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Detail Pages
Pump House, Brighton
Brighton
BN1 1HH
Pub Type
Nicholsons (Mitchells & Butlers)Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Will Larter left this review about Pump House
A historic building, like many of Nicholson's pubs, but this one really has been a pub since the 18th century. (See the Camra heritage link for details.) I didn't warm to this one quite as much as some seen earlier the same day - perhaps I was just heritaged out, or maybe it was all the young people coming in and swerving the very good Harvey's Sussex Best (don't they know it's cool?) and going for Neck Oil, one of the very worst of the modern keg beers. (Sigh!)
On 7th February 2024
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3745 recommendations about 3482 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about Pump House
A nice Nicholson's pub with a great deal of wood panelling, in several separate areas round the bar, giving a good traditional feel. The front room has a Sports TV. At time of visit there was a pump takeover by Siren, with four of their ales alongside the usual Nicholson's house beer and a cider.
On 13th November 2018
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3339 recommendations about 3276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about The Pump House
A popular Nicholson’s pub with large windows overlooking a small square in the heart of The Laines, it consists of several different areas although they are all adjoining rather than being entirely separate rooms. There is also a patio area at the rear.
Decor seems similar throughout with wood flooring and the walls being entirely clad in dark wood panelling, making it reminiscent of a hotel drawing room. A number of old pictures are dotted around, and in keeping with the pub’s name, an old brass pump was on a window sill in the front bar. A plasma was up on the wall although the volume was off and there was also a gas fire which was a pleasant touch on an unseasonably cold March evening.
Good choice of beer on tap with Harvey’s Best, Doom Bar, Long Man Brewery’s Old Man, Peerless American IPA, Rudgate’s Chocolate Stout and Andwell’s Spring Magic. Ciders were slightly less successful with just Aspall’s Suffolk and Strongbow.
On 2nd April 2013
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1948 recommendations about 1861 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Pump House
The Pump House is a Nicholsons run pub which is decked out like most of their other pubs, even down to an upstairs dining area. The front of the pub is split into two drinking areas and seating up the left hand side of the bar leads to more seating at the rear. During my visit on Wednesday evening the two plasma screens were showing Champions League football via ITV and I saw no Sky Sports advertised. The layout of the pub allows those not interested to escape the TVs, but there was some Brit pop playing throughout the pub. I found the service to be very polite and I counted five hand pumps that were drawing Pride, Doom Bar, Cropton’s Black Out, Box Steam Brewery’s Tunnel Vision and Furry Black IPA. There are another two hand pumps on the back bar, but these were both unused. I wasn’t that taken by the Doom Bar, but I will give the Pump House the benefit of the doubt as the after taste of a moody half of slop I had next door in the Druid’s Head was still lingering. Food is served daily until 22:00 and the mains up on the chalk board were priced around the £9 mark.
I’d have no problem returning here as it reminded me of being back home in the smoke where a Nicholsons is never far away.
On 11th December 2011
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5249 recommendations about 5217 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Pump House
An attractive-looking pub in the Lanes area of BN1, with curved windows and hanging baskets. This is now owned by Nicholsons and the London formula is applied here. On the upside this means a good ale selection, a cosy feel (a fairly rambling interior with wood panelling, burgundy shades etc) and middling food. Unfortunately this also means grumpy staff, short measures and occasional long waits as some staff seem to lack the concept of serving in order. The miserable fat bloke behind the bar on my last visit being a case in point. Given that there are a good slab of decent pubs in Brighton I wouldn’t put this one down as ‘must-do’ despite its regular GBG entry.
On 31st July 2011
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5089 recommendations about 5072 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
John Bonser left this review about The Pump House
Occupying a central position in The Lanes shopping area of Brighton is The Pump House, apparently one of the oldest buildings in Brighton. It’s now a Nicholson’s pub.
Inside, on the left, we see a large painting of one Miss Elliott who, we learn purchased The Market Tavern ( as it was then called ) in 1766, running it as a tea house for the visitors taking sea water. We’re directed towards the stone fireplace which shows her initials – ME. We also learn that The Prince of Wales visited Brighton in 1788 and that this helped change Brighton from being just a fishing village into a fashionable resort. A replica water pump is displayed on one of the window ledges.
The building itself doesn’t look or feel particularly old and, to a certain extent, still resembles a tea shop from the front, with its bow windowed frontage and large windows divided into small squares. On my recent Saturday lunchtime visit, the tea shop feel was further enhanced by the considerable number of visitors who had popped in for a coffee to seek refuge from the steady rain outside.
The front bar area extends round the back to a fairly typical Nicholson’s interior – wood panelled walls, bare floorboards and a mixture of seating styles over several interconnected areas. Upstairs is a dedicated restaurant – Miss Elliotts Dining Room. The cellars apparently date back to medieval times.
5 beers were on offer from the Nicholsons Summer 2011 portfolio- London Pride, Harveys Best, Doombar plus Rudgate Mild and Yorkshire Terrier. Future beers were listed as being Copper Dragon Golden Pippin and Vale Black Beauty Porter. The pub has been in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide for the past few years.
Taking the experience as a whole, I thought it was rather average, but do note that it opens earlier than most other pubs in the area.
On 21st July 2011
- rating: 6
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Pump House
This is a tidy and seemeingly popular Nicholsons pub in the Lanes area of Brighton. There was a good selection of ales on offer including Harveys, Croptons Uncle Sam and the Morrisey/Fox Blonde.
The interior was bright and clean and we managed to nab some seats near the front window, which made for some excellent people watching! The walls had a lot of pictures and general information about the original Pump House which used to provide water directly from the sea to the Lanes Market area.
All in all a decent enough pub, and one I imagine will please the tourist masses passing through.
On 19th March 2009
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]