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Detail Pages
The Heart & Hand, Brighton
Brighton
BN1 1YD
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
BRUMMIE STEVE left this review about The Heart & Hand
Love this pub really old school complete with old style juke box. A few tables & chairs outside on pavement, while inside really cosy and comfortable, only issue is they dont except cash but the staff do bring your drink to your table. Look out for the pub cat Bailey, he knows this is his home. Overall a pleasant friendly pub I alway go to when in Brighton.
On 11th August 2023
- rating: 9
[User has posted 12 recommendations about 12 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about The Heart & Hand
Great green tiled exterior with stained glass windows and a traditional interior. 2 real ales. Has a pub cat.
On 15th October 2015
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about The Heart & Hand
This pub has a pleasingly well preserved exterior with the striking green tiling and stained glass windows from the United Ales brewery days retained, reminding me also of several Portsmouth pubs where there was a tie-in between the Portsmouth and Brighton breweries. Once inside there is an L-shaped carpeted single room, lower walls wood panelled, all very traditional, nothing much has been altered in here for a long time and all the better for it. The bar gantry still has the United Brewery stained glass feature in place, seating is mostly perimeter banquettes and small stools at round tables but with a single larger version each end and a solitary high table, virtually unusable, apologetically tucked into a corner. There is a fully functional old vinyl jukebox, free at weekends, a Harvey's brewery mirror, a montage of customer photos and naturally, being Brighton, a wall full of concert flyers for venues around and about.
The TV high on an end wall was off while the juke box treated us to a few classics from The Jam, Jimi Hendrix and the Stones.
Modern twists were limited to ceiling fans and single tulips in a beer bottle on each table.
Two handpumps, Harvey's Sussex Best and Doom Bar, the only food I saw advertised were pizzas but there may be more options.
Not the most exciting pub in the world and there are better beer ranges available nearby but I do like to discover a real old fashioned pub that hasn't been tarted about. Recommended indeed.
On 30th March 2014
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1708 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
John Bonser left this review about The Heart & Hand
The Heart and Hand is a fine, traditional street corner local on the fringes of the North Laine area of Brighton.
An attractive exterior features green tiling and leaded etched windows advertising the long lost United Ales and Stout.
It’s a basic unpretentious pub with traditional padded seating and tables and stools around the perimeter. The small L shaped wooden bar counter retains its gantry with small stained leaded glasswork inserts.
A small framed magazine article describes the pub as being a “magnet for writers, musicians and loafers in general”, of which I suppose I come into the last category. We also learn that the pub appeared in the Inaugural Rough Guide to Pubs book, where it appeared as one of the top 50 pubs up and down the country.
The far wall of the pub is covered in framed music posters, advertising past performances at local venues such as Komedia and Concorde 2. In the corner here is an old style vinyl juke box, but, based on my visit, volume is kept as a reasonable level and it doesn’t dominate. The external pub sign depicts an old LP record and I gather that the jukebox is something of a local institution. Notably, despite the apparent music emphasis, the customer mix was pleasingly quite varied.
2 real ales were available – Harveys Best and Doombar – the former being in good form. I didn’t see anything to indicate that the range varies much, if at all.
As a pub, I quite liked this one and I’d consider calling in again if the opportunity arose.
On 21st July 2011
- rating: 6
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Heart & Hand
The Heart and Hand was uncomfortably busy on Saturday evening so after finally being served I decided to vacate the bar area and sit on one of the three picnic tables found on the path at the front of this corner pub. The bar is located on the left creating a small L shape and there is a free jukebox on the rear wall next to the toilets. The staff were friendly even though it was busy and the crowd in attendance were harmless enough. I enjoyed a decent half of Guinness from the standard draught selection and available from hand pump were Doom Bar and Harveys Best. Food is served and the pizzas for £5 looked to be good value for money.
I wouldn’t go out of my way to drink here again, but I would pop back in again for a pint at a quieter time if passing.
On 27th January 2011
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5268 recommendations about 5236 pubs]