O - The Office

The North Laine pub where it's always gin'o'clock.

Price;                                                                            6/10

We had two gins, (one single, one double) and good tonics (Fentimans and Fevertree, obviously) and together it came to £10.90, which might sound a lot, but when we worked it out against our averages for gin it was bang on average then we factored in the fact we had good quality gin and tonics we notched it up one.

Location;                                                                      8/10

It's easily found, and yes it's a small walk from Churchill square, the walk doesn't take long, and was a lot shorter then we thought.

Atmosphere;                                                                  6/10 

When we first got there it was really busy, and other times it has been so busy that we haven't even bothered to stay for a drink, but when we do, its a friendly bar, away from West street and has a bit more of a grown up crowd (not in a bad way) and the bar staff are always happy to answer questions and recommend drinks.

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Amenities;                                                                     5/10

Well, there's a load of gin (over 40 different gins), which is never a bad thing! and the super knowledgeable staff. There is  also Thai food and cocktails and out the back there's a seating area.  In terms of things to do, there isn't a lot but they do hold regular open mic nights once a week and occasional DJ nights.

Toilets;                                                                           2/10
A bit grim, but not the worst.  There is only 1 cubical and its very small and the lock seemed really flimsy (it's not, because someone tried to push the door open on one of us but our modesty was kept, but it was a terrifying moment). There was toilet roll all over the floor and there was no hook! Our other problem was the flush, it wasn't flushing a lot. ewwwwwww.




Due to the amount of gin we're fond of The Office, however, if it wasn't for the gin then it's unlikely it would be a 'go to' place for us. We tend to frequent it during 'off peak' time because it gets so busy. If you want to try different gins then it's the place to go, just wait until it's not so crowded.

If you're a gin lover, check out Jenny's blog.


Find it;  8 - 9 Sydney Street,
              Brighton,
              BN1 4EN

Click to find it on our map.

E - Earth and Stars.

Eco-friendly pub, super-friendly staff.

Out of the way, solar powered pub haven in the North Laines.

Price;                                                                                5/10 

A bit pricy and a bit over our average it was originally a 4/10 but it was a lovely place and we actually forgave the price, and offered up a 5.

Location;                                                                       8.5/10

For similar reasons to The Dorset's scoring, perfectly placed to meet before you go out, or for when you  just want to go out (not out out). Close to the center, easily found.

Atmosphere;                                                                  7.5/10
For a Saturday it seemed quite, there was no one else at the bar and a few spare tables but it didn't feel empty or awkward, it was pretty cosy actually.

Amenities;                                                                        5/10
As well as serving up an award winning Sunday roast the Earth and Stars menu features plenty of organic foodstuffs, and caters for vegetarians and vegans. No music or quizzes that we could see but its the sort of place doesn't need anything extra.

Toilets;                                                                              7/10 
No hook on the doors and weird taps, but they were clean and easily found. Not super-great but not super-horrible.

The pub gets power from the solar panels on the roof, how excellent

is that!? And the staff were really nice and the bar man was really friendly and recommended drinks to us and we ended up with two extra half pints of cider and we are planning a trip back to try some food really soon!


Find it;  46 Windsor Street,
            Brighton,
            BN1 1RJ

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D - The Dorset

That big yellow one on the corner...

Restaurant, cafe, bar, all round lovely place.

Price;                                                                          5/10
The price was almost bang on our average, and given its prominent position, and the pub itself, we were pretty impressed.

Location;                                                                       9/10

A quick walk from town, easy to find and even if you don't know the name of the pub most will know where it is or how to get there, (the big yellow pub in the North Laines).

Atmosphere;                                                                  9/10

It was quite busy, and was getting busier as we left. There was a nice friendly atmosphere inside and the music wasn't intrusive so we could chat and it was a nice relaxed place start to a Saturday evening out.

Amenities;                                                                     8/10 
The Dorset is a cafe/restaurant/bar so it wins a lot for various menus. The outside tables on the street are wonderful for Summertime and there are regular DJ's and themed nights.

Toilets;                                                                          4/10 
No toilet roll, but plenty of empty rolls lying around, (don't worry, being the girls we are we always have tissues with us), no lock, no hook, and there down some not great when drunk stairs and not easiest to find.

The Dorset was a lovely place to start our Saturday, and we happily stayed there for longer than we had intended. We need to mention the amount of obvious dates happening around us when we first arrived (we've all been here - its a good date pub), and obviously we will be back.

@Mike Quinn via geograph.org

Find it;  28 North Road,
            Brighton,
            BN1 1YB

Click to find it on our map.