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Beer of the Week (w/e 15th June 2025) with Mobyduck
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Detail Pages
Grand Central, Brighton
Brighton
BN1 3PA
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6 of 10) see review guidelines
Pub SignMan left this review about Grand Central
One of a number of pubs within easy striking distance of Brighton station, this is a smart two bar boozer with a bit of the quirk factor I associate with Brighton's pub scene. A corner entrance takes you into the bare boarded main bar, which has high banquettes formed into booths down one side and the servery down the other, with high tables and stools filling the remaining front and rear spaces. The servery has an amazing polished wood counter front with highly decorative struts and a truly beautiful bar back with a stunning top that has the pub's name across it and a central clock (sadly not working). The room is painted in a rather a dull shade, but brightened by a huge pump clip collection and a few small murals. TV screens could be found to the front and rear, showing muted golf with alt-pop tunes playing in the background. You can pass behind the servery for a second room, which has some dark wood panelling with quirky painted top panels and some paintings hung above. A white tiled wall opposite surrounds a notional servery, that seems to only be used as a tea station these days. Mixed seating is available including a curved banquette serving an oval table to the front, and a mix of chairs, high stools and banquettes further back. The ceiling has a cool pattern effect across it and there is some frosted and stained glass to the rear, plus shelves full of board games and other random bits, fairy lights, a disused TV screen and loads more pump clips.
Two cask ales were available - Fullers London Pride and Dark Star Revelation, with the latter costing a station-side hefty £5.80 a pint. Two more handpulls were out of service and there was a basic craft keg range that included the ubiquitous Beavertown Neck Oil and a Cornish cider. The barmaid was a bit surly, but there was a pretty good atmosphere on my early evening visit and the Revelation was in decent nick, although not as flavoursome as I remember it from years gone by.
I had no real expectations for my visit to this place, which I expected to be a depressing station pub with no decent beer, but I was surprised to find an atmospheric boozer with a couple of well-kept beers and some great heritage features. The Evening Star might still be the default 'go to' pub for a quick pre-train pint, but this is a good alternative to keep in mind.
Date of visit - 16th May 2024
On 28th September 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3361 recommendations about 3361 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about Grand Central
Fairly prominent Fuller's pub opposite the railway station. It's somehow one that I've not visited previously. The ground floor space circles the central bar. TVs were showing live Premier League football, whilst quite a few people were heading upstairs, where there is obviously further drinking space.
Fuller's London Pride is the regular beer. In addition, there was Fuller's Grand Slam, Gales Seafarers & Dark Star Revelation. Craft beers were Beavertown Neck Oil & Tiny Rebel Dance Off, Waffle, Clwb Tropica & End Game.
Certainly a convenient place for the station, but maybe a bit too close, as it can get quite busy. For a pub near the station, I'd still recommend the Evening Star, where our party had started the day.
On 25th February 2024
- rating: 5
[User has posted 3111 recommendations about 3109 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Delboy 20 left this review about Grand Central
Attractive Fuller's pub close to the station. 4 Fuller's beers plus Dark Star Hophead. We tried the Hophead and Fuller's Bohemian Way. Both were fine.
On 30th September 2019
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 1838 recommendations about 1709 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Grand Central
Landmark pub with a distinctive domed corner tower, now owned by Fuller's (but not obviously branded as such) and probably the first building many people note when exiting Brighton station. Anyway, it is now a thoroughly modernised yet seemingly traditional pub with two main seating / dining areas on either side of the central servery. The four handpumps on the main bar were offering Pride and two Brighton Biers - South Coast IPA and Heydaze Pale (£4.60) - plus the local Ascension Per Cider.
On 21st July 2018
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8733 recommendations about 8733 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about Grand Central
Even closer to the railway station than The Railway Bell, this was originally built as a hotel in the 1840s before being rebuilt as a pub in 1920.
Now a Fuller's outlet and whatever it may be by day (family-friendly, apparently), come Saturday night it's banging to the sounds of a DJ spinning two gramophones. Not deafening, but loud enough to make conversation extremely difficult which is the sort of thing that students - for it would seem that they constitute the core market - like.
Otherwise its home some good remaining features such as a dentilled cornice and attractive bar back with clock, ornate bar frontage. There's velour-clad furniture with banquettes and a bare herringbone floor.
Service was swift and efficient with a typical Fuller's line-up as well as Brighton Bier's West Pier Pale Ale which was very nice but very steep indeed at £2.35 a half.
Not a bad place for a late evening drink considering the location, but there's much better to be had if one undertakes the assent of the west face of Guildford Road.
On 24th March 2018
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2243 recommendations about 2200 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about Grand Central
Fuller's pub and theatre across the road from the train station. The pub has a train departure screen.
On 20th November 2013
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2945 recommendations about 2878 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about Grand Central
Information update rather than review. Looks like this impressive looking corner building dead opposite the train station may have been taken over by Fullers recently, although there is no indication of this on the Brewers web site. The three hand pumps on the bar are now dispensing Fullers Ales in the shape of ESB, Pride and Seafarers.. And the place looked smarter internally than I remember it, but that could just me my imagination.
Cannot rate it as I didn’t stop for a beer as I was on route to The Lord Nelson, so I’ll leave it up to others to confirm if this is now another Fullers outlet in town and whether that improves the place or not.
On 25th June 2013
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2245 recommendations about 2105 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Strongers . left this review about Grand Central
The Grand Central is a corner pub directly opposite Brighton Main Railway Station. There is some café style seating under an awning outside the front of the pub and upstairs is the Nightingale Theatre where there is an advertised theatre bar and regular cabarets and live performances take place. There is a roof garden that I did not visit and live music is advertised, but I’d imagine that this takes place in the main street level island bar area. The bar supports three hand pumps, but it was very busy during my visit and I couldn’t get to the bar to have a look to see what they were. I did see that there was a standard draught selection alongside Amstel and the Guinness was good, but expensive at £2 for a half and a little short in measure. Pub food is available and ranges from egg and chips for £5 to steak and chips for £12. There were a few people, including a couple of children, eating at the tables that line the windowed outer walls and the food didn’t look half bad. The TV was off and I didn’t spot any Sky Sports advertised, but there was some loud music playing and live train departures can be followed on a screen behind the bar.
This place is fine for a quick beer if waiting for a train, but it’s certainly not a pub I would make my final destination and I think that there are better pubs a short walk in any direction.
On 25th January 2011
- rating: 5
[User has posted 6134 recommendations about 6100 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about Grand Central
Next to Brighton train station. Arundel beers . The pub has a sheltered roof terrace.
On 9th July 2010
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2945 recommendations about 2878 pubs]