Pump House, Brighton

A popular Nicholson’s pub with large windows overlooking a small square in the heart of The Laines, it consists of several different areas although they are all adjoining rather than being entirely separate rooms. There is also a patio area at the rear. Decor seems similar throughout with wood flooring and the walls being entirely clad in dark wood panelling, making it reminiscent of a hotel drawing room. A number of old pictures are dotted around, and in keeping with the pub’s name, an old brass pump was on a window sill in the front bar. A plasma was up on the wall although the volume was off and there was also a gas fire which was a pleasant touch on an unseasonably cold March evening. Good choice of beer on tap with Harvey’s Best, Doom Bar, Long Man Brewery’s Old Man, Peerless American IPA, Rudgate’s Chocolate Stout and Andwell’s Spring Magic. Ciders were slightly less successful with just Aspall’s Suffolk and Strongbow.

An attractive-looking pub in the Lanes area of BN1, with curved windows and hanging baskets. This is now owned by Nicholsons and the London formula is applied here. On the upside this means a good ale selection, a cosy feel (a fairly rambling interior with wood panelling, burgundy shades etc) and middling food. Unfortunately this also means grumpy staff, short measures and occasional long waits as some staff seem to lack the concept of serving in order. The miserable fat bloke behind the bar on my last visit being a case in point. Given that there are a good slab of decent pubs in Brighton I wouldn’t put this one down as ‘must-do’ despite its regular GBG entry.

The Pump House is a Nicholsons run pub which is decked out like most of their other pubs, even down to an upstairs dining area. The front of the pub is split into two drinking areas and seating up the left hand side of the bar leads to more seating at the rear. During my visit on Wednesday evening the two plasma screens were showing Champions League football via ITV and I saw no Sky Sports advertised. The layout of the pub allows those not interested to escape the TVs, but there was some Brit pop playing throughout the pub. I found the service to be very polite and I counted five hand pumps that were drawing Pride, Doom Bar, Cropton’s Black Out, Box Steam Brewery’s Tunnel Vision and Furry Black IPA. There are another two hand pumps on the back bar, but these were both unused. I wasn’t that taken by the Doom Bar, but I will give the Pump House the benefit of the doubt as the after taste of a moody half of slop I had next door in the Druid’s Head was still lingering. Food is served daily until 22:00 and the mains up on the chalk board were priced around the £9 mark. I’d have no problem returning here as it reminded me of being back home in the smoke where a Nicholsons is never far away.

Occupying a central position in The Lanes shopping area of Brighton is The Pump House, apparently one of the oldest buildings in Brighton. It’s now a Nicholson’s pub. Inside, on the left, we see a large painting of one Miss Elliott who, we learn purchased The Market Tavern ( as it was then called ) in 1766, running it as a tea house for the visitors taking sea water. We’re directed towards the stone fireplace which shows her initials – ME. We also learn that The Prince of Wales visited Brighton in 1788 and that this helped change Brighton from being just a fishing village into a fashionable resort. A replica water pump is displayed on one of the window ledges. The building itself doesn’t look or feel particularly old and, to a certain extent, still resembles a tea shop from the front, with its bow windowed frontage and large windows divided into small squares. On my recent Saturday lunchtime visit, the tea shop feel was further enhanced by the considerable number of visitors who had popped in for a coffee to seek refuge from the steady rain outside. The front bar area extends round the back to a fairly typical Nicholson’s interior – wood panelled walls, bare floorboards and a mixture of seating styles over several interconnected areas. Upstairs is a dedicated restaurant – Miss Elliotts Dining Room. The cellars apparently date back to medieval times. 5 beers were on offer from the Nicholsons Summer 2011 portfolio- London Pride, Harveys Best, Doombar plus Rudgate Mild and Yorkshire Terrier. Future beers were listed as being Copper Dragon Golden Pippin and Vale Black Beauty Porter. The pub has been in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide for the past few years. Taking the experience as a whole, I thought it was rather average, but do note that it opens earlier than most other pubs in the area.