Where to drink on Brighton seafront, and what each place is good for
From a pub shaped like an upturned boat to a craft taproom by the pool, here is where to drink along Brighton seafront.
By Only Brighton Editorial
The seafront is not a neighbourhood so much as a long strip of pebbles with drinks on it. Most of the action sits along Kings Road and the Kings Road Arches, between the Palace Pier and the West Pier. Go east along Madeira Drive and things get beachier and a little quieter. Here is what each place is good for, so you can pick before the seagulls pick for you.
The Kings Road Arches
Fortune of War: for a proper seafront pub
Fortune of War, 156 to 157 Kings Road Arches, sits under the promenade on the beach, next to Shelter Hall. There has been a pub on this spot since 1882, and the inside is shaped like an upside-down boat. The pub calls the beach its enormous beer garden, adding that it is "a tad pebbly". Order a pint and take it outside. CAMRA lists one regular beer and no changing guests, so go for the atmosphere rather than a big cask list. There is live music and late entertainment, with DJs playing funk, soul, reggae and hip hop according to one listing. It gets very busy on summer evenings and weekends, and hours vary, so check the pub's website before you set off.
Shelter Hall: for a drink with food and a view
Shelter Hall, 152 to 154 Kings Road Arches, is a food hall in a building dating from the 1880s. According to Visit Brighton it has seven kitchens, a bar, a large terrace and five first-floor balconies, and it is dog-friendly and open all year. Winter brings supper clubs, gigs in the Secret Bar and chef pop-ups. Skylark, the first-floor cocktail bar with sea views, is mainly hired for private events, so do not assume you can wander up. Tripadvisor reviewers mention uneven quality and high prices, so treat it as a place for a group that cannot agree on what to eat. Published opening hours differ between listings, so check before you go.
OHSO Social: for a big terrace by the Palace Pier
OHSO Social, 250A Kings Road Arches, is on the beach beside the Palace Pier. Visit Brighton describes one of the seafront's largest terraces, heated and covered for year-round use, with cosy dining pods in winter. The cocktail list runs to spritzes, daiquiris, mojitos and espresso martinis. Tripadvisor reviewers single out the mini cod and chips and the beef sliders, and also mention loud music and high prices at times. Restaurants Brighton suggests it for watching the sun set behind the West Pier, which makes it a sensible early evening stop.
Lucky Beach: for a daytime drink
Lucky Beach, 183 Kings Road Arches, is a beach café-bar rather than a night out. It does brunch, burgers and cocktails, using organic meat and local suppliers, and it is walk-in only. Listed hours are daytime, roughly 9am to 5pm on weekdays, so this is the one for a late morning drink or an afternoon with the sea in front of you. Check hours first.
Opposite the West Pier
Pearly Cow: for cocktails
Pearly Cow, 124 Kings Road, is opposite the West Pier. It is a restaurant with a bar at the entrance, where mixologist Josh Williams leads on signature cocktails, classics and alcohol-free options. Its Terrace Bar upstairs is a summer affair of spritzes and sundowners, and if the terrace is full you can wait inside at the Bar at No. 124. By the end of October the terrace programme may have wound down, so treat the inside bar as your plan.
The Salt Room: for a refurbished seafront bar
The Salt Room, 102 Kings Road, reopened on Friday 22 May 2026 after a four-month refurbishment, the Sussex Express reported. It now has a new central bar and a weather-glazed seafront terrace with 60 covers, and it has traded here since 2011. The glazing is the useful bit for a grey autumn evening.
Madeira Drive
Bison Beer at Sea Lanes: for a craft beer
A ten-minute stroll east of the Palace Pier, past the Peter Pan playground, Bison Beer at Sea Lanes, 300 Madeira Drive, is a craft taproom overlooking the outdoor pool. Sea Lanes opened in June 2023 as a 50m heated outdoor pool on the former Peter Pan site. Expect rotating local and guest brewers and a small bar-food menu. Order whatever is local on tap and take a seat with a view of the swimmers. Madeira Drive has paid parking if you are driving, though the walk along the front is half the point.
Which one, then
- Classic pub on the beach: Fortune of War
- Group that cannot decide: Shelter Hall
- Big terrace and sunset: OHSO Social
- Cocktails: Pearly Cow
- Rainy day with a sea view: The Salt Room
- Craft beer: Bison Beer at Sea Lanes
- Daytime only: Lucky Beach
Most of these are about a ten-minute walk from Brighton station down to the front. Hours and seasonal offers change, so a quick check before you go saves a cold walk.
