please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Corner pub with fairly old-fashioned interior. The main drawback is that this is a Fuller's tied house. As such, the ale range consisted of Fuller's London Pride & Old Winter Ale & Gale's Seafarers & HSB. But it's welcoming and still worth a visit.
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Lovely little pub with nice customers.
Service excellent,worth the walk up the hill.
Fullers beers.
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good pint of fullers black cab and itchen godfathers, friendly staff, bit of a hillclimb there.
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So honest and pleasant. Really good staff, great food and a decent selection of drinks all at reasonable prices. This is how pubs used to be!
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Now here's an absolute winner - located almost at the apex of the long steep hill of Southover Street, if approaching from the bottom on foot the walk take its toll on the less fit amongst us, but happily the rewards are self-evident upon arrival. For at the Napier there is a range of 5 excellently-kept cask beers (4 from Fullers including 2 derivative Gales ales, and 1 guest - on my last visit the exquisite Okells Bitter which had travelled extremely well), home-made sausage and mash with the speciality being a variety of interesting sausages, friendly service (in the shape of Christine who has had the place for a year and clearly works hard in the face of considerable competition to maintain the edge), and generally jovial and convivial chat. On Saturday afternoon there were groups of locals, visitors, and, almost predictably, Morris dancers, who can always be found where there is good beer to be swilled.
The trick here has been to maintain a sense of local identity while clearly coming under the Fullers fold; most Fullers pubs, though usually worthy, can tend towards the urban towny end of things and do not always make the most of each house's individual character. This one does, and fortunately the licensees are given the autonomy to see that it stays that way.
There are other pubs worthy of attention on this street and those nearby, and clearly the Napier falls within an area where it could feature as a drop-in en route to several of its neighbours. But trust me, it is a tall order to leave after just a quick pint - especially if you have slogged all the way up the hill to get it! Allow time for an extra couple here and perhaps leave out one or two of the less-merited competitors further down the slope, and you should not leave disappointed.
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Top class pub - probably the best in the world. Great beer, great service, friendly clientele, reasonable prices, pleasant surroundings.
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First visit for a while, beer still in fine nick with 4 ales to choose from, chose Jennings Cumberland which was in good nick.
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Indeed, a very attractive neighbourhood pub. The only trouble is you've got to have lived in the neighbourhood for 20 years before anyone in there talks to you.
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the first thing that struck me about this pub is how authentically traditional it is, and how close it appeared to fit the definition of the word pub.
The Sir Charles is a tiny locals pub with most of the seating is the stools around the bar, but having visited a few times since recently moving to the area those factors that might be a problem in a less reputable pub are not a problem here at all.
The clientele is for the most part older than in neighbouring pubs, but altogether quite mixed so not cliquey despite definitely being a locals pub. Most people clearly comes here to enjoy the very decent fullers and gales (acquired by fullers) beers.
Very good if you fancy a quiet drink in cosy surroundings
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Great little pub, no probs at all, good atmosphere and nice locals, would visit again.
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If there are pubs in heaven they must be like this one. We visited early on a Saturday afternoon when it was quiet. The service was very friendly and prompt, full pints of excellently kept beer were served and the place had a comfortable old world charm about it, as though we were cut off from the rat race of the modern world. Excellent pub in every detail - a memorable experience.
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Proper pub. Friendly pub. Great pub - definitely worthy of the appelation "Pub!" Bar staff faultless and cheerful, beers well kept. It has that comfortable, almost (but not) shabby feel that a genuine pub should have, not formulaic, not contrived, just (at risk of repetition) a "Pub."
Apparently it is the home boozer of the Brighton Morris Men, who, I am reliably informed, know a great deal about good beer!
Thoroughly recommended
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Small, friendly, spotless local with no frills but exceptional Okells - quite a surprise. Great walking in the streets round here too.
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The best pub in this area of town. Always friendly both sides of the bar. Great ales. Highly recommended to visitors to Brighton and worth a trek off the tourist trail. Lucky locals.
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Nice street corner local up at the top of the hill. An ex-Gales pub so now selling Fullers, but the Ale is consistently well kept. Sometimes nice and quiet and sometimes busy and full of atmosphere. Very good andf reasonable Sunday roasts. If I am in Brighton and I want to escape the world then it is often to the Napier!
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A welcome sight after the walk uphill, and was not disappointed with the Gales beer which we had in the delightful upstairs garden with a postbox in it!
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I haven't been to the Sir Charles Napier for around 3 years. Living in Sydney doesn't help the situation! I do miss Princess Andrea though and the many laughs I had with her. I hope she is doing well, along with the rest of the locals. I will remember the fun I had there forever.
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Lovely Pub. Great Location. Great Bar Staff (high 5 Andrea). Good Beer (shame gales stopped producing GB!!! how i miss it!!)nice and friendly locals (some great characters). folk night once a month adds an interesting feel to the place. Will be returning very soon!
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Lovely Pub. Great Location. Great Bar Staff (high 5 Andrea). Good Beer (shame gales stopped producing GB!!! how i miss it!!) folk night once a month adds an interesting feel to the place. Will be returning very soon!
anonymous - 9 Feb 2007 15:17 |
Excellent place - good beer, no loud music, friendly atmosphere.
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This was probably my second favourite pub in Brighton and as far as ambience and appearance is concerned it still is. It is now part of the Fuller's empire and on my most recent visit, the only former Gales beer available was HSB, which was not up to its usual standard. Maybe I was unlucky. London Pride and Chiswick appear to be the other regular beers with Fuller's own Discovery masquerading as a guest beer.
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This is a great little pub. There is a wide range of Gales (now owned by Fullers) and Fullers ales on. The staff and locals are always friendly which can be a novelty in Brighton. There is a small beer garden but this fills up quickly in the sun so you may have to resort to the comfortable old leather armchairs inside. The sunday lunch is top-notch and reasonably priced.
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Excellent if rather small garden. A hidden gem. Only comfortable for about 8. I'm normally there with my mate on a sunny Saturday, so aviod if you're a party of 7 or more. Larger groups could arrive after dark when I've gone home, possibly.
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Not far now from the top of the hill, and working up a thirst for that pint of Gales. Choose from Buster, GB, Frolic or HSB. A traditional and unspoilt street-corner local, its cosy interior has wood-panelled walls decorated with various memorabilia, including prints and old photos of the area. The drinking area extends around a central bar. In the far corner, near the door to the back garden, are a couple of very cosy armchairs. The only downside to the Sir Charles Napier is that it doesn�t sell Festival Mild. Has been a GBG ever present since 1981, with the curious exception of 2001. (Spring 2004)
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Gales pub. Reasonable service and well-kept beers, but very much a "locals'" drinking haunt and not very welcoming. Sadly overrated by the Brighton & Hove CAMRA group.
anonymous - 22 Jan 2005 20:50 |
