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Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
The Royal Sovereign, Brighton
Brighton
BN1 2HE
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Will Larter left this review about The Royal Sovereign
This pub is a lovely building with a well preserved exterior. I wish I could say the same for the inside of the pub, which has been ripped apart unspraringly and rebuilt from scratch. The bar counter is central and faces the front door. There were four hand pumps with a fruit cider and three cask beers: Sharps Doom Bar, 360 degrees Bluebell Best Bitter 4.3% and Three Acre Blood Orange Pale. My luck was in, as the Bluebell was in very good nick (NBSS 4). My contemporaneous notes said "surprisingly good, as the pub is frankly rough in places".
Date of Visit: 7th February 2024
On 11th February 2025
- rating: 7
[User has posted 4273 recommendations about 3935 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Royal Sovereign
As is stated below, this pub is located on a street which heads down to the seafront and the pier. With the current outdoor drinking restrictions, seating options were a few small tables on the pavement at the front, or long benches and alcoves in a yard at the rear.
The pub is not currently serving real ale, although Weston's Rosie's Pig Rhubarb Cider was available on one of the handpulls, which was fine for me.
Sunday roasts were being served. They looked very tempting. Service was quick and we found this place fairly reasonable, apart from the lack of ales.
On 3rd May 2021
- rating: 5
[User has posted 3040 recommendations about 3038 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Royal Sovereign
Interesting-looking pub beside a sloping road which looks like it should have a split-level interior but which actually doesn't (although steps are required to enter). The bulk of the premises is housed in a three-storey building but the much lower side building has the name inscribed in the stonework above. The interior now comprises two seating / dining areas around an island bar with more of a lounge off to one side. There is also a patio beer garden at the back and a few wooden benches out front on the pavement. On the beer front, I found two from Sharp's - Doom Bar and Atlantic (with a reversed Sea Fury clip on another pull) - and the 360° Blood Orange IPA (£4.65), with Old Rosie cider on the fourth operational handpump.
On 21st July 2018
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8679 recommendations about 8678 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Royal Sovereign
Down busy Preston Street,this street corner pub has an impressive entrance but looks like two buildings knocked together and that would probably account for the split level layout.The island bar serves the various sections,but the fixtures and fittings are from a recent refurb and few original features remain.A coal affect gas fire is another sign of a win for ease of upkeep over tradition.The four handpumps were dispensing Sharps Doom Bar and Atlantic (yawn) and two from the more local Holler Boys Great Mode and Fog Cutter ,clear but too malty for my taste.Better real ale would have added a mark,but there's lots of room inside and it felt quite laid back.
On 25th March 2018
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2936 recommendations about 2936 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Royal Sovereign
A short walk from the seafront, the Royal Sovereign is a very smartly presented pub that offers a modern twist on the traditional pub. An attractive curved servery dominates the main room which sees bare floorboards throughout and a lot of low stool seating, plus a nice curved banquette in the front window bay with a stained glass 'Hotel Bar' insert. The décor is pretty eclectic, with a mix of old pictures, breweriana, London road signs and pump clips vying for attention on the half panelled walls, whilst to one side of the bar is a brand new, etched glass pub mirror. Side rooms are similarly decorated with more low stools, larger bay window banquettes and the odd high table with stools and there is at least one brick fireplace on show. One of the side rooms is in what appears to be an extension, with extensive banquette seating around three sides of the room and some nice arched stained glass windows . Out the back there is a heated and partly covered patio garden area which we enjoyed sitting in, soaking up the residual heat of a warm spring evening.
On the bar I counted four cask ales - Sharps Doom Bar, Tiny Rebel Rocksteady, Firebird Sorachi Ace and Burning Sky Aurora. Keg taps from the likes of Meantime and Brewdog were abundant and there were some pretty impressive fridges full of bottled delights. My pint of the Sorachi Ace was in great shape and served by a friendly barman.
I really liked the look and feel of this place and thought it was a very well presented pub which could find favour with the traditionalist and hipster alike. The beer range is a definite draw and with some other good ale houses in this part of town, you could have an excellent crawl without travelling too far.
On 12th July 2015
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3350 recommendations about 3350 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about The Royal Sovereign
A central island bar serves 5 real ales and "craft" Keg. Different "rooms" and areas with a real fire in one section.
On 7th November 2014
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2933 recommendations about 2866 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Strongers . left this review about The Royal Sovereign
The Royal Sovereign is the closest place to a traditional pub that can be found along Preston Street, although there are better pubs in the surrounding roads. Food is served during lunch periods and evenings during the week and all day at the weekends. The mains cost about £10 and there is a dining type area that is available for hire down a couple of steps to the right of the entrance. To the left of the entrance is more seating and a log fire that was blazing away during my visit on a recent cold Monday evening. The bar is stocked with a mix of standard and premium draught products and Doom Bar was the ale option as one hand pumps was off and the other unused.
The lighting was very dim, but the friendly barmaid brightened the place up a bit. The plasma screen was switched off and I saw no Sky Sports advertised, but there was some background music playing that seemed to fit in with the large student contingent. The toilets are located down some stairs at the rear and out the back there is a square paved drinking area that has the benefit of being under the kitchen’s extractor fan so expect the smell of chip fryers.
I’d pop in here for another beer if passing, but it’s certainly not worth the long bop from the train station.
On 11th February 2012
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5965 recommendations about 5931 pubs]