please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Since my last review this pub has gone down hill. The beer doesn't taste right and often has an slightly acrid taste to it (pipes clean?). Beer choice not so varied and always has Greene King beers ....then I noticed the GK plaque outside the pub on a side wall.
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If you can't get into the Basketmakers for something to eat try the Wild Mushrooms on toast in the Eagle. Absolutely divine and a generous portion. Hophead always in tip top condition, I like this pub
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A rather sterile alternative to the Basketmakers, which is stationed directly opposite. Punters spill out of both on to the road during the summer months – to the chagrin of one local resident, who’s put up a robustly worded notice to steer well clear of his property – so there’s a boho vibe around these parts but there are far superior options to the Eagle, which is just a bit run-of-the-mill.
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had a superb pint of GK 1799 in here 19th oct, good staff, vibrant pub, worth a look
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A popular street corner pub, we had not intended to visit here but as there was no room at The Basketmakers over the road, this seemed the next best alternative. It has a rustic feel to it, and was fairly full on a recent Saturday lunchtime.
It’s a single room pub with old boards on the floor, some pine wood panelling on the lower part of the walls and maroon paintwork up above, including the ceiling, although there was also some patterned wallpaper at the rear. There was an old cast iron fire-place to one side, although this was not in use which would have been a nice touch on a recent freezing cold visit. A plasma was mounted up on one wall, although this was not in use either and the furniture was mostly chunky farmhouse style wooden tables.
A wood clad bar counter was off to the right, and there was further pine cladding on the wall behind this. Several large speakers were dotted around which hinted at the fact that it may be considerably nosier at times than the lunchtime we visited. One wall had a number of pieces of artwork displayed which appeared to be for sale. The food seemed popular with a number of punters eating, although I did not inspect the menu.
As with many pubs, this suffered from the problem of one guy behind the bar who was both taking food orders and trying to serve drinks which meant service was somewhat slow. To be fair to him, he was doing his best and apologised when he got to me, but it was getting to the point where I was thinking of walking out. Another barmaid did subsequently turn up, but she seemed more of a hindrance than a help since the first guy had to show her how to work the till.
Beers on tap were Greene King Yardbird, Dark Star Hophead and Abbot Ale. There was a fourth pump for Trelawney but this had run out. Ciders were Aspall’s Suffolk and Strongbow. Prices seemed very expensive at £10.40 for two pints and two packets of crisps.
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This place has changed hands again. Let's see if the new lessee, Indigo, can make it pay. (Considering the extortionmeister landlord Greene King)
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Popped in last saturday following visit to Basketmakers, had not been in for years, pleasantly surprised, 5 handpumps, 4 on - sampled the Elgoods Black Dog Mild which was excellent - will visit again
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We eat lunch here about once a month because the food is so good, staff are amiable and there's always some good music playing. No draught cider on my last visit as they'd run out.
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Has a great aquarium, but the service can sometimes be a bit unimpressive. Food is sometimes OK.
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The best foodie pub in North Laine.
The bar manager is a bubbly blond australian lady,who is lovely.
Try the vegetarian chilli wrap,to ease you into the menu.
If you`re a football screen fan or a troglodyte who likes 20 types of "real" beer,steer clear.
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Eggy pints at sky high prices. The food was microwaved in record time and tasted like it was at least a day old. I won't be returning, which is a shame as I used to quite like the place.
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My boyfriend and I drink in this pub occasionally and we have no complaints. At the weekend it is always really busy and a great atmosphere. The bar staff are all very friendly and know how to have a good time. You get a really good vibe and a good mix of people. We really like the food and its reasonably priced.
2 great pubs on 1 street, what more could you want!
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Funny thing, I've always found the food excellent and good value, the atmosphere great and never had cause for complaint. Guess you can't please all of the people all of the time. Not sure about the heterosexual comment either as it's not a gay bay, but this is Brighton mate and we tend to be a bit more tolerant round here.
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Very annoying. Staff unfriendly, and for some reason don't want to serve anyone. 2 of the beers were off (as in rotten). I took back my pint of bitter, and with no apology was told "it's very hoppy" - as in it's not the beer mate, you just "don't get it".
I asked for something else and got given a HALF instead of a replacement pint. If I hadn't already ordered and paid for the food, I'd have walked out then. When the food did turn up, it was mediocre and not worth the substantial price tag.
What a nonsense pub. If you're a bit like Nathan Barley, you'll fit in here. If you're more of a Dan Ashcroft, stay away!
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awful food at high prices. awful staff serving it with a self-satisfied smirk.
dire.
p.s. what the hell is it with the sofa being for exclusive use of the staff's fan-club?! get a grip management and sort this place out!
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Such a shame.. it looks great on the inside and outside and the location is perfect but given that Brighton is full of pubs with so much more to offer in terms of great service, food and atmosphere, I just cannot see why you wouldn't want to walk across the road to The Basketmakers?
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I don't really know what to make of this pub. It seems to be part pub, part restaurant and part drop-in centre. To be honest, as a heterosexual, carnivorous non-student, I felt rather out of place but just because it is not my kind of pub, doesn't mean it's a bad pub. Far from it in fact.
Lager is clearly the most popular beer option and there is plenty of choice but they do a couple of real ales too and they are OK.
The menu has a lot more vegetarian options than any pub I've ever been to before, which is no bad thing as vegetarians usually have very little choice and there are meat and fish options too. The seafood chowder I ordered was not like any seafood chowder I've ever eaten before, due to the large number of vegetables in it, but it did taste very nice.
As has been noted in other posts, the staff are not always as attentive as perhaps they could be but once you have attracted the attention of one of them, they are helpful and pleasant enough. The clientele seem to be predominantly young, though not exclusively and there seemed to be a large proportion of gay customers too, though once again not exclusively and all seemed to co-exist perfectly happily in a relaxed atmosphere.
As I have said, not my kind of pub, but certainly interesting and a bit different, so give it a try and see what you think.
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the most excellent choice of sunday roast for a very reasonable price.
Speedy service & excellent & friendly staff.
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visited the pub on my birthday for a sunday roast (beef). amazing food and very friendly atmosphere. definitely visit again!
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nice pub but unfortunately have had a couple of bad experiences with the food. I don't expect a microwaved burger for �7.
mikek - 14 Mar 2008 20:37 |
another nice pub in the lanes worth a visit
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Agree with previous comment. Food was good. We got there early and it was virtually empty but I eventually had to politely ask the two members of staff behind the bar, who were having a discussion, if there was any chance of getting a drink only to be told that "patience is a virtue". Customer service is something they need to bear in mind. I'll use the Basketmakers Arms across the road in future.
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Been there 16/Sep/07. Very relaxed and groovy atmosphere, friendly staff but they sometimes chats away with each other and forget to get customer attentions. Beers were OK, my roast lamb tasted OK too, but my partner's pork were quite dry and therefore very tough! we went there at 3pm and noticed that no one has ordered pork, maybe was just unlucky. All in all, a nice modern deco for a pub with decent food portion.
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Back this week after a 2 or 3-year absence. Staff were helpful and friendly, and the food was fine. GKIPA not really my 'cup of tea', but I had 4 pints so it couldn't have been too bad!
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Good range of Lagers and in an area full of top class pubs - you can do a good 6 pub mini crawl without even getting near the centre of Brighton round this way.
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Staff are lovely. foods become amazing and really good value for money since the new chef took over December 2006
anonymous - 6 Feb 2007 22:28 |
This talk of agism is rubbish. Good lot of beers on tap. Super menu, but don't go unless you are REALLY hungry.
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Greene King beers aren't really my cup of tea, so I can only comment on the decor (Brighton trendy) and the staff (friendly enough).
Worth a look but a bit pricey. The Basketmakers over the road is better.
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I must admit I quite liked the place. It was during the afternoon and a bit on the quiet side but I didn't feel any ageism (i'm over 50) or maybe i'm just too thick skined to notice.
Nicely done out and worth another visit.
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What an unusual pub. The mixture of tasty food with a club-like atmosphere makes it not the ideal place to eat food. And the prices are steep, even by Brighton standards.
anonymous - 14 Oct 2005 14:35 |
Can only agree with the previous post by timkholman. I won't exactly slag the Eagle but it's not my cup of Darjeeling. Maybe my age has got something to do with it but felt a lot more welcome over the road
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I'm over 25, so received some very black looks from the barstaff before one of them served me. It's a good place for food, but the choice of drinks is mundane. The Basketmakers over the road is a much better all-round pub.
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Got great food for veggie and vegans, but unfortunately also has one of the most obnoxious managers in the South East. Customers appear to be a major source of annoyance for him whilst he chats to friends or adjusts the volume of the music. If you can ignore the terrible service it's worth a visit.
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Probably one of the best pubs for food in Brighton. The pub has its own bakery and does an unusual range of breads - some with booze in them! - that can also be bought and taken home by the punters.
The food is exceptional - freshly cooked, caters particularly well for the veges, and good quantities as well as quantity. Their sunday roasts are not quite up to scratch though - I would recommend their midweek and saturday menu more. The upstairs can be booked as a function room, and when crowded downstairs, opens as additional seating. They have some fab metal artwork up there made by some prizewinning bloke. They take cards behind the bar and will run you a tab. Look out for the built-in aquarium in the wall.
Having praised it so far, I would definately recommend it for a meal at lunchtime, but not so much for a booze-up with your mates as it's quite smart in a renovated way and not as appealing as a spit and sawdust watering hole in that respect.
Lucy - 20 Oct 2004 13:25 |
Fantastic food and atmosphere - only problem being that they took there best over food - Banger n Mash (of superior quality mind) off the menu for summer! Lets hope it comes back on!
Slipmatt - 3 Sep 2004 11:08 |
Fantastic pub! Gorgeous food, including bread baked in it's own bakery in the pub, which you can also buy to take home. Only complaint is that it's a bit noisy, especially on Sunday afternoos, when most people just want to have lunch and chill.
JennieHardy - 19 May 2004 16:52 |
Food is so so. I've eaten there a few times because I've heard that it's good, but it really needs something.....flavour....yes, flavour I think. The staff is pretentious so don't be suprised if you wait by the bar for a while before they stop talking amongst themselves. Looking for good pub food? Try the Hop Poles on middle street.
Casey - 29 Mar 2004 15:44 |
possibly the best pub in brighton - does absolutely amazing food (the specials board is longer than monst pub's normal menus) with loads of veggie and vegan options, has friendly staff and is in a great location in the north laines but its still possible to get a table at lunchtime.
alison - 29 Jan 2004 13:45 |
