Eclectic decor and great beer options combine in Brighton’s nod to ruin bars
114-115 London Road
Brighton
BN1 4JG
info@prezed.com
07534 126759
There is no ignoring this zanily painted building on London Road (there’s an opticians over the road if you have somehow never noticed it), and yet if you were seeking a place for a beer in the evening, Presuming Eds Brighton might not feature high on your list. I too used to presume that Eds only had coffees and pastries to offer. How wrong I was!
PUB DESCRIPTION
Walking into Presuming Eds I feel like someone’s taken a time machine, gone back to various random decades, filled up with stuff, emptied that into a giant blender with the lid left off and turned on in the centre of the bar. And I mean this in the best way possible. It is eclectic pop culture meets ruin bar. There are references everywhere: billboards, signs, art, politics, humour, colour, shapes and surprises. It’s so much to take in you’ll never see it all, yet it’s not overwhelming.
The bar is to your left and as this space is both cafe and bar there is a cabinet of sandwiches and pastries if you’re peckish. And this bar isn’t just for serving punters; stools stow away cleverly underneath and the friendliness of the bar staff make this a great spot for conversation.
There is a little table and some high seating opposite the bar. And past the divide, the main room offers lots more low tabled seating. You can fit a lot of people in here and yet it always feels the right kind of busy.
There’s a corridor to the back-right of the room leading to 2 smaller spaces, 1 dedicated to a toad table and the other more of a meeting or work orientated space with it’s own library of books.
The music, curated by the bar staff, echoes Prez Ed’s eclecticism and/or rebellious nature and is pumped throughout the bar, so that wherever you are you feel connected to the energy of the space. Weirdly though, despite the distractions, Presuming Eds is a magnet for people who want to get some work done and there are often people here working on laptops or reading.
PUB GARDEN
At the back of the bar Presuming Eds boasts a 2 tier yarden. The ground floor is mostly undercover and up some stairs there is a little L shaped area which gets a bit more sun at the right time of day. Both areas have good sized communal table for larger groups.
The outside is decorated with the same energy. Eclectic signage and bespoke graffiti pieces ensure that this area feels as much part of the bar as the inside.
BEER OPTIONS
The taps offer a variety of lagers and pale ales. They’re not often rotated but that means you know what to expect and that includes reliables like Budvar on draft, Vedett IPA, Abyss’ session Superpale and a really interesting Watermelon pale from Schofferhoffer. There’s also a dedicated Guinness tap and a Lucky Saint 0.5% option. Their house lager is pretty standard but very affordable at happy-hour prices.
Interestingly they are probably the only bar in Brighton who don’t offer half-pints, only schooners (3/4s) and pints.
In true form, their fridge probably offers the most eclectic array of options for imported and interesting beers. Delights such as: Duvel, Mikkeller Japanese Rice lager, La Chouffe, Pabst Blue Ribbon (America’s oldest beer brand), Einstock and lots more besides. Whatever beery mood you are in, Presuming Eds has something to hit that spot.
Happy hour deals run from 5-7pm on every weekday, yes including Fridays, and prices tend to hover around the £3 mark for schooners or pints.
ENTERTAINMENT
Presuming Eds hosts comedy nights regularly on Thursdays. But in all honesty, there is pretty much any excuse for an event here: Indian Street Food, a Vinyl Market, a Barbie themed BBQ have all featured in recent months.
The socials are as random and funny as the space itself but they also give you a heads up on upcoming events. Talking of which, The Presuming Ed’s confession box is another Presuming Eds feature, and the out of that is posted up for all to see and judge online, I assume with no censorship.
Escape the Vault escape room is located in an actual real bank vault in the middle of the building.
CONCLUSION
Coffee shop by day and bar by night, Ed’s is a place for a huge cross section of people. The randomness of the decor and touches like the gender-neutral bathrooms make Presuming Eds feel a place that welcomes anyone and everyone, without prejudice.
Presuming Ed’s Brighton offers something arty, fun, independent and free-spirited, and so therefore something refreshingly different from the typical pubs of Brighton.