The Master Mariner, Brighton

The Master Mariner is located off the main drag in a corner of Brighton Marina. The waterside exterior is lined with picnic tables which can be used for al fresco drinking and dining, if brave enough to face the ravenous bully boy seagulls. The interior of the pub is overlooked by exposed beams and segmented by exposed brick supporting columns. The bar supports four hand pumps, but three of these were unused leaving Isfield Brewing Company’s Amberescent as the lone cask option. For fans of keg the selection is much wider with the availability of Fosters, Heineken, Kronenburg, Amstel, Peroni, Strongbow, Symonds Cider and Guinness. During my recent Wednesday evening visit it was very quiet, but the painfully slow service had caused a queue to form at the bar. It was one of those perpendicular queues that are formed when diners have to order food at the bar. Whilst sandwiched between two hungry tourists I listened to some nondescript background music. I was trying to identify the muted daytime TV program that was airing on the large plasma screen, but frustratingly its identity eluded me. This pub is a nice spot for an outside beer and I have been told the menu is good, but I preferred the less food driven Wetherspoons.