The Basketmakers Arms

Stumbled upon this place while wandering the street. Such a lucky find! The food was good and the servers were lovely. Plentiful choice of drinks. The atmosphere was cozy with all kinds of nicnacks on the walls. Packed with people. I'm so glad I stumbled upon this place. Highly recommend foe a quick drink and a meal!

Had the West End Mussels Special with fries in a pancetta and cider sauce. Absolutely amazing. This is the place for great food when in Brighton!

Popped into this wonderfully welcoming pub after a visit to the North Laine area of Brighton. Brilliant place. Staff were great, seemed to genuinely enjoy their jobs and look out for locals and new customers alike. Real, eclectic mix of clientele in there. We didn't have food, but the menu looked good and food coming out looked and smelt wonderful. Beer was great. Plenty of good real ale and cider. Highly recommend.

Probably the best pub in town!! No tvs just the sound of lively chat! Great beer selection too. Now the food is fabulous! Had cod & chips (home cooked not frozen), monkfish scampi, mussels and the cauli cheese pie & mash oh and some Carlingford oysters!! Absolutely delicious and generous portions too. Look out for the specials board. You won't be disappointed!

Super friendly staff, great beer selection and food to die for. An absolute recommendation.

What a delightful, authentic Pub in the heart of Brighton. Sunday roast was super delicious and worth every penny. 👍 Very busy, so glad we booked! Super friendly & efficient staff. A true Gem!

Great pub with excellent food and beer. We popped in on a Monday evening and were lucky enough to get a table so we could eat as well. We had the toad in the hole and vegetarian pie and chips and both were fantastic. Beer and Ale also passed the test as there was a good variety. The pub was packed with a great mix of customers and as tourists - it was great to be in a pub not full of tourists! Thoroughly enjoyable experience and will return again the next time we are in Brighton!

We love the vibe, welcoming and calm. Great food served here. We tried 2 starters, both well made 😋 We'll definitely come back again.

Delicious pub food in an authentic pub. Friendly service. Pie and mash was fire. I'll be back!

Amazing authentic Pub food & Ambiance. Super friendly & efficient staff. A true Gem !

Used good old reliable Yelp to find this place. First time in Brighton and we were looking for a decent pub that wasn't touristy (it can be hard to find here). This one seemed far enough away from the pier to be successful and had across the board good reviews. So glad we checked this place out. Very much a neighbourhood pub, on a plain street (thought we may be in the wrong area actually..) Beer selection was good and the food was excellent. We tried a few things amongst our group - no complaints. Would happily return here anytime. Kinda sad somewhere like this is so popular - it'll just get busier with all these good reviews..

I found this on yelp and knew it was gonna be pretty good with all the awards it shows on its windows. The place is a nice and cute looking pub with and chill vibe to it with calm music in the background I got mussels and chips here and they were my favorite British meal I've had in my week here. Nice and flavorful and quite cheap compared to the US. They get their seafood from local fisherman here. Would recommend to anyone in Brighton who wants solid food and/ or wants to grab a drink at a chill pub

If it wasn't for the review on Yelp! I might never have found this little pub and stopped there...and this is why I love Yelp! L This little pub is a bit away from the centre, so you might not come across it when visiting BUT it is really worth going a bit further down the road. It's tiny but we were lucky to find a table straight away. The menu is not massive which is usually a good sign for me, you will find Sunday roast, fish & ships, burgers, classic pub dishes...I went for the chicken roast which was delicious and two of our group tried the fish & chips which was 100% approved...and this comes from people who are not this kind of dishes fans...to sum up, perfect lunch spot for a day in Brighton, not far from the station so perfect when arriving at lunch time! Have a look in the boxes on the wall as they contain message from guests! You can leave one too!

Great atmosphere, a true local pub experience in Brighton. Had a perfectly cooked steak with chips and mushrooms.

Did not know what to expect from this pub. Walked past it many more times than I can remember and when I finally went in I was not disappointed. Had my fruit cider as always and King prawn in sauce. The fish was plenty and cooked perfectly. Still tasted like the sea. Had a lovely salad as a side and is was all in a beer pint (because why not?). Quite pricey but it's worth it.

Pubs might be closing at an escalating rate across the UK but it's still hard to get a seat inside the Basketmakers Arms. An old fashioned, British boozer at the bottom of the North Laines, it attracts a loyal crowd of locals all year round. There's about a dozen tables with old velvet stools and chairs and the walls are covered in vintage tin boxes and paraphanelia. As for the drinks, they serve proper pints of beer, ale and Guiness and packets of crisps and pork scratchings. In short, a friendly, feel-good boozer.

Rarely do I enjoy a relaxed drink as much as I do in the Basketmakers Arms. It's such a snug little pub, perfect for a nightcap on a cold winter night and, with its low ceilings and charming décor, you always feel comfortable. It serves great value pub grub, a selection of real ales, whiskies and every other drink you could possibly want. What's more is that all the staff are very sociable and the service is usually very quick, even when it's rammed on weekends. Situated a few roads down from the often hectic Sydney Street, The Basketmakers Arms can be hard to find but I assure you that your search will not be in vane. You'll notice the walls are covered in various tobacco tins of all shapes and sizes and inside each is said to be a message written by a random punter. Despite many attempts at reading them all, I will have to conclude it's a claim that's impossible to verify but it's a nice touch that brings an extra dose of personality to the place. If you fancy adding your own message you don't have to ask. Happy times!

Regarded by many aficionados as the best all-round pub in Brighton, the Basketmaker's Arms is a busy, traditional local, close to the North Laines area of Brighton. Nearly every square inch of the interior is decorated with smoking memorabilia - cigarette cards, old adverts, you name it. But the focus is on high quality real ales, good pub food, and good service. The choice of beers is good and they are very well kept: and some reckon it does the best burgers in Brighton. The staff are friendly and very efficient, even when it gets busy - which is does, especially on weekend evenings. My only criticism is that it can get a bit smoky for my taste, but this will not be a problem after smoking is banned inside from 1 July 2007.

One of Brighton's nicer 'hidden' pubs, tucked away in one of the North Laine's many nooks and crannies, the Basketmakers Arms is a very nice place to grab a drink. I put hidden in quotations above as it is, despite being a little off the beaten track, often very busy; I think some of the call centres in the area stream into here at closing time. It's all very reasonably priced and the selection is good, and the food is splendid! However, what use is a great menu if you can't sit down? It's all very good, no denying that, but it's nothing special and there's nowhere to sit and enjoy it, let alone sit with a beverage. Still, everything's very good: I just wish there was more space this pub could expand into. Because it's always too busy, there are always people standing around like lemons, and there's often barely enough space to do even that. In the end, it's nice here, but it needs more space, otherwise it's just average.

This place is my favourite pub in Brighton by far. the staff are lovely, attentive and know their stuff about the whole menu of food and drinks, particularly the craft beers. It's a tiny place so grab a seat when you can, but when you do sit near a wall as the boxes on the wall have notes in them fro anyone and everyone. And add one yourself, they are always happy for you to do so! Get the fish platter - the best end to a long day in my opinion. Pair it with an ale and you've got a great after work pick me up. I love this place and can't recommend it enough.

I love this pub. Great beer, good food and its a lovely space. However, dogs. Food is served here and there's dogs in the place. I just got bitten by a dog here and the staffs attitude was "He's ok, he comes here often". I just got bitten by a dog that comes here often. Take your chances.

My favourite pub,in my favourite part of town. This has to be the best pub for food in Brighton,its worth having some patience as its usually pretty busy,but its well worth the wait. I had Cod and chorizo stew,which was lovely,before that I had the Whitebait which was just as good. The burgers are really good as well. A wide range of Ales if thats your kind of thing,and lager and cider. If you're drinking shorts,they even sell coke by the bottle to go with it,which doesn't sound like a big deal,but my pet hate is pubs which only serve mixers by the crappy gun(which is how they make a lot of their dough) A really good atmosphere,good mix of people(unlike The Eagle across the road,which is full of sheep checking out each others latest wears)a great place for day trippers to eat as its close to the Station. You'd think i work here,but i don't,just like to eat well in comfy surroundings.

Found this little gem via Yelp. On a bitterly cold and windy night, entering this warm, cosy and rustic pub is enough to make your heart smile. Full of real people, real ales and really great food, it's an absolute treat. Quite simply, a proper pub with insanely friendly staff and relaxed atmosphere. I had fish and chips where the batter was crunchy and delicious, the fish, fresh and succulent and the chips, mushy peas and tartare sauce, all homemade and scrumptious. So if you want a traditional pub with excellent and traditional food and beer - get your good self down here. You won't be disappointed.

Sat directly opposite the Eagle pub on the edges of the North Lanes, the 'Basketmakers' is a nice cross breed of modern British drinking and traditional ale house. You'll find a very good selection of ales and lagers on offer here, certainly better than the Eagle. The Basketmakers is rather small though, and would struggle to serve groups. That said, it's all part of the slightly dated charm that you find here. The Basketmakers is relatively renound for food, serving a varying selection of daily specials in addition to the already impressive main menu that is on offer throughout the day.

The Basketmakers is, quite simply, a great local pub! It's reliable, affordable and friendly - exactly want you want in a pub. There's always a great buzz about the place, especially in the summer months when the customers literally spill out onto the street with their drinks, basking in the sun on the quiet surrounding streets. This feels rebellious (and who know if it's even really allowed) but it makes the experience of going to the Basketmakers for a summer cider a very enjoyable one! There's always a great mix of people at this pub too, which I find really appealing. It's not strictly a 'old man pub', not is it crammed full of fresh-faced students or ultra-cool hipsters. All groups collide here and this gives the place a really welcoming feel. The pub itself, on the inside, is cute but small. There's not always going to be a table free as it's a popular spot which, when the sun is not shining, can be a bit of a pain! That being said, the busyness makes for a cosy experience, which is welcomed in the colder winter months! :) All in all, it's a great wee pub. Close to the uni, town and the station, it's really in the heart of things, so there's no excuse not to pop down and give it a go if you in the center!

Go for the walls covered in old tin containers alone! It is really fantastic. The pub can get quite busy on the weekends but it's a great spot for a pint and a bite! We met up there before the Peterborough/Brighton game and enjoyed the atmosphere. If in Brighton, I'll go back...I'm a fan!

We've walked past this place so many times and it's always busy and they proudly display all the awards they've won so we had to try it. We went on a Sunny Friday evening and being the summer there were lots of people spiller out on the pavement having a drink. We ordered food at the bar and it arrived pretty promptly. My fish and chips was incredibly fresh and tasty, but slightly on the small side with a tiny pot of mushy peas. The atmosphere was great, a proper old school pub!

It was a short run at Basketmakers, but a good one. Small, quaint bar in North Laine. Great friendly service.

This is a REAL pub with traditional charm and character. The Basketmakers always has fine real ales on sale, usually a number of guest brews, too. It also has a superb selection of whiskeys, malts and bourbons. There are few distractions other than the delightful tobacco tins, boxes and antique advertisements on the wall. On more than one occasion I've left little notes inside, or replied to someone else's message. The crowd is relatively young, the types who grew up in the 80s and still know how to have a good time. Staff are helpful and friendly.

Next time I'm in Brighton I will definitely visit this place. Although it's quite secluded and hidden from the touristy eye, this place is great for a thirsty "traveler" and/or for a hungry tummy. The portions are big, yummy and honestly, if I was allowed, I would have tasted every single thing they took out of that kitchen. Everything is old fashioned and inside the old tobacco tins (that cover the walls) you will find messages, secrets, codes etc written by the customers. So nice!

Even though this place is located right in the heart of the North Laine, it is still out of the way enough to attract a decent clientele. Tucked around a few side streets in the area, this is certainly a 'pubby' pub. They have a good selection of whisky on offer behind the bar and a nice range of ales on tap. I have always frequented the establishment as a drinker, but I have heard a lot of good things about the food. I guess that if you are situated across from the Eagle you have to raise your game or forget having a menu at all! This being said, I would echo some of the other reviewers annoyance at the lack of seating in the place. Sure, it's fine if you are drinking and can happily prop up the bar until a chair or table becomes free, but the layout must certainly impact on the food takings. All in all, I really do like this place and would certainly recommend it as a great place to come have a few pints.

Hear, Hear! Just a quick agreement with the guys below in that this is such a great pub. We're blessed with quite a few, but this one really stands out. Love you guys!

This is such a charming pub. A friendly cosy kind of place you really want to dwell. It is a bit of a shame that the beer range is a tad limited by being tied to Fullers. Even with that said, this is an essential Brighton pub, not to be missed.

I don't know what it is about this place but I absolutely love the Basket Makers. There's always a terrific atmosphere and its packed to the rafters at weekend. In the summer revelers spill out on to the back road of the North Lanes where the pub is situated, and chill out on the pavement to catch the last of the rays. The staff are friendly and easy going as are the varied clientele, most of the time. They have couple of tables outside but not nearly enough for the hordes of drinkers. Its this combination of elements that attracts such an array of visitors from artistic types and bohoers to ale geeks and student bingers. Your unlikely to stumble across this bad boy but its deffo worth a visit if you patrolling the North Lanes.

The Basketmaker's is my favourite pub to venture out to on a Sunday afternoon for a Bloody Mary and a roast. Even if it's more of a walk than my Sunday legs enjoy, it's worth it. Everyone seems to have the same idea though. Shielding from the elements in the warmth of a cosy pub was coined a long long time ago. Choice ales and wonderful barstaff, the £8 roasts arrive surprisingly promptly considering the hectic nature of a full house. Then there's the extremely charming tins adoring the walls, all containing folded up notes of jokes, quips and plenty of obscurity

My only gripe about this place is there's not enough room to sit! Its not the pub's fault that its too popular but its a shame. They serve some fantastic beers and serve some of the best pub food in town. It really is the epitomy of an old fashioned, un-touched pub that is so warm and cosy, you really do want to stay there all day long. The staff are friendly and even if there's a few things missing from the menu, they'll let you know if there's anything else they can rustle up. The burgers here are excellent!

The Basketmakers is a real little gem of a pub hidden in some little lane in Brighton. I've never been anywhere quite like here, given the tradition of the punters scrawling tiny little notes and hiding them in the myriad old tobacco tins on the wall! This is UNBELIEVABLY fun! You can find wisdom, rhyme, phone numbers, lyrics and sheer randomness contained within. But let's get down to business. On the beer side of things - it's a Fullers joint. This means, of course: Pride ESB Discovery HSB (Gales - but bought by Fullers I learned) Chiswick Bitter You can't go wrong with Pride, ESB or Discovery, so I was happy. There may have been a non-Fullers guest. Or maybe not! Excellent place.

At the moment this is my favourite pub in all of Brighton. Snuggled away in North Laine, if I didn't know where it was I would probably never find it - that's it's beauty, tucked behind all the hubbub. The Basketmakers is a classic, 'picture-book' pub: the ceilings are low, the tables are wooden and haphazard and the bar is full of gleaming brass and wooden ale pumps. The walls are completely covered in old signs and tobacco tins, which adds the most fantastic quality to the place and means you spend the first half and hour in there just gazing around and taking it all in. I love that the place is small, cosy and always cluttered with a chatting, laughing mix of people. The drinks are a little pricier than most places (which seems to put off the student crowds), but I think it's worth the extra to sit somewhere I enjoy so much. The food, however, definitely makes up for the slightly pricier drinks - fantastically priced, the portions are humongous and everything is locally sourced. If you want to eat here though, get in early or you'll be eating standing up the place is always packed which is testament to just how good it is. Last time I was there I had the most INCREDIBLE steak and chips; a huge rump, cooked to perfection gloriously red inside and melt-in-the-mouth. At £8.95 (£7.95 without the brandy peppercorn sauce, but why would you do that, eh?) for more than I could eat, the traditional pub meals are amazing value. My friend had their fish stew (£5.50) which was another enormous portion, smelt delicious and was flavoured to perfection. The Basketmakers Arms comes absolutely, 100% recommended. If you've lived in Brighton for a while and have never been here, you're really missing out.

This is a good pub in the cooler, calmer side of Brighton. Very busy on a Saturday night but with a friendly atmosphere and plenty of staff so you don't have to queue for long at the bar. Staff were a bit overenthusiastic when it came to chucking out time, but other than that were friendly enough. The best thing about this pub is the things that you can find secretly hidden in the wall decorations...

Love this place. A great pub off the beaten path. Quiet and full of friendly locals. Prices are good for Brighton and it's a nice place to just relax. Always enjoy reading the messages people leave in the tins.

This place is always busy with a mixed crowd. They other a variety of Real Ales. It can be a bit pricey but worth it. They are respected for their food as well. Its a bit hidden but once discovred is then put on ones regular visit lists.

Loved this pub! The food was amazing. I had the ham hock sandwich, and it was wonderful. Great, cozy atmosphere, and on a quieter block which we found nice in Brighton during the summer. We would have been there daily if we'd discovered it a bit sooner!

Nice old school Brighton pub, The basket makers is a classic. It's a small pub and can be tricky getting a table as the food is really good. They do a pub menu, sandwiches, cheesy chips etc and a daily fresh fish which is always cooked really well. Great roasts on a Sunday but they finish quite early and tend to run out. It's decorative inside with lots of old tins and plaques on the walls. Some of the tins have paper with messages hidden inside. I think there's still one from me. It's definitely a locals pub and if you live outside the North laine you may attract the suspicious stare of one of the older patrons, don't let this put you off. :)

This is one of my favourate pubs in Brighton and in my opinion the best burger and chips you'll get. The only thing I used to not like was that it was always really smokey but with the ban I can't even complain about that. It's traditional decor makes it a favourate for for the older Brightonian but with it's central and trendy location it's also a winner with the 30 something croud and students. In the summer there are a few tables outside on the street and in the winter it can get pretty cramped but it just adds to it's charm.

The tins on the wall definitely make this place a winner for me. I love the 'old man pub' feel of the place as well, it's really cosy and warm in there. The only complaint I have, and I'm biased having moved here from the North, but five pounds for a pint?? Really??

Easily in my top 5 pubs in Brighton and always a good place to take visitors. An excellent selection of drinks with a full range of Fullers / Gales ales with guest beers too, wide selection of lagers and ciders and more spirits than you could safely get through in a year of visits! They have a Malt of the Month on special offer selected from the wide range of whiskies. The food gives pub grub a good name with great burgers, including a very good veggie burger, chilli and the like with more 'upmarket' fare all prepared freshly in the kitchen. Lots of fish dishes too. It can get busy at peak times but you may still be able to find a stool or two lurking around a table under someones coat and it's a very sociable pub so most people are happy to share a table & scootch round.

Been here roughly a half dozen times, enough to make me wish I lived nearer to this place. It was a Gales house and now that Fuller's brews Gales beer you have everything you need from ESB to HSB in one convenient location. And the food is tasty. If you're in Brighton on a Sunday and miss out on their Sunday roast you should hang your head in shame.

I've been here once for a Sunday lunch and I enjoyed myself. We didn't need to make a reservation, which was nice, and the portions were filling and the prices reasonable. The only criticism I might have is that the lunch itself isn't particularly memorable -- just a good version of a classic. A solid four stars.

I like this pub but is fairly expensive, one peroni pint is 5£. The food is good because they have some dishes for vegetarians and they are tasty.

Real old stamping ground of my wife's family as her mother was born in Gloucester Place. I would venture a guess that this place hasn't changed in years, for it is so friendly, homely and so comfortable to be in. Many of the older family members still use it. Good grub, company, staff and everything.

If you live in Brighton or go there often you definitely know this one. If you've never been to Brighton, well, that's a damn shame! Brighton's Best Pubs claims that this IS Brighton's best pub based on real ales, food and atmosphere. I agree that it has top atmosphere with various old tobacco tins tacked on walls for decor with crazy messages left inside by punters. Good amusement if you go alone. And you can write your own message and leave inside! Yes, they have fantasic real ale. Yes, they have killer burgers. But after noon it is very hard to get a table!!! Even though, friendly people and staff makes up for it! I went alone on a Saturday in late afternoon when it was an absolute mad house! I did find a table and did finally get to order after a good wait for which my burger and HSB totally made up for! And I didn't even feel uncomfortable sitting there all by my lonesome. My advice: stop reading this and just go!!!

If this isn't one of the best pubs in Britain, not just Brighton, I know nothing about beer, pubs or having a jolly old time. Great street corner location, full of character, first class ales, malt-of-the-month offer, and famous for the tin boxes on the walls, everyone who's drinking in this pub (students, bohemians, creative types) is clearly loving every minute of it. Wonderful.

The Basket Makers Arms is a delightful little pub in the North Laines. I doubt if snug was ever a more appropriate word. It's a traditional little place serving the usual pub drinks including a range of ales, ciders and some pretty special whiskies. Its low ceilings and mock Tudor beams make it a typical cosy British boozer. What give the Basket Makers Arms its character though are hundreds of old tobacco tins that decorate its interior walls. In each one is a little message written by previous punters. The act of reading and writing messages has become somewhat of a tradition here so I doubt you'll ever read the same thing twice. From immature doodles to sentimental poems these messages are exactly the sort of things that make a place really memorable. Along with friendly staff and reasonable prices this makes the Basket Makers Arms one of my favourite pubs in town.

This pub has long been widely regarded as one of Brighton's finest, and whilst I don't have a problem with this place, I've yet to quite get onboard with that school of thought. I imagine the charm for people mostly lies in the authentic qualities it has, combined with good food. I tend to think the decor makes it feel a little cluttered, but it certainly has a different feel to 95% of all other pubs in the town. No doubting that the staff are friendly enough, and there seems to be a lot of pride in the ales on offer. Recommended for a bit of sanctuary and a good bite to eat.

I searched the internet for a good local Pub to have a Sunday lunch and the Basket Makers Arms did not disappoint, I've lived in Brighton for 7 years and this was my first visit. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, I hate it when you walk into a place and it's seems cliquey. Anyway this place is the complete opposite, what a find, I think I'll be a regular for the Sunday roast.

The Basketmakers is a decent pub with amazing, diverse selections of food. I've tried a few meals there now and they've been of epic proportions and utterly delicious each time. Even when visiting with a large group at a peak lunchtime everyone was been chuffed to bits with their meals. It gets very busy, even at lunchtimes during the week, but is worth getting there early if you can. It has quite an 'old man pub' feel to it, but this makes it feel really cosy and probably because of its location in the centre of the North Laine it always attracts a friendly, mixed crowd. Best bit? Taking time to open all of the tin boxes that cover the walls people write messages and leave them in here - some are insightful, some are hilarious!

A good solid pub. The food is a little bland but you get good healthy portionis

A fantastic quaint little pub with a great atmosphere, great food and superb beer. One of the delights every time I visit Brighton. Love it!