Hector's, Brighton

Official site of Hector's - www.hectors.pub

Official site of Hector's - www.hectors.pub

Awkwardly positioned on the wrong side of the Grand Parade, making it unlikely to be spotted by tourists browsing the Laines area, this is a smart Brewdog bar that keeps limited opening hours. The pub is set across a split-level interior with the bar over to the left in the lower ground floor space and additional seating up on a pleasant mezzanine level. There’s plenty of exposed brickwork, bare floorboards, metal mesh partitioning screens and plush furniture throughout, and as with most Brewdog bars, the eye-catching feature is the huge cinema-style beer board that looms over the bar, listing the full draught range. A few banquette booths opposite the bar are probably the best seats on the lower level, but a raised platform to the rear has more comfy banquettes and armchairs, which can also be found up on the top mezzanine level. The decor is relatively bold by Brewdog standards, with lots of mirrors, neon lights, growlers with dried flowers on each table and Pride flags adding colour in opposition to the industrial stylings. Other notable features include limited pavement seating, fixed water bowls for dogs, a quiet indie soundtrack and a collection of board games. The beer boards listed seventeen Brewdog beers on draught plus eleven guest beers and three real ciders. After the usual mental maths, trying to work out what might be a good value pint/half pint/two thirds of a pint, I opted for the Raven Haven Milk Stout at £5.75 a pint, and pretty enjoyable for a Brewdog Stout. I thought this was quite a nice Brewdog branch and that it was a shame that it only opens a couple of days a week, as it was a good spot to enjoy a quick pint. There are quite a lot of decent craft beer bars around Brighton, so it wouldn’t be all that strange if Brewdog were behind the curve here, but I thought this held up well against the competition and I’d happily return.

It seems, in some respects, somewhat pointless reviewing a Brewdog bar. I mean: you've been to a Brewdog, right? Well, Brewdog Brighton is much like any other Brewdog bar: exposed brickwork, several booths for seating, so-so acoustics (a stag party well into their visit meant getting yourself heard was not easy). As usual though, the staff are great - knowledgeable and enthusiastic. At present, the kitchen's closed, though I understand that's soon to change. But, really, you're here for the beer, so you'll be delighted to hear that there are at least 33 taps available - perhaps there's more, but there were just (!) that many on our visit. Given Brewdog's rather pedestrian range these days, it's best to head for the guests, the highlight of which turned out to be a Collabfest special "Pastry Stout" (whatever that might be) brewed in association with Unbarred just up the road. Brighton's hardly short of pub and bar options so whether you decide to visit this one partly depends on your view of Brewdog and whether you reckon there might be something interesting on the taps.

You know what you are going to get with a Brewdog pub.Industrial chic and good choice of beers The Arundel was beer of the day.Yes evil keg trounce cask.