Three Jolly Butchers, Brighton

This pub looked to have had a fairly recent refurb, indeed the functional pub sign outside had a rider below saying "temporary sign". Inside there is a smallish narrow room with the bar nearest the entrance, a few steps down to the side lead to a separate snug with exposed brick, bookcase wallpaper and a door leading seemingly nowhere. This area can be hired. The main bar area also has plenty of exposed brickwork, otherwise red walls and ceiling, boarded floor and seating at small stools and wooden benches. The bar front is painted white and has black stencilled paw prints on it, large green metal lamps above diffusing light downwards. Three handpumps, Harvey's Sussex Best, Dark Star American Pale Ale and Arundel Prizefighter, so a trio of local beers. Symonds keg cider from the fonts. Happy hour between 4:30 and 8:30 Mon-Thurs with all ales at £3, discounts on other named drinks. Food served, I saw a couple of people scoffing burgers and a board listed the "special" as mushroom soup with bread (£4.45). Hand made pork pies under a glass cover, £2.95, I suspect from the old fashioned proper butchers up the street where I purchased a similar one to take home. A steep stair leads outside to the "secret garden", a walled sunny area. A laid back place with a reggae/Soca soundtrack at a sensible volume, I enjoyed my time here with a good drop of APA. Tuesday quiz and Sunday lunch with live jazz advertised. Outdoor pavement seating including some unusual fold up and down benches.

Real ale,food served and live music advertised.

The Three Jolly Butchers (or 3JB as the hanging sign outside says) has gone a bit upmarket with dim lighting, candles on tables and, on the Tuesday evening I visited, jazz music in the background. Sagres, Kronenburg, Fosters, Guinness and Strongbow were all available and although one of the hand pumps was unused the other two were drawing Brighton Best and Heritage cider. Food is served and there is a bar menu where fries cost £2. There is a plasma screen, but this was off and there was no sport advertised. There is a take-away sandwich shop attached, but this was obviously closed during my evening visit. The service was friendly, but this is somewhere I would take the other half for a glass of vino rather than go to let my hair down and have a laugh.