The Stanley Arms, Brighton

I made a point of travelling some distance to watch the recent FA Cup final in the Stanley Arms and although it wasn’t very busy there was a very relaxed atmosphere. The attendance did pick up a bit towards the end of the match and there was at least one victorious Man City fan in the pub taking advantage of the numerous ales that were available. I actually counted seven hand pumps and I managed to work my way through five of them which I found to be very well kept. I only had a quick glance into the left hand side bar of this pub and saw some comfortable seating along with little TV screen that was off and a piano. The right hand side of the pub where I spent the afternoon has a dartboard at the rear and a plasma screen. The football was shown via BBC and I don’t remember spotting any Sky Sports signs. There is a beer garden out the back that houses five decrepit picnic tables and Noisy Nigel’s BBQ that is made out of breeze blocks. There seems to be plenty going on here with meat and drink raffles on Sundays and a quiz every Wednesday from 20:30. There are also regular cellar nights where a pint is £2 from the tap and some cheap wine is laid on for the ladies. Children are welcome if they are well behaved and dogs are also welcome as long as they don’t dump in the garden. This pub has a long list of CAMRA awards that cover the last decade or so and well regarded beer festivals are hosted here. During my visit I found the staff to be cheerful and the local’s to be friendly meaning that I would have no problem returning to this pub.

Great bar with friendly locals and a nice enclosed beer garden. Rotating selection of beers well served.

Stanley Arms official site - www.thestanley.com

Stanley Arms official site - www.thestanley.com