The Hole in The Wall

You'll find this place down a quiet mews off the main drag, which already tells you something—it's the kind of pub that doesn't need to shout about itself. Step inside and you're immediately struck by how unpretentious it all is: real ales on tap, a crowd that's genuinely mixed (students, builders, pensioners, creative types), and staff who treat you like you've been coming here for years even if you haven't. The whole vibe is properly old-school Brighton, the kind of place that's survived the endless gentrification by refusing to become a theme park version of itself. It's small, it's warm, and there's something refreshingly honest about a pub that just gets on with serving good beer and decent company.