The Black Lion, Brighton

Pub SignMan left this review about The Black Lion

Given this pub's narrow, unassuming exterior, this is a surprisingly large and spacious venue. The interior has a bare boarded, single room layout with the servery down the right-hand side and seating to the left, partly hidden behind a series of semi-screened arches that run through the centre of the room. The bar has an unusual frontage made to look like ancient carved wood, with a polished stone top and quarry stone effect bar back with backlit shelving. Long padded banquettes extend down the left-hand wall, with hard benches in support, whilst tables and chairs can be found in the front right and rear right corners, at either end of the bar. Decor is limited to a few mirrors, blackboards and a selection of random pictures, but otherwise it's all a little plain. I noticed a DJ booth to the rear and there was a good Cure-heavy, 80's indie pop soundtrack playing. A few tables out the front are ideal for people watching and there is a garden to the rear which I failed to explore.
Two handpulls on the bar promised some ale, but sadly they were both unclipped. This was somewhat compensated for by a wide craft keg range, mainly focused on brews from the local Laines brewery, although a few of these had been taken off as well. I tried a pint of Laines Source (£6.70), which was a pleasant enough drop, but obviously hugely overpriced.
This seemed like a decent enough pub aiming at a younger, craft beer drinking crowd, but the fact that it was empty on my Saturday, early evening visit, does ring some alarm bells. I could easily imagine stopping here again, but the high prices and bland decor don't lend themselves to an extended session.

Date of visit - 24th September 2023

On 1^st January 2024 - rating: 6
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