Where to drink a good glass of wine in Brighton

Brighton is not short of places to sit with a glass in your hand, but the city's wine scene is smaller and more particular than the endless lists suggest. Here are the places with enough behind them to be worth your evening, plus one to cross off.

Plateau, the South Lanes original

1 Bartholomews, the Lanes. Restaurants Brighton calls Plateau the city's original natural wine bar, and it has been pouring natural wine since it opened in November 2010. Its own site describes a natural wine and cocktail bar serving seasonal small plates from Sussex produce.

Order the hand-cut beef tartare or the Cornish camembert with confit garlic, both mentioned by First Table. There is pavement seating for the rare warm evening, and vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. On Sundays it does a roast with a French accent. Brighton Insider says walk-ins are accepted, but check hours before you set off, as listings disagree on closing times.

Plateau is rated three pounds-signs on most listings, so treat it as a proper night out rather than a quick one.

• Go for: natural wine and Sussex small plates
• Sit: out front if the weather allows

Plateau's website has the current menu.

Ten Green Bottles, Jubilee Street

9 Jubilee Street, Jubilee Square, on the edge of the North Laine. This is a wine shop and bar in one: pick a glass or a bottle, or buy one to take home. Many bottles are imported direct from small producers, and there are nibbles and food to match. Reviewers mention cheese and charcuterie pairings, so that is the sensible thing to order alongside your wine.

It holds a 4.7 rating on Tripadvisor from around 409 reviews and appears on Star Wine List as a White Star venue. DesignMyNight says it runs weekly wine sessions and tastings, and Raisin lists it as a natural wine bar and shop. Star Wine List shows later closing on Wednesday to Saturday, but those hours may be dated, so confirm before you go.

See the Star Wine List entry for more.

Fourth and Church, Hove

84 Church Road, Hove. Opposite the old Hove Town Hall, this is a restaurant, wine bar and wine merchant in one, named for the corner of Fourth Avenue and Church Road. Restaurants Brighton suggests sitting at the bar for snacks and spirit-led cocktails, or buying a bottle from the shop to take home.

The Good Food Guide rates it Good, with a Modern British menu in the two pound-sign band. Dishes it has listed include chalkstream trout and prosciutto with peach panzanella, though menus change. The Sherry Wine UK site also lists it as a sherry-focused spot, which is worth knowing if you like something nutty and dry. Brighton Insider says it has won BRAVO Best Wine List two years running.

Read the Good Food Guide entry before you book.

Vagabond, Duke Street

Duke Street, the Lanes. A self-serve wine bar over two floors, with room for 79 inside and 18 outdoor seats. The design nods to winemaking: a stainless-steel bar inspired by the tanks at Vagabond's urban winery, and a staircase lined with riddling racks. Head winemaker Jose Quintana leads the wine side, and the company was named Producer of the Year at the Independent English Wine Awards, so it is a fair bet for English bottles. It opened to the public on 2 November 2026, so expect a crowd while it settles in.

Details on the opening are in Brighton and Hove News.

One to cross off

Apiary on Norfolk Square still turns up in older best-of lists, but its own website gives its last trading day as Saturday 29 August. Skip it.

How to pick

• Natural wine and a proper plate: Plateau, the Lanes
• A bottle to drink in or take home: Ten Green Bottles, Jubilee Street
• Dinner plus a wine merchant: Fourth and Church, Hove
• English wine in a new room: Vagabond, Duke Street