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Mornin all,
               Im taking my young lady down to Brighton on Friday for some shopping and general mooching around. Can anyone reccommend a good pub that serves proper brown beer and good food? thank you please.

There are quite a few for great food but not many with brown beer, probably the best for food is a little pub called the Hop poles just off the seafront, if you are in the north laine try the basketmakers.

I'm no local, but I've been to this place several times on recent visits.  The most recent review pretty much sums up what I think of it.  (It's in a lovely spot...down one of the lanes (Laines?) as well.)

http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs/s/32/3286/Bath_Arms/Brighton

yes bath arms is good too right in the laines, to be fair there are fucking loads as long as you avoid the chain stuff like firkins and weatherspoons. Hop poles has to be best for food though.

Oh and definately pop into the sausage shop. Best Sausage rolls ever.

If you're coming down by train and you like your beer it might be worth popping into The Evening Star.. http://www.eveningstarbrighton.co.uk/pub.php
right by the station and it brews its own high quality beers.. Good selection as well.
Don't think it does food though and if it's a sunny day I think outside space is a bit limited..

Other than that as KOT says the Hop Poles is a very good bet but can get very busy at popular times.. The Bath Arms is always good but I don't think there's any outside space.
The Cricketers is also a decent bet..

The Cricketers, The Bath Arms and The Hop Poles are all in the lanes area and close to the sea front..

Sounds like a gay bar.

Full of blokes with Blackberries

I am a current resident and I can fully recommend the Queen's Head up by the train station, basically the first pub you see when you get off the train. If you catch them at the right time they even have a happy hour which is very reasonable I must say. Stay away from West Street (unless you are chavs) as it has your Yates', Wetherspoons, Walkabout, Oceana etc etc, needles to say its a nightmare at night time.

i know its opinions and that but ive always thought the queens head was a total shit hole, if you want a pub by the station go to the evening star

*Bump*

I'm looking for somewhere in brighton to have a decent lunch next week...the catch? There's between 20 and 30 of us. Any suggestions Brighton lads? Are the pubs listed above big enough?

see you there Panda, it's my stag do there next weekend!

Good luck with that. I've been to half a dozen or so in brighton, and they've always been really messy, and in hindsight really rather good.

should be fun. no idea what's happening, although one thing I do know... I'm gonna be smashed.

Enjoy it Juddie...but lads...focus. I need to find a decent restaurant for a shit load of people. This isn't helping!

At my brother in laws, down there I had one job to do. Which was  no pub injuries to the groom. Luckily make up, more or less obscured his black eyes at the ceremony the following week, they hardly showed in the photo's.

Panda, if it's space you want, and I hate wetherspoons, but there is a massive one right on the marina, that would be ok for a lunch etc.

Mr. Paws, try grand central next to the train station or if in the laines there is a firkin and an oneils pretty much next to each other, you could try ringing the hop poles and see if they will reserve some tables for you, it does get busy there but if the weather is good most people will be on the beach so could be a goer.

Cheers lads. We're looking at Jamie's Italian...anyone ever been?

Only to the one in Bath - it's not ideal if your going out after as it's an open kitchen and you end up smelling of food 
Or I did anyway!

As they'll no doubt end up smelling of piss and vomit, I wouldn't imagine that would put them off greatly!

wow Im SO glad Im not a boy!  :D

Either you've managed to mix me and Juddie up (I'm not on a stag do), or you know me strangely well! It's for a post graduation lunch, so we'll be smelling of piss and vomit about 12 hours later.

there's a boozer attached to one of the hotels on the sea front that can pack quite a few in. I forget the name, but I'm sure it's part of the queens hotel?

Nope, any group of lads going to Brighton for a "meal" is going to end up in the same sorry old mess everyone else does!

None of the pubs mentioned above could handle 20-30. In fact I can't think of any pubs that could handle that number. Not sure what kind of food you're after but the italian restaurants are probably your best bet.. Donatello's is huge and would have no problem accomodating you. I haven't been for years and years so could tell you nothing about the quality. I think it has a fairly average reputation www.donatello.co.uk . I always go to its cheaper sister Fat Leo's. Mussels and a pizza for £6.50 can't be bad.

What's the occasion/price range?

We're graduating Thursday morning so it's a mix of early 20s and their parents, so need somewhere quite nice without breaking the bank.

They won't let you book groups if I remember rightly but it seems to have a fairly good reputation

Jamie's in Bath is my favorite restaurant, by a mile. You can book tables, but only a max of about 12/14 people. Assume Brighton is probably similar.

They say up to 16, and then call them if it's anymore but the numbers are getting silly so probably will try donatellos instead

?

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yeah but in brighton they end up with some bloke hangin out the back of em whilst they're splaggin

donatello s is shit. Avoid. Try al duomo. Good food big place and bang next to the pavilion