The Independent, Queen's Park, Brighton

Facebook page of The Independent - www.facebook.com

Facebook page of The Independent - www.facebook.com

A split level craft bar with 18 taps showcasing some top level brewers. The were three redundant handpumps on the bar concealed by a mini blackboard advertising Spiced Lentil and Sweet Potato Vegan Soup.My beer choice was Verdant Rustling Substance. The Clientele were mostly thirty somethings and the place was popular.

Another backstreet pub in this part of town, this one seems to have gone down the craft route more than its peers. The pub has a surprisingly cramped interior, bare boarded throughout and with the servery down the right-hand wall upon entering. A curved, dark wood counter with a copper top front a modern bar back dominated by the long row of keg taps and decorated with various keg font inserts. There are limited tables and chairs in this front space, but further back, the room splits in two, creating two distinctive, narrow spaces. One side has high tables and stools and a raised section with basic tables and chairs under plain walls decorated with a few photos of local interest, whilst the other side has nice wall panels, albeit painted in neutral shades, decorated with mirrors and various bits of promotional material. Perhaps most unusually, there was an old Toad-in-the-Hole table back here, although I can’t imagine the trendy crowd who visit this place give it much use. Music played quietly in the background and there were a few other customers, mainly young couples, but not enough to generate any kind of atmosphere. The sixteen craft keg lines grab your attention on entry, but I did also note three cask ales were available – Attic Origins, Track Sonoma Pale and Three Acre Best Bitter – so not exactly everyday options. I took a pint of the Origins, but can’t say it was in very good nick, despite the super-upbeat barman insisting I’d made a good choice. I think this place works okay as a fancy craft beer bar, of the sort you can take people who don’t really like pubs to, but that’s about all I can say in favour of the place. For me, it really didn’t work, falling somewhere closer to fancy wine bar in terms of its styling and failing miserably with its beer quality. The only real dud I had on a long day in the field around Brighton and Hove.

On my visit, The Independent had the relaxed vibe of a trendy neighbourhood local - I guess that sums up more than a few Brighton suburbs and their pubs. The bar featured 4 cask and 12 keg options all local, except for the Hacker-Pschorr. I opted for a pint of Loud Shirt Hypnosis Pale from the cask range, but this was somewhat so-so. I could have chosen from the likes of Gun, Burning Sky & Good Things. Not a big crowd in when I was there, but a few were taking a late lunch. I'd be happy to pop in again.

Official site of The Independent - theindependent.pub

Official site of The Independent - theindependent.pub