The Howard, Brighton

The Reservoir is an open plan pub with a bar on the left hand wall and an open kitchen up a couple of steps at the rear. There is more seating downstairs where the toilets and a door leading to an outside decked seating area are found. The décor is simple and the furniture is conventional with lots of small round tables that can be moved around when required. I didn’t spot a TV, but there was some very low background music that was just noticeable above the chatter from the other customers. This was actually the busiest pub in the immediate area that I visited on a recent Tuesday evening. The bar supports five hand pumps that were drawing Hammerpot’s Bottle Wreck Porter, Molly Malone’s Brighton Stout and Dorking Brewery’s Number One alongside Dark Star’s Hophead and Partridge. The ales were priced between £2.59 and £2.79 depending on ABV and for non-ale drinkers there is also a premier draught selection alongside Carling and Guinness. Thai food is available for around £6.50 for a main dish and roasts are available from midday on Sundays for £9. This pub does not open until 15:00 during the week, but it does open at midday at the weekends. There is a quiz every Sunday from 20:00. I thought that this was a decent pub and I would have no problem returning.