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Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
The Hole in the Wall, Brighton
Brighton
BN1 2FE
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8 of 10) see review guidelines
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Hole in the Wall
This pub has reverted back to its original name, as according to one of the locals we met, it got its name from a hatch that was once in the front of the pub. The hatch was used to serve the local fishermen through, as they smelt slightly after a fishing trip at sea.
We called in here on a Thursday afternoon which was to our advantage, as this pub can get very busy and the interior is quite small. The interior was very comfortable, the landlady was chatty and friendly and all their beer was superb. Five pumps with four in use serving Siren Circle Back, Rivington Clouded Eyes, Kent Tropic Stout and Brisol Beer Factory Milk Stout, along with three ciders from Ascention, Pilton and Little Pomona. Am definitely going to return to this one!
On 13th April 2025
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3645 recommendations about 3645 pubs]
David Walton left this review about The Hole in the Wall
By miles the best venue visited in this 2-day in the day visit to Brighton. Clearly the other venues I have ticked off were very different to this traditional pub so no surprises by my accolade for the venue and its lofty heights. As noted below, two room venue with a small walk through on the side of the bar area that divides both rooms with service from both sides of the bar. Very well worn red fabric banquettes with small white topped round tables in front thereof that I occupied on my sole punter at the venue visit around 1.30pm today. Plenty of high stools with similar fabric covering at the ledge along left hand side of front room and at the bar in the front room. A great soundtrack during my visit also.
I too was caught out by the 5 hand pumps staring at me on walking through the front door but I did see the chalk board through the bar on the wall in the back bar still not spying the much larger board on the left hand wall inside the front door. Panic over was quickly reassured this place deserves all the lofty ratings it has achieved on PG! Rather than replicate the beers (there were 4 cask offerings and I took a flawless pint of the Kazbek pale ale from Redemption) have posted a picture of the board as it was today on the date of my visit.
I hadn’t noticed this pub in the over 10 years I have been regularly popping into Brighton from weekend place nearby. It instantly will become of one of my go to venues in Brighton, space permitting of course as it is quite a small venue but no doubt has overspill onto the quiet area out the front in a pretty sheltered spot. It has a number of CAMRA awards above the beer board in the front bar and very well deserved I must say. Top notch venue.
On 10th June 2024
- rating: 8
[User has posted 631 recommendations about 631 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Hole in the Wall
Small, two-room side-street pub located very close to (but hidden from) the beach. Limited seating and decoration in both parts, but it retains a very traditional feel. Four cask beers available from the bank of five handpumps on the front counter of the central servery, so you have to locate the chalkboard to see what's actually on. Anyway, I found Brew York's Maris the Otter (£4.50) plus a Session IPA from London Beer Lab, Bristol Beer Factory Wild West and Siren's Recurring Dream.
On 21st April 2024
- rating: 8
[User has posted 8679 recommendations about 8678 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The Hole in the Wall
I hole-heartedly (sorry) agree with the two previous reviewers. I did a momentary double-take on entering and finding four empty hand pumps; then I saw how sparklingly clean and polished they were, and turned to see four cask beers listed on the blackboard, along with 10 keg beers and three ciders. A slight disappointment in seeing that three out of four cask were from northern breweries whose reputations, in my opinion, are better than their beers. I went for Burning Sky Aurora which was NBSS 4 and almost had me thinking of staying for another. Definitely one that I'll return to, though. If not this trip then next time.
On 6th February 2024
- rating: 8
[User has posted 4273 recommendations about 3935 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Hole in the Wall
Backstreet pub in unassuming location that is not far from the beach and the old West Pier. One of two 2023 Good Beer Guide pubs I had yet to visit in the town, this is a small 2-room pub where a few others had gathered not too long after opening on the recent bank holiday Monday.
A large board in the front bar lists the real ale, craft beer and cider selection. 4 real ales were Salopian Day of Days, North Riding Citra Pale, Burning Sky Aurora & Settle Ernie's Milk Stout. The real cider was Iford Somerset Sahara. There was also a fizzy cider from Ascension. Craft beers dominated the selection, with Cloak & Dagger Komodo Bozo, The Kernel Pale Ale, Rivington Good Times Emporium, Elusive Double Oregon Trail, Pastore Limone, Burning Sky Saison Printemps, Track Each Coming Night & Anspach & Hobday London Black.
Toad in the Hole was being played in the rear room, whilst our group pretty much filled the front room. It doesn't take that many people to make this pub busy. However, it's one of those Brighton pubs that I am likely to return to, with its decent ale and cider selection and excellent atmosphere, being tucked away just enough to keep any riff raff out.
On 10th May 2023
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3040 recommendations about 3038 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Hole in the Wall
This is a pretty tiny, two room back street pub, easily reached from the seafront and Churchill Square shops. The front bar is a very compact, bare boarded space with the servery to the rear, behind a nearly impenetrable row of bar blockers. Bench and low stool seating is provided in limited supply under the front windows and there’s a high shelf with bar stools along the left-hand wall, under a large and comprehensive beer board, which the staff worked hard to keep up to date as beers came and went. The servery has a rather short but pleasant dark wood counter with a pump clip lined bar back of sorts and a matching canopy decked with various hanging plants and a few bits of pub merchandise. An old fireplace to the right has been covered by a bamboo screen, with a framed pub board game above. Other blackboards list cocktail options, which I was a little surprised to see and didn’t notice anyone drinking, as well as various upcoming events. Passing the left-hand side of the bar, you can move through to the slightly lower rear room which offers similar seating options in what might be an even smaller space. There’s bar access back here too and the walls have been decorated with old photos and plenty of decent breweriana, whilst I also spotted a Toad in the Hole table near to the gents’ toilets. There was a great early Saturday evening crowd in here when I arrived, which ensured a cracking atmosphere and the staff all seemed very friendly and helpful.
On the bar, the beer range included Kent Born To Be Mild, Squawk Solus and North Riding HBC586 on cask, alongside ten craft keg options from the likes of Roosters, Wiper and True, The Kernel and Three Legs. Two real ciders were also listed on the board and my pint of Mild was in excellent condition – my only gripe being that I couldn’t find anywhere particularly comfortable to drink it, as all the seats were taken.
This seems like a great pub, keeping a modest selection of interesting and well-conditioned cask ales and some top-tier keg options, in a cosy space with a lively bunch of cheery locals. Had I been able to grab a seat, I may well have considered ending my crawl right here, as it’s somewhere I could happily settle down for a good session.
On 20th March 2023
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3350 recommendations about 3350 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Hole in the Wall
A new find for me in Brighton and a really good one. Two rooms divided by a U shape bar, as mentioned by Paul below , comfortable seating. The place was busy and buzzing, I managed to secure a bar stool at one end of the bar. My intended pop in for a pint soon turned into a two and a half hour session finding myself in the midst of a Marble tap takeover. Four cask beers were on,Manchester Bitter and Lagonda from Marble as well as Cloudwater Party and Howling Hops Shimmy, nine keg taps all were from Marble including a couple of colabs, two Ciders were available Ascention Pilot and Sandford Orchard Devon Scrumpy. A brilliant pub , I will be back soon.
On 27th March 2022
- rating: 9
[User has posted 2151 recommendations about 2118 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
paulof horsham left this review about The Hole in the Wall
They've gone all craft-style here, with 9 keg taps (Deya, Kernel etc), 2 of them serving non mainstream lager. There's also 5 hand pumps, with 3 in use when I visited - 2 of them dedicated to the local Hand Brew operation. Not a lot of seating to be had, but what there is is well-upholstered and comfortable.
I found The Hole in the Wall to be a friendly, easy-going place hidden away in a quiet back-street near the seafront.
On 19th July 2021
- rating: 8
[User has posted 554 recommendations about 516 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about The Queensbury Arms
Under new ownership
On 20th June 2021
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2933 recommendations about 2866 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about Queensbury Arms
Tucked away in a backstreet. 1 real ale served from a horseshoe shaped bar. A great selection of show posters (some blasts from the past) decorate the walls.
On 7th November 2014
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2933 recommendations about 2866 pubs]