The Bristol Bar

One of my favorite pubs

Just across the road on the corner of Paston Place is the one of my favourite pubs. From the outside, the Bristol Bar looks deceptively like a hotel bar with its balconied flats above and the neon sign at the front. Inside, it’s a pleasantly spacious pub which used to be crammed full of nautical memorabilia. This has now been removed, apart from a few sea-themed pictures.

Totally unpretentious

The massive plate glass windows offer a beautiful view of the sea and there’s no better place to enjoy a quiet drink or two on summer evenings or Sunday lunchtimes. Unlike many Brighton pubs which have been acquired by pub chains and had all the character removed by “tasteful” refurbishment, the Bristol Bar is totally unpretentious.

A glamorous past?

The entrance by the cloakroom doors with its dark wooden paneling and ‘30s feel, hint at a more glamorous past. Allegedly Max Miller regularly propped up the bar here. Today’s clientele are a mixed bunch: old and young; gay and straight; hospital workers and students.