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Chat about:
Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
Saint James, Brighton
Brighton
BN2 1TN
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
David Walton left this review about Saint James
Next port of call was this corner pub in Kemptown. Take the point about the music, insanely loud for a late afternoon not busy venue. A party was being set up in the end of the pub away away from the corner door so maybe the people doing the set up wanted to seamlessly flick into party mood. The bar is along the wall in the mid part of the pub with a long line of pink and red velvet stools lined up along the length of the bar. Ready of seating pretty conventional apart from some church pews replacing chairs at some of the bigger tables. A wall mosaic of presumably St John great you as you enter the pub! Also quite bizarre was a large birdcage in the corner by the door with its occupant a large, colourful and very noisy parrot being paraded around the pub. A screen on the wall to the left of the bar provided some silent Olympic coverage. Hanover flags from recent Euro’s still adorned the ceiling.
Three hand pills offering Sharp’s Solar Wave, Doom Bar and Harvey’s Sussex Best. Keg choices were Cruz, Aspall, Sharp’s Atlantic, Lunar Hazy IPa from Beavertown, Inch’s cider, Blue Moon, Moretti, Pravha, Neck Oil, Guinness, Staro and Madri. My cask Sharp’s beer was perfectly quaffable.
All told this had the makings of a decent pub and I would have rated it a 6 if it were not for the insanely loud music that forced me to drink my pint rapidly rather than linger and enjoy it. Disappointing in that respect.
On 31st July 2024
- rating: 5
[User has posted 631 recommendations about 631 pubs]
Moby Duck left this review about Saint James
A single roomed corner pub with overly loud music banging out. Beers were Sharps Doom Bar and Solar Wave as well as Harveys Sussex Best. One area of amusement was the free to roam resident Macaw, another was some colourful characters stopping by on their way to a nearby Trans-Pride event. I guess this might be an ok pub but on the day wasn't quite that.
On 28th July 2024
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2151 recommendations about 2118 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about Saint James
This was my favourite of five pubs visited in the Kemptown area. It's a nice old fashioned boozer, a bit rough around the edges - which is how I like them. There's a lovely bar back with etched mirrors, and there are hooks under the bar rail. There's a large selection of bottled "craft" beers for those who like them, but more importantly four hand pumps, with Brains Reverend James, Gun Extra Pale, Otter Ale and Franklins Mama Knows Best available. I went for the latter (I'll normally go for a best bitter if available) and it did not disappoint (and was the cheapest of the night at £1.90 a half). I'd be happy to return here another time.
Date of visit: 1st January 2017
On 20th January 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 4273 recommendations about 3935 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Strongers . left this review about Saint James
I popped into the Saint James late on Wednesday evening and found a very comfortable pub. Along with some premium draught products the bar supports four hand pumps that were drawing Franklins EXP, Hophead, Old Peculiar and Theakston Double Cross IPA. There is also a huge list of rums chalked up on a board to the left of the bar. I didn’t sample any though as last time I touched the Pussers I ended up dancing around like a headless chicken. I found the service to be very friendly and worthy of a return visit in its own right.
My only gripe would be that I’m not usually a fan of jazz music and the dim red lighting gives me heavy eye lids after a while. I’d still return though as I enjoyed my stay.
On 9th December 2011
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5965 recommendations about 5931 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
paulof horsham left this review about Saint James
Popped into the Saint James on a summer afternoon for a quick pint and could easily have stayed longer. Our Dark Star American Pale Ales went down very nicely and I'm sure we would have tried the Thai food on offer had we not eaten just down the road.
I found the pub a friendly place to stay for an hour or so and the large windows made for good people watching.
On 6th November 2011
- rating: 7
[User has posted 554 recommendations about 516 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
John Bonser left this review about Saint James
On the fringes of Kemptown on a busy lively thoroughfare of shops and bars not too far from the seafront is The St James Tavern ( not "Saint James" as recorded on this site ).
A rather uninspiring looking exterior leads into a bare boarded single room pub with a long slightly curved wooden bar counter with an attractive bar back and some etched glass. Décor is quite basic with wooden furniture and some fixed bench seating down one side. To a certain extent, it resembles a typical stripped out and opened up Victorian pub, still retaining some vestiges of its past.
Unusually, the pub appears to specialise in rums, with an extensive rum menu on the tables and special rum tasting evenings every Tuesday. The back cover of the menu tells us that this pub is part of a small group of pubs – pleisure.com – which includes 3 other pubs in Brighton and, notably, The Speaker in Westminster.
A Thai food menu is available. Live music is on Thursday evening – a group with the unendearing name of “Stay Sick” offering what is described as funk, soul and rock and roll.
I suppose I’m going to have the PC lobby up in arms for saying this, but this pub appears to be less gay orientated than most in the immediate vicinity. There’s no rainbow flag outside and, on my recent Sunday afternoon visit, a pleasingly wide cross section of customers.
There’s 4 pumps which were serving Arundel Sussex Gold, Ballards Wild and 1648 Signature, the latter coming from a micro in East Hoathly ( near Lewes ) The Arundel Gold - £ 3.30p – was a pleasant pint. The pub has Cask Marque accreditation – the individual on the certificate bearing the famous name of John Young. A blackboard outside indicated that guest ales from Dark Star were available, but this proved not to be the case.
If you’re walking into town from The Hand in Hand ( or vice versa ) , you’ll probably see this pub. It’s worth considering calling in.
On 28th July 2011
- rating: 6
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]