only time that drinking and driving is allowed or encouraged even. So roll up your sleeves, grab the wheel and get your quips ready. If you’re in Brighton and you’ve got time I recommend you try this at least once! While the racetrack may be this pubs best feature, it’s certainly not its only one. This place also has four virtual reality booths. You can imagine the drunken mayhem that’s gonna happen with your mates if you all get involved. I literally saw a bunch of lads taking three rounds of shots before they went in them, they were flailing all over the place! But they were having a blast, drunken virtual reality looked like a lot of fun.
Apart from that, there is also an immersive escape room. I would recommend not being to wasted with this one, otherwise you’ll be there for a while. My friend tried it while being absolutely smashed. We didn’t see him till the end of the night! I was certain that he’d just gone home, but no he was trapped like a rat! But while that was hilarious, I wouldn’t wish that twist of fate on anyone. Go in semi smashed and I reckon you’ll be fine. If those games aren’t your cup of tea, I recommend going for the more traditional arcade games. Believe me nothing beats beating the sh*t out of each other when you’re lit. Well… At least on ‘Mortal Kombat’, wouldn’t recommend doing it with your friends IRL! There’s also a bunch of board games around if you’re feeling more of a chilled vibe. The World’s End is the jack of all trades. But this isn’t limited to just its activities, It also has a great variety of drinks to choose from. Including its ever changing rota of craft beers. Be sure to check out the pubs social media to get an idea of which ones they’ve got that week. You can get every other alcohol under the sun here, as well as soft drinks for those who are just there for the arcade vibes. But regardless of what your there for you are guaranteed a good time, it is one of the most unique pubs Brighton has to offer!
Now I would wager if you are reading this, that you my dear reader are a person of culture and taste. You’ve gone through the phase of going to trashy clubs where only the teenagers go. You are now looking for somewhere that has a different vibe. A place in which you don’t end up dancing with a bunch of barely grown kids! If that is the case, then Bar №32 will be right up your street. This place offers a more sophisticated clubbing experience than most in Brighton, the crowd is mainly compromised of young professionals in their mid twenties to early thirties. A breath of fresh air in comparison to most places in Brighton! Bar №32 is both trendy and vibrant, every time entered the place it felt like I was in some stylish private club in London. That being said, I wasn’t turned away at the door for wearing casual clothes. So the place is humble as well. It doesn’t put itself on a pedestal. So not to worry, it won’t ask you to come in dressed like the duke and duchess of Sussex. Although If Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were to come, I’m sure they’d fit in right away! But yes, I’ve seen the odd eighteen year old come in with trainers and a baseball cap. I’ve even done this myself one time. But I’ve also seen guys in suits and girls in dresses. So it’s a fairly flexible establishment that’s for sure. When it comes to drinks however, they are not quite as flexible. This comes good and comes bad, as almost every drink is £5. Yes this can make getting a cheaper drink a little bit of a rip off, but if you’re going for something that’s usually more expensive then it evens it out. Did I also mention that they have two bars and both are as boujee looking as they come? If you didn’t know before, you do now.
When it comes to music №32 is decent, on Friday nights they have a hip-hop and R&B DJ that puts on a good set to get you dancing. Saturdays they have a different guy who is more focused around house. However he will put on the odd hip-hop and R&B tune as well. Both do great sets, however I personally wouldn’t come back every weekend. Why you ask? Well that’s because they mainly play the same sets over and over again. It would help if their management hired a different DJ once in a while. As a result I’d probably go to this place twice a month if anything. But regardless, if you’re looking for trendy over trashy this is the place to be! №32 is a great time.
Now there are plenty more places in Brighton that are a great nightlife experience, so I will have some honourable mentions here. The Hope and Ruin is also another great venue. Although the clue is in the name, in case you didn’t notice this is a ruin bar! These types of bars are usually only found in Budapest, but basically they are old buildings left in repugnant conditions. They are then remodelled into a pub, this style is great because it feels like your drinking in an edgy warehouse. It’s got an underground feeling to it (see the picture above). The Hope and Ruin is no different in this regard. They also do great live music, I went there once for New years even and had a great time. Now I also mentioned Brighton is good for the drum and base scene. I’m personally not a fan of drum and base, but out of the places I’ve been to The Arch is great for it. The interior is very trippy (see the picture below), which was great since I only come here when I’m absolutely smashed. You’ll come out of there with your ears ringing since the music is so loud, I consider that a good thing! If someone told me they wanted to end the night by going to The Arch I wouldn’t hesitate, as long as I’ve had a fair few drinks so that I don’t get bored of the constant oontz oontz oontz!
Concorde is great, it’s exclusively a live music venue. However I do wish it had more space. Especially since its the place that hosts some of the biggest names in music. But if you’re looking for a good small little Irish pub, then I’d go to The Fiddlers elbow. You can find it close to the seafront in between west street and the lanes. It’s a homely pub with a very friendly atmosphere, a great place to start off the night. Or just to catch up with a friend! Close to that place is Revolution, this place is actually great. Except for the bouncers, but lets not focus on the negatives! Plenty of space to dance, plenty of space to sit down and great friendly staff, minus the bouncers. Only problem is that you’ll usually have to wait in line for a while. This is one of Brighton’s most popular venues after all. Expect a good variety of music here and plenty of students and young professionals off their faces!
That’s pretty much it as far as good nightlife goes! If you’re still curious about other good nightlife I recommend looking in the lanes and on the seafront. There’s plenty of opportunity there for nightlife mayhem. I’ll catch you guys in town!
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