A classic pub adored by locals and visitors for how it reaches back through the centuries
The Cricketers Brighton
Proclaiming yourself Brighton’s oldest pub on the building will lend yourself to the out if town tourist crowd, but this pub is loved by locals and visitors alike
Located in a building which could date back as far as 1545, The Cricketers Brighton reaches back through the centuries and you can read my visit and review for more on the ample history and colour this pub contains.
The pub is split into 3 sections, the small public bar in the front, the plush saloon bar lounge rooms in the rear, one with a small warming fire, and then the long side room which looks as though it was amalgamated into the original pub at some point.
The old looking wooden bar has on it 3 cask pumps and lots of taps offering various massmarket keg options, lagers, Guinness and Neck Oil. There are 3 pumps featuring Fullers’ London Pride, Harveys Best and a Longman option on last visit.
There’s not much seating space at the bar itself, just a couple of small tables, but to the left of the bar as it curves round, there is a really quirky and unique bench seat with 3 mini tables suspended in front. It’s an excellent use of space and a communal way of sitting at the small bar without actually getting in the way.
Pink velvet bench seating runs along every wall in the rear lounge bar and the carpet is a flowery pattern that most pubs wouldn’t be able to pull off without feeling really out of date. Here it simply feels like the decor hasn’t changed since the Victorian/Edwardian era. Scattered around you are cabinets and shelves adorned with antiques and the walls and ceilings are scattered with touches of the traditional and quirky.
The pub continues it’s traditional vibes into the menu where a venison suet pudding, sirloin steak and fish and chips are all part of the mains selection that includes burgers with 2 different veggie options.
All in all, I think what i love about The Cricketers Brighton is the traditional atmosphere that has been carefully maintained rather than overhauled, and the warm tones of the environment that make it feel so effortlessly homely and comfortable.
Why the hell not flaunt those historic credentials if you’ve got em..?