insideSUSSEX Magazine Issue 16 - June 2016 | Page 41

FOOD+DRINK
The Ultimate Sussex Pub Crawl cont.

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The Foragers, Hove
www.theforagerspub.co.uk

The Freemasons, Brighton/Hove Border
www.drinkinbrighton.co.uk/freemasons

The Foragers is a small, independent pub that prides itself on using
sustainable produce. The chef and owners work closely with local
gamekeepers to ensure the quality of their food, and they also use just one
Brighton-based family to supply their fish. So the food is excellent, fresh,
and always cooked to order, but what of the drinks? It’s a pub, after all; a
place to sit and unwind with a drink after a hard day. The great news is that
the variety of drinks in this stylish, friendly pub is as good as you’d expect
- the local ale is award-winning Harvey’s from Lewes, and the wine list
includes choices from across the globe. Tucked away in a residential area,
The Foragers may be off the main drag, but that only adds to its attraction.

Once upon a time this pub was an uninviting cocktail bar that was losing
customers too fast to count. Today, after an extraordinarily successful
makeover, it’s once again a traditional tavern, offering food and drink to
anyone who wants to stop by. Although cocktails might be off the menu,
there is plenty here to keep everyone happy including real ales on tap,
speciality foreign beers, and plenty of world wines. The food is good
too and includes pub classics such as burgers, ham and leek pie, and a
hearty portion of fish and chips. The interior is ornate and interesting with
stained-glass windows and mosaics, and the building itself is Grade II
listed, so you know it has to be something pretty special.

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The Lion & Lobster, Brighton
www.thelionandlobster.co.uk

Brighton Beer Dispensary, Brighton
www.brightonbier.com/brighton-beer-dispensary.html

The Lion & Lobster is a big beast of a pub, but for all its space (it’s spread
over three floors and even has a hidden roof terrace), this Regencyera drinking establishment has a cosy feel, thanks mainly to the many
nooks, crannies and booths that allow patrons to find their own space
to enjoy the lively ambience. This is one of the oldest pubs in Brighton,
and, refreshingly, it has been kept in its original style in that nothing much
has changed except that now, of course, you can order some pretty
spectacular food including orange, beetroot and fennel mezze; Sussex
lamb shoulder; shepherd’s pie; and lime, ginger and miso salmon.

As its name suggests, this award-winning pub is all about beer. There
are often up to eight ales, nine keg lines, four draught ciders and at least
50 different kinds of bottled beers available alongside plenty of quality
whiskey, and bar snacks including chicken wings and burgers if you
get peckish. If you’re not au fait with the different beers and what they
taste like, all you need to do is ask the knowledgeable staff who will take
you through as many as you like describing the different attributes and
flavours. Or, pick one at random and see what you think – just remember
to make a note of the name for when you get your next pint in.

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