The Greys, Brighton

A nice little compact pub on the opposite side of the road from The Geese. Just a couple of cask on from Gun, Dry Hopped Summer Best and Pale Ale, a third was being pulled through though I forgot to note what it was at the time. A cosy pub worth a visit.

Official site of The Greys - thegreysfreehouse.co.uk

Official site of The Greys - thegreysfreehouse.co.uk

3 real ales and a good selection of Belgian bottled beers. The management of this pub has changed since my visit.

The Greys is a strange little pub in a part of town worth visiting for its back street boozers. The single room interior is L shaped with a wood and flagstone floor and the servery is tucked away, almost as an afterthought, in the rear right corner. Bench and low stool seating fills the space at the front of the room and around the corner towards the back the tables have been set up more formally, presumably for those wanting to dine, with many of them reserved. A fireplace with a small stove can be found on the left hand side of the room whilst the walls have been covered with all manner of flyers for live music including an impressive amount that line the staircase up to the toilets. Mood music of the sort that normally has me running for the door was playing throughout my stay and the CD was on display and available to buy from behind the bar. A framed football shirt from the film ‘The Penalty Kings’ is hung on a wall, reflecting the fact that the pub, a keen champion of pub football, was one of the locations for the movie. An Egon Ronay review dated 2006 has also been put on display. Just the two regular ales are available – Timothy Taylor Landlord and the entirely predictable Harvey’s Best. The Landlord was undoubtedly in good condition and worthy of the pub’s Good Beer Guide listing. Maybe I’m being a bit spoiled here, but I can’t say that this choice is going to make me return in a hurry, especially as Harvey’s can be bought in countless more interesting pubs around town. I do wonder if I missed something on my visit, but I really didn’t take to this place. It seems fairly welcoming and is certainly well looked after but nothing really stood out for me and with that beer range I can’t see me forsaking other nearby pubs in favour of this place.

A striking turquoise-coloured corner pub, the owners have made the most of what is, in truth, a fairly ugly building. The interior is deceptively small and is kitted out in a pleasantly kitsch-homely manner; wood and flagstone floor, half-length wood panelling etc. Food was offered and looked enticing. No screens or machines here, which was welcome. Country music playing on my visit, which on closer inspection was deliberate and the choices often serve as an aid to promote local bands and events – nice touch. The pub hosts regular live music but given its size, all I can say is that these events must be quite a squeeze. One of the walls was decorated from floor to ceiling in old promo posters for left-field music and also proudly displaying a letter from the Council dated 1987 from a resident complaining about the noise emanating from the pub over a bank holiday that year. Two of the three ales on, Harveys Sussex Best (excellent) and Tim Taylor Landlord (good); both beers were pulled through before committing the glass which was nice to see. Loads of bottled Belgian beer and ciders in the fridge from £3.80. The ales weren’t cheap but the condition of them made up for it. I was quite taken with this place regardless of the pedestrian beer selection and I’d make the effort to come back here next time I have an extended day in Brighton. It’s a pub with an unusual and distinct personality.

The Greys has an extended license on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, but doesn’t open until 16:00 during the week. There are a couple of picnic tables on the path out the front and a heated beer garden that I did not visit is advertised. The interior is L shaped with a bar to the right and some seating to the left along with a staircase that I didn’t venture up. The pub website advertises live music every Monday evening so maybe this occurs upstairs. Food is also served but I couldn’t be bothered to figure out the different times the kitchen is open and closed – check the website for details of Roz and her ‘piglet’s pantry’. The bar is stocked with Amstel, Kronengurg, Staropramen, Hoegarden, Leffe, Stowford Press cider and Guinness. There are also three hand pumps, one of which was unused, leaving Harvey’s Best and Landlord as the ale options. There is also a decent range of bottled Belgian beers that this pub seems very proud of, and rightly so! Wall seating covers most of the exterior wall space and there is a burner of some sorts to the left of the entrance. The tables are conventional and there are at least two small round copper topped ones. I didn’t spot any TVs, but a CD of smooth music was playing and the CD case was on display so those who liked it could pop into the local HMV and purchase it. There was a monthly music quiz advertised and I think that there is a weekly general knowledge quiz on Sundays. I thought that the service was very friendly and I would enjoy going back for another few beers, but I’ll leave the kids at home because people under fourteen are not permitted at any time.