The West Tap, Brighton

In the shadow of the impressive i360 viewing platform, and located in one of the seafront arches, a pebble’s throw from the beach, this is a small bottle shop operated by the Brighton Bier Brewery, which also allows you to drink in their small outdoor seating area, weather permitting. Inside, it’s very much a shop set-up, with fridges full of cans, plus some tables in the middle of the room with displays of various bits of brewery merch. To the right is a cashier’s desk/servery, above which, a board details their beer range, all of which is available to take out or drink outside. The drinking area comprises a roped off space on the broad paved promenade, which is particularly wide at this point, ensuring you’re not going to get jostled by passers by, as with some of the busier promenade-side watering holes closer to the town centre. Picnic bench seating is formed into a couple of rows and you get a great view of the i360 as it rises and falls, as well as a distant view of the sea. A serving hatch means you can place your order without having to step out of the sunshine. I forgot to note exactly how many beers you could choose from, but suffice to say, it was the brewery’s full range. The only drawback is that the beer can only be purchased in 330ml cans - there’s no draught lines in here at present. I went for the Pale Ale at £3.40, which I was really impressed with - I thought this was a relatively uninteresting brewery, but I really enjoyed this particular beer of theirs. It might be a stretch calling this place a pub - especially given the lack of draught beer - but it does serve up a variety of locally brewed beer and makes a good option to dip into if you’ve strolled this far along the promenade. On a hot summer’s day, this was a welcome oasis and despite the pricey cans, I’d probably call back if I found myself down here in the future.