The Prince Albert, Brighton

The Prince Albert is ideally located a stones throw from Brighton Railway Station and was the last pub on an all day session crawl around the area on Saturday. I didn’t note any hand pumps, but this was more due to my state of mind as I have no reason to believe that the four hand pumps noted as being on the bar in the previous review have been ripped out in the last three months. I did note that Amstel and Peroni were available alongside Stowford Press and the pint of Guinness I tucked into was spot on and served by a very friendly barmaid. I left at 23:20 and there was no sign of the pub closing so there was a late license which is probably true on Fridays also and there was a bouncer on the door that seemed to be there to check IDs rather than dress. The bar area is located to the right of the entrance and there was a plasma screen up on the wall showing muted match of the day and throughout the pub there was some lively music playing that seemed to go down well with the punters. To the left of the entrance is a seating area with a coal fire and directly behind the bar is a small area that houses a quiz machine and a tall table. Beyond this area down a corridor towards the rear are two more rooms and out the back is a small outside area with more seating, the gent’s toilets and some stairs that lead up to who knows where. Back inside the pub there is a flight of stairs that lead up to the ladies toilets and a function room that houses a big screen. This pub is very handily placed for the train station and I’ll probably pop back in when I next visit Brighton.

Stopped off at this pub recently on my way back to Brighton train station and enjoyed the beer so much that we stayed for a couple more than planned. The layout is slightly unusual, with the front door leading into the main bar - a spacious room adorned with music posters and a portrait of John Peel (who, judging by the giant mural outside, is clearly a favourite of the landlord). The bar also serves a smaller, Indian themed room which has a couple of high tables and stools, but not much else. Several more rooms beyond this have plenty of standard tables and chairs and maybe these rooms are where food is normally served, although they were empty on our visit. Beyond all of this is a small patio area, which was popular with smokers, although not as popular as the benches at the front of the pub, of which there are many, which were mostly occupied. Live music is promoted via an endless number of posters and flyers. I presume most of the gigs take place upstairs, although I didn't venture beyond the ground floor, so I can't be sure about that. Four hand pumps were dispensing Dark Star APA and Oktoberfest, King WGV Hops and Harvey's Best. The King and APA were both in excellent condition and were served to us by a couple of attentive and chatty barmaids. A standard range of lager was also available, although many customers were ordering something called Stella Black, which is apparently an imported version of Stella Artois with a slightly lower ABV than normal (and no, it's not a black beer). I enjoyed my visit here and given its great location next to the station, I can see myself popping back again in the future.

Pub & live music venue. Quirky decor includes a portrait of john peel on a side wall outside the pub. Beers from dark star, harveys & w.j.king & co. Through the underpass from the train station.