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Detail Pages
The Cricketers, Brighton
Brighton
BN1 1ND
Pub Type
Star Pubs & Bars (Heineken)Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Will Larter left this review about The Cricketers
The bottleneck just inside the door that I mentioned after my visit seven years ago has been relieved. The street outside has also benefited in the intervening years from further pedestrianisation, with an extended drinking area in front of this pub. The interior of the pub is much as it always was, and my half of Harvey's Sussex Best was pretty good (NBSS 3). I see that I paid £2.20 for a half in 2017; now it's £2.85.
On 7th February 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3748 recommendations about 3484 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john gray left this review about The Cricketers
This is the sort of comfortable feeling style of pub that I would use if I was a local.Friendly bar staff.Went for the Veterans -pale .dull and golden.
On 13th April 2018
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Cricketers
Established in 1547, this was another former Tamplin’s house, later Watney’s. This is also a rock pub, as in mentioned in Graham Greene’s novel, Brighton Rock. More importantly, it also has a CAMRA Regionally Important Historic Interior, which is the pub’s main selling point.
Horse brasses decorate a fine dark wood bar back with lettering to the top reading ‘Foreign Brandies’. The ceiling is low with black beams from which hang chamber pots – hardly bog-standard décor. There’s flock wallpaper and fantastic brass uplighters on the bar, but the most striking ingredient of all is the swathe of studded cerise velour upholstery to the seating. In all, it’s a bit like drinking in a gypsy fortune teller’s parlour.
Ales: a very friendly and helpful barman served me with a half of Caledonian Brewery’s Golden XPA at a rather steep £2.25. I’m not a fan of Caledonian’s ales at the best of times and this example was a bit off, the only truly duff ale of the day.
This is a fantastic, visually striking pub but if I had been able to peer into a crystal ball, I’d have opted for a different beer. Rated 6.5.
On 31st March 2018
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1991 recommendations about 1957 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Cricketers
Despite the claimed date, this is a Grade II-listed Georgian building with a distinctive full-height double-bowed frontage. The impressive Victorian interior of the main bar and rear rooms is deservedly on Camra's regional heritage list, and the upstairs function rooms commemorate its association with the author Graham Greene. Also has pavement tables at the front for the better weather. Three of four handpumps in operation when we visited: London Pride, Caledonia XPA and 303 Golden Ale from Veterens Brewing (£2.00, half).
On 31st March 2018
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Cricketers
This pub has an interesting interior, that's well worth a look in. I also found the staff to be friendly and helpful. Beer wise, I went for the London Pride.
On 30th March 2018
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Cricketers
Well worth a visit,there is an entrance to the side which appears to have been a courtyard at some stage with a brick cobbled flooring but now joined to the original pub via an arch which has a very good interior ,lots of plush red velour covering the bench seating,good mirrors and an old school pub feeling.The small bar has to the front 4 handpumps serving on my trip London pride,Veterans 303 Golden Ale and a decent Caledonian Golden IPA.
Try to include it on any crawl amongst the Lanes.
On 25th March 2018
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2730 recommendations about 2730 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Cricketers
This pub was one not on my original plan of pubs to visit on the day, but being nearby to the Bath Arms decided to give it a go.Unusually there is an etched glass screen facing you as you enter the door, once this has been negotiated you find a rather low lit room with little natural light yet rather luxuriantly dressed up in flock wallpaper some rich red upholstery and red carpet, there are collections of various china pottery including a row of chamber pots suspended from the ceiling, it added a touch of quirkiness to the pub.Beers on were London Pride,Caledonian XPA and something called Veteran 303 Golden Ale, I went with the XPA which was fine.
I liked this pub and was glad to fit it in with the schedule.
On 25th March 2018
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1875 recommendations about 1848 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The Cricketers
On my previous visit to Brighton, the unusual layout of the pub (with a screen just inside the front door, and the bar jammed up against the screen) created such a bottleneck that we decided to go elsewhere. My more recent visit found the pub not so busy, and I was able to get to the bar and subsequently find a seat where I could enjoy my beer. There were four hand pumps on the go, featuring Fullers London Pride, Caledonian Deuchars IPA and Flying Scotsman, plus Long Man American Pale Ale. I went for the APA, which was not really to my taste but was in good condition, once I had recovered from paying £2.20 for a half. There's a huge choice of pubs in central Brighton, and there are plenty that I prefer to the Cricketers. Having said that, I wouldn't refuse a return visit - assuming I can get through the door.
Date of visit: 1st January 2017
On 20th January 2017
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3748 recommendations about 3484 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Cricketers
Always pleasant to walk through the door of this pub to be transported back to the days of Victorian splendour with thick carpets, thick flock wallpaper of the kind that was once fashionable in Indian restaurants and copious pictures and paraphernalia on the walls and ceilings giving the place a comfy, homely atmosphere.
Well described by previous reviewers, this popular tourist pub is a should visit when in Brighton and is only let down by its small size, which makes it not the most comfortable spot on busy sessions, some indifferent and uninterested service levels and a pricing policy that would not be out of place in the West End on London.
Despite those the beer has always been passable, as again was my pint of Harveys Sussex Best the other evening. So I will continue to pay it a visit when in town.
On 8th July 2013
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2116 recommendations about 1995 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Cricketers
The sign outside this nice traditional Lanes pub claims that this is the oldest pub in Brighton – supposedly dating back to 1547 – although this, like many claims of its type, is open to debate. Whether it’s the oldest or not, you still get to experience a very nice traditional interior, with the entrance taking you past an etched glass screen which would once have helped create separate rooms, but now stands redundantly between the door and servery. The room is carpeted with lots of dark wood, etched glass and fancy modern wallpaper creating an opulent look typical, if somewhat updated, of the Victorian era. The servery is quite impressive and boasts some fine integral lamps on the bar counter as well as a bar back decorated with horse brasses, whiskey and brandy barrels and huge bunches of keys. Seating comes in the form of a raised banquette with unusual built in surfaces for your drinks, each about the size of a large dinner plate. As you move to the rear of the room there are more conventional banquettes and tables with a fireplace as a centrepiece. Old pictures, photos, salvers and plates are hung on the walls and ceiling and some crossed rifles are mounted above the doorway which leads you past a snug with some more banquettes, out to the covered courtyard. This cobblestone area has lots of pew seating and a keg only bar at the rear. There are a few cafe style tables and chairs outside the front of the pub as well.
The beer selection was exactly the same as Steve C found back in December (London Pride, Bombardier, Harvey’s Best and Caledonian Flying Scotsman). The Flying Scotsman was priced at a whopping £3.90 a pint and thankfully it was in good shape as every last drop had to be savoured for that amount.
There are one or two pubs in the Lanes area that I would probably pick ahead of this place, but it is still well worth a look for the smart interior and should be included on any crawl around this part of town.
On 19th July 2012
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]