The Old Ship Hotel

You'll find yourself in one of Brighton's most storied watering holes, where the bar feels more like a proper local than the tourist trap you'd expect from a seafront hotel. The cocktails are surprisingly well-made and the staff actually know what they're doing behind the stick, which is refreshing when half the bars on Kings Road are staffed by people who think a negroni is a type of pasta. The real draw here is the combination of proper drinks and that unbeatable location - you're literally metres from the beach but in a space that feels substantial and grown-up. Yes, you'll share the bar with hotel guests clutching their room keys, but the regulars keep it grounded. It's the kind of place where you pop in for one drink before dinner and end up staying until last orders, watching the pier lights twinkle through the windows.