Fountainhead

Head up North Road away from the seafront chaos and you'll find yourself in the kind of pub that reminds you why Brighton still has proper boozers. Fountainhead has that lived-in comfort of a place where regulars know the staff and the staff know their regulars. It's the sort of spot where you can nurse a pint without feeling obligated to order a £15 cocktail, though they do food that goes beyond token pub fare. The vibe is refreshingly unpretentious—sticky floors, actual conversation happening, the kind of place that feels like it's been there forever because it probably has.