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Chat about:
Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
Seven Stars, Brighton
Brighton
BN1 1AD
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Pub SignMan left this review about Seven Stars
This plush pub has been opened out a lot, to create a large single room with enough partitioning and changes in decor to still feel like a multi-room layout. The front part of the pub is an ornate bar area which has a bank conversion feel to it. Quarry stone flooring, a nice curved, panelled bar counter with a retro-style pot shelf and attractive bar back combine to give the place a semi-oppulent feel. There's a drinking ledge under the front windows, some high stools down the right-hand wall and a smart banquette along the left side, with lots of chairs in support. A great many potted plants fill the window sills and the walls are covered with glazed tiles and patterned wallpaper, with a decorative frieze around the top, gold coving and a patterned ceiling. Beyond is a bare boarded rear seating space with banquettes, including some formed into booths, around the perimeter and lots of small tables with low stools through the centre. A fireplace stands under a large plain mirror to the left, whilst the walls are decorated with butterfly paintings, art prints, more plants and some fancy wallpaper. A partitioning screen hides a rear dining space that sits beneath a very impressive skylight with many hanging baskets and some detailed rose designs around it. Chilled R&B tunes played quietly in the background and there was a modest crowd starting to build on my early evening visit.
This is a Youngs house, but there was no cask ale on the bar, which came as a bit of a surprise. In its absence, the keg range had to make do, so I tried the Unbarred Casual Pale which poured very hazy and wasn't very nice. On the bright side, the barmaid was very friendly and gave a warm welcome to all customers.
It's a shame that the pub was let down by a lack of ale and dubious keg alternatives, as I thought they'd done a good job of creating an attractive, modern pub with a few nice heritage features and an interior that would appeal to a wide range of customers. Having said that, Youngs ale probably wouldn't have improved my experience, so maybe this is as good as this place is going to get under its current ownership.
Date of visit - 17th May 2024
On 28th September 2024
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3350 recommendations about 3350 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about Seven Stars
Large open plan pub,a recurring theme on my visit yesterday was the absence of any cask beer, there was some reasonable craft options available from top independent brewers rather than the corparate stuff thats flooding the market. The bar staff seemed rather disinterested in general,although I didn't dislike the pub there was nothing about it to pull me back.
On 13th August 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2151 recommendations about 2118 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john gray left this review about Seven Stars
I like this pub a lot.Large one room,high ceiling with a large lantern light to the rear.Wacky coloured walls.Quite ornate ceiling in the rear area.Three cask beers from Sharps-atlantic,sea fury and doom but two keg beers on from Scotlands Drygate brewery.bUSY .
On 13th April 2018
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about Seven Stars
We liked this one when we visited Brighton in November 2014, so I was looking forward to a revisit. At that time it was a Youngs pub, and they had the Winter Warmer on. I'm not a big fan of Youngs, and my hazy memories of Winter Warmer from 40 years ago don't match up with the modern beer, but it's still ok, and the pub had a good vibe to it. Unfortunately it has changed beyond all recognition and now serves mostly keg "craft" beers, with just a couple of hand pumps. It was the quietest pub I visited on New Year's Day, and I didn't even stay long enough to make a note of the pump clip (only one beer available). Very disappointing - but they do say "never go back"!
Date of aborted visit: 1st January 2017
On 20th January 2017
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 4273 recommendations about 3935 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about Seven Stars
A large Young's pub that seems to be a popular spot, and we were lucky to get a seat on a recent Saturday evening visit.
There are large windows at the front which create a light and airy feel, although the pub extends back some way so this is less noticeable at the rear. It's all one open room, although the rear section is segmented by some balustrade and the fact that it is up a couple of steps. Flooring is mostly dark wood although with may rugs on top, and elsewhere there are a few tiles. The paintwork on both the upper part of the walls and the ceiling is maroon, while there is some cream wood panelling on the lower part of the walls. Some intricate black and gold cornices were an interesting feature, and there were a number of ornate brass lamps hanging from the ceiling. Seating is mostly tables and chairs, although there were also a few high stools and some suede chocolate sofa's at the rear.
Numerous black and white pictures were dotted around on the walls and there was a projector at the rear, although this was not in use on this occasion. Various notices advertised screenings of forthcoming football and F1 fixtures though, as well as "Movie Monday" nights. Several other events are hosted such as charity speed dating. The food menu looked to be a typical "pub grub" affair and there was also a good selection of sandwiches. Most of the mains were priced around the £9 mark.
Beers on tap were all from the Young's stable with their Bitter, Special, London Gold and Bombardier. Ciders were Aspall's Suffolk and Strongbow.
On 4th April 2013
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2060 recommendations about 1962 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Strongers . left this review about Seven Stars
The Seven Stars is a large pub with big seating areas towards the front of the pub and at the rear where there are steps up to the toilets. The bar runs along the right hand wall and along with the Kirin Ichiban, Peroni and standard draught products are five hand pumps that were drawing Tribute, London Gold, Ordinary, Special and Bombardier. The barman that served me was very friendly and the Tribute was on good form, but on the expensive side at £1.75 for a half. The food is also quite expensive with a burger costing £8 on burger night which I’d imagine to be cheaper than normal or why call it burger night. There is a quiz every Thursday from 20:00 and live music is advertised for the weekends. There is also jazz advertised for Sundays whilst people tuck into the ‘famous roast’ and there was a three piece jazz band playing during my recent Tuesday evening visit. There is a projector screen, but I didn’t see any sports advertised.
This pub is pretty good, but the prices dictate that I wouldn’t stay in here for a session. I think my lasting memory of this pub will be that it is the first place I have come across a Dyson Airblade hand dryer in the toilets. Fantastic invention!
On 28th October 2011
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5965 recommendations about 5931 pubs]