Marlborough Pub and Theatre in Brighton and Hove

Unfortunately, even though there were many things right I'll be avoiding this place. The service was impeccable, good beer, perfect lighting and lovely music. So what was wrong? A coven of aggressive women believing they ran the place because they'd booked a table. At their request the music, that I'd been enjoying, was turned off so they could conduct their meeting whilst sipping peppermint tea. I'd suggest a pub isn't an ideal place for this sort of thing. Especially if you're hell-bent on spoiling the atmosphere for everyone else. Sadly, they're regulars.

Very friendly bar person named Joe helped me find the perfect beverage and got me a tasty pizza. It’s now called The Actors rather than The Marlborough. Pleasant interior, lovely colours and textures, with good lighting. Would recommend for solo trips, dates and meeting friends. I was only there for about an hour but am looking forward to visiting again when I’m next in town. Thanks again for the birthday drink Joe 🥰

Friendly bar staff, reasonably priced drinks, fun atmosphere! Really lovely place for the lgbtqia+ community to feel safe ❤️ pizzas are super good too!!

El 17/09/19, recibí un mensaje de PayPal que decía que me habían cobrado 25 por la renovación automática de mi membresía Marly mate. Nunca me inscribí a sabiendas para la renovación automática, todos los años anteriores decidí si renovar manualmente, y nunca recibí ningún recordatorio antes del pago que me hubiera dado la oportunidad de cancelar. Mi pareja actual de Marly expiró el día después de que se realizó el pago (el 18/09/19), por lo tanto, inicié sesión rápidamente en PayPal para cancelar la renovación automática ya que el servicio solo comenzó el día siguiente. Solo pude cancelar la renovación para el próximo año, no pude cancelar el pago realizado el 17/09 a pesar de que el servicio pagado solo comenzó el 18/09.

Fun pub/theatre venue in the centre of Brighton, with an outdoor seating area for sunny days. Serves food too. New mural finished this week, looks great.

Disappointed having heard good things that this was not the friendly, open, place we'd thought. Very dingy but that's fine if there's a good vibe- not the case here. Staff quite rude and we were badly overcharged. Just felt really uncomfortable here really.

I was visiting Brighton for Trans Pride 2018 and thought this was a fantastic LGBT pub; very much a community space (lots of information leaflets available about different services people can access, posters about different projects people can get involved in, visible reminders that discrimination is not welcome) rather than just a business which can be the case with some gay venues. The events I attended here were great fun and I had a slice of a lovely pineapple and lemon cake that was obviously homemade. The pub also has gender neutral bathrooms which is nice to see. Would definitely come back in future!

First time I've ever done a review on trip advisor. Literally never seen people spoken to as badly as the staff did here, it was vile to say the least. STAY CLEAR

Popped in here and seemed very young, very clicky kind of place. Not for us. There were stacks of younguns out the front drinking. I honestly thought it was some kind of hostel. Inside it was very dark and very dirty. We stayed for 1 drink and couldn't get out of there fast enough. Sat on a sofa that my partner nearly fell through, terrible place.

Best gender/sex fluid positive bar i've been too. Not only were the staff friendly, the clientele were smiley, warm and inclusive. The Ales were varied and affordable and the pool table was free to play. I wish i could have stayed for a show. I recommend this venue as a great and safe place to drink and neet new people

Great selection of ales. Plenty to this place. Very different and certainly different clientele. We liked it as it does not pretend to be anything different to what it is. V Brighton and we liked it.

Always welcoming, friendly and fun! My absolute fave. Safe space for queer people and like a family.

After the disappointment of a cancelled Human League gig I decided to make the most of my Friday evening in Brighton and went to try out some of the gay bars. All were very nice and very friendly but didn’t seem particularly full (maybe I went too early — it was between 7 and 9), and so lacked a bit of atmosphere. So it was a slight revelation when I encountered this one (the last time that I’d done gay Brighton was for Pride 10 years ago, and I wasn’t even aware of this place then). Ummm, so I had accidentally wandered into a pub that was full and had an actual ‘vibe’ to it. People were drinking at the bar, playing pool, enjoying evening meals and dancing to the DJ. When I went outside I fell into conversation with a lot of the regulars, the bar staff and the manager — it’s a really friendly pub and they make strangers feel very welcome. There’s a theatre above and a theatre bar as well (both of which I failed to explore), but they added to the feeling of this being a ‘community’ pub and an important one to the LGBT scene in the area. In the 21 years that I’ve lived in London I’ve never found a gay pub with such a friendly atmosphere and sense of community as this one — Brighton, you have a real gem here. I had recommended it to my partner and family as well, but even though I was down for the weekend, I didn’t have the opportunity to go back and show them. Ah well, next time...

We popped in for a quick drink on a Friday night, it is a cosy pub, gay friendly and staff are very friendly. Theres a pool table in the back, nice drinks but not much room to sit. the DJ was good, played good music and played requests quickly. Would definitely recommend!

Went to the Marlborough for a nice quiet drink and a game of pool. Lovely atmosphere and good selection of drinks. Love this place

Delicious fresh vegan comfort foods and great friendly laid back vibe inside this fun and funky pub! Try the epic vegan burger!

Absolutely amazing - you get great delicious, with a wide range of drinks, and wonderful staff always happy to help - but the best part of this place isn't the food or the drinks...it's the clientele you get: diverse, eclectic, fun, and respectful of others. There's an atmosphere of reciprocal love and acceptance that will always have you coming back. The shows upstairs are a must if you're in town, even just for a night. Bookmark this place - this safe haven is a must-see, a must-visit, and a must-come back.

I was lucky enough to be taken to The Vegan Food Pimp for a roast dinner. I thoroughly enjoyed the main and they even stocked my favourite bottle of wine! I felt spoilt!

Vimos un espectáculo y tomamos unas copas. . Es un muy buen ambiente, muy agradable, excitante LBGTQI + tetris como intimidad en una noche de sábado y arriba con energía brillante teatro rebosar

Encantador, simpático pub! La variedad de la comida, también. Hay un montón de asientos disponibles - y unos pocos asientos afuera, también. Mesa de billar y un teatro de arriba.

Como vegetariano, encontrar este pub fue una gran sorpresa. He estado allí dos veces para una cena de carne asada y en ambas ocasiones la comida era increíble. Por no mencionar el personal amable y acogedor, que hizo que nuestra visita muy agradable. Gran ambiente....

Primero, y sin duda no será la última vez que me algo de comida vegetariana en este sitio! Un pub encantador, personal y la comida Vegana Uimp nos conectó con comida increíble! Sin duda lo recomiendo a mis amigos!

Went there to buy a ticket for a show after being told that I can get it at the venue. ( And its advertised on their website that u can ) So I walk down there to be told I can only get it online! wasting my time and i found the staff to be quite rude

We've been here a couple of times for a pint or two during an afternoon stroll round Brighton. Slightly off the road location from the Steine, so we found it by accident the first time - lucky us! The staff are excellent and always very chatty. Pub has been quiet when we've been in, the next visit has to be so we can enjoy what the theatre has to offer.Toilets here are transgender, but not a problem as they are very well maintained.

We visited here during Brighton Fringe month to see a play called 'The Bear Space'.The theatre was very cosy upstairs but a real little gem. The staff for the theatre and pub were really lovely too!

Came here to see a friend in a play and loved the venue - both pub and theatre. Very friendly bartender served me and the venue upstairs is very intimate for performances.

great staff.nice back street pub with rear and front outside space.pool table and theatre upstairs.great

Great friendly place, home cooked authentic food, really good tastes. The portion sizes a big, especially the soups. Anything goes, be yourself, Free pool machine at the back of the bar, quiz nights and music night, can get really really packed but also a nice local.

I've been to the Marly with friends to see some of their shows several times; it's always been busy, but friendly. The staff never seem to stop moving and, even when the place is packed out, they are always polite.The venue upstairs is old, but adequate; it can get quite claustrophobic in there during the summer, as the aircon isn't the best. The loos are non-gendered, old but kept clean and well stocked with toilet paper. And the food looks good although I haven't tried it myself.It's not as central as some bars as it's on the left as you approach the seafront/Pavillion, which means it misses out on some of the less appealing parts of the nightlife, but that's a bonus in my opinion.I'd happily go back any time I'm in Brighton.

I go to the Marlborough a lot. I like that I can take a book and find a quiet corner during the early evening, or that it can be so lively later on, whether it's open mike night, the quiz or people from the theatre upstairs. It is a home for the local lesbian and trans communities but you wouldn't know it and I have never felt anything other than really welcome. The Sunday roasts are really lovely.

I just love this bar. It is quirky and friendly and the Thai food is incredible - I am not an expert so I don't know if it is authentic or not but I do know that I have tried several Thai restaurants since and none have come close to this place. The white wine is not great - typical Pub plonk, but they do a great G&T, (not stingy with the ice) and my very fussy husband says the Guinness is good. There are other bars and pubs nearer our home than The Marlborough but it is definitely worth a few more minutes walking.

I came down from York with my husband 2 weeks ago for a short weekend break! We stumbled across this beautiful little pub and felt very welcome the second we walked through the door! The staff at the pub were so friendly and extremely helpful. I was extremely pleased to see a fellow Yorkshire man behind the bar. Very sweet young man. With a wonderful smile! We look forward to coming back.

This is one of my locals! It's a special little place, really cosy with some lovely vintage style décor. Music is always brilliant, as is food and the staff are gorgeous. Definitely recommended.

We recently visited Brighton for a long weekend and I did some research for stuff to do, came across the Marlbrough website and booked tickets for Camp as Christmas for the Saturday, it was great fun. We were the first to arrive and everyone was welcoming and the show was hilarious. We got chatting to a couple who also recommended the pub for Sunday lunch so I booked the next day (very helpful young chap on the phone). It was delicous, hot, tasty and a good size portion (I had the belly pork, it really was yummy). There was a nice atmosphere and the wine was fine (the happy hour was useful too). We had a brief chat with Tariq too, he was off back down to the church to clean up from the night before, what a lovely bloke. When we come back to Brighton this will be our first port of call

Definitely one of my favourite spots in Brighton, quiz night on Thurs is a blast, always friendly staff and always a great atmosphere

I love this pub. It's diverse and inclusive and welcoming to all. There are different crowds in at different times and you never know quite which one you will coincide with but its always great.

Best place in Brighton. Always something interesting to do, the theatre upstairs has great shows, and the crowd and staff are brilliant. You can't not visit this pub if you are in Brighton.

very nice pub, a great place to go with your friends and have some fun and nice thai food on friday nights.

Awesome place and Thai food, i do recommend the visit. The food was really nice and not expensive, ill come back for sure.

I recently attended a private function here organised by my friend. On arrival to set up, the staff had little to no knowledge of a function happening. On entering the room there was a swarm of flies in the middle of the bar! Which is really gross considering food would be served there. The layout of the pub meant the main toilets were situated in the function room, this led to a steady stream of uninvited pub guests entering the private bar area. My friend payed for a DJ which she was only informed on the day would be situated in the public bar area, meaning she had payed for a DJ to play to the entire pub! It was obvious too they were a bit understaffed to cope with the running of both bars.I have to say despite the general disappointment the Thai food was very good, and certainly enough for the amount of guests.Overall maybe this bar is good for a few drinks, it certainly is NOT adequate to hold a function.

My friends and I love this place. Great atmosphere, great music, great events, lovely staff and free pool table ;) I've never had a bad time. Oh and they do a student discount on lots of drinks!

The Marlborough is a wonderfully diverse pub, always having an eclectic mix of people, warm and lovely staff and there's always something on. Love the gender neutral loos, open mic night were you'll find music or poetry or spoken word on a Wednesday and it's a lovely pub for chatting in too. It's very welcoming to everyone regardless of looks or orientations so be happy to accept this and be kind to people otherwise you might not get served very quickly! I've only eaten once during the day, the Thai food was nice and the service was lovely. I'm a woman and some places don't feel very safe but the Marlborough is like a haven!

I've always had a nice time at the Marlborough. I've been coming here for about 10 years. It can be very varied - sometimes very quiet, sometimes heaving with people. But everyone has always been friendly and welcoming. The only reason I haven't given it five stars is that I believe that they don't pay their staff the living wage. I realise most pubs don't, but that's no excuse. I've also had nice thai food here, but an average roast.

Came here a few weeks ago with friends and we were served by a lovely girl at the bar who, despite us being drunk and annoying, was super lovely each time. They have two sides to the bar so it is a bit tricky for the staff to serve but they do a great job of making you feel looked after. I like it here!

My favorite pub in Brighton! Warm, welcoming and happens to have a theatre upstairs! They also do really lovely thai food on certain days. They also used to do roasts which they no longer do which is a shame. Have always had a great experiences with the staff though and friendly locals.

Went today with some friends and family and bar lady totally ignored us, she went about her business and we couldn't even get a drink, appalling service. Now I realise why as a Brighton resident I never recommend this bar.

The Marlborough's a charming little pub with a theatre upstairs. It's tucked away off one of Brighton's busiest roads, but during the week it's always easy to get a seat and get served at the bar. There's a number of tables dotted around, with sofas in one half of the pub. Weekends are naturally busier, but the staff are always friendly, efficient and happy to help. The pub itself is divided in 2 by the main bar - handy if there's an open mic night on and you fancy giving it a miss. They do very highly recommended roasts at the weekend, too, and there's a monthly pub quiz and other events. Occasionally the event upstairs (usually interesting comedy, performance art and LGBT-centric theatre) will spill downstairs, which makes for a fun evening.The place is very welcoming and has a real community feel - toilets are gender neutral and the clientele and staff range from all aspects of gender, sexualities and ages. Always a friendly atmosphere regardless of how busy it is. The music's also brilliant (and crucially, never too loud if you're just there for a chat) - a mixture of old soul, motown, pop classics and modern alternative.For when the weather's nice, there's a small street patio at the front with a few tables and chairs outside.

was here for my daughters surprise 40th birthday bash, and what a night was had by all, service was what you would expect on a very busy Friday night in Brighton, we never went any longer than 2-3 minutes without the bar being checked for anyone waiting. staff are different but in a good way. will definitely be coming back here when we visit daughter again.

Great roast on a dreary rainy Sunday. Attentive staff and a banging cauliflower cheese! Would highly recommend this pub.

This is a pub, and a theatre or innovative and interesting performance, and a place of community and meeting people. ALL IN ONE. If you are new in town, or have been here for a while but are looking for some change, get involved with this crowd. They are creative, lovely people, will serve you a drink and recommend a show, and neither will ever be disappointing. The Marlborough makes brighton a more interestign place.

Stopped here with freinds for a quick drink,really freindly barman,will definitley return and visit the theatre which sounds very quirky.

We loved the Marlborough. It's not the most stylish pub in Brighton, and it's not the easiest to find, but it is definitely one of the most characterful in Brighton. They have brilliant, quirky shows in the charming little theatre upstairs (best Fringe venue for Brighton Festival last year) and the pub itself was welcoming and friendly. The two managers were delightful when we visited; the clientele mixed and interesting. Worth checking out website for shows in theatre

The Marlborough is always a first choice for me when meeting friends, it's cosy without being cramped and always a warm, fun atmosphere. Recently I've seen some fantastic stuff at the theatre upstairs.

I've been coming to the Marly for many years and it's a great, welcoming place for the LGBTQ community and straight people alike. The new addition of Thai food on Fridays is very tasty. Plus there is the bonus of the quirky upstairs theatre which buzzes during the fringe and throughout the year. Yes the toilets leave a little to be desired, but the rest is shabby yet chic(ish)!

This used to be a good pub. Not anymore. Very clicky. The pub needs refurbishing. Stained carpet in one of the bars. I did not find the staff very friendly. In fact the person who runs the pub is extremely miserable. Does not smile at all. Not a happy soul. Brighton has a lot of gay bars to choose from. This is one that I will avoid.

Cosy,warm and friendly with a variety of well acted performances.Worth checking out what is on offer

A little late for an Xmas dinner review - but better late than never!Our group of around 14 people visited the Marlborough Pub for a (pre-ordered) Xmas Dinner at the beginning of December. We have visited this venue before, and although at first glance the decor seems a little tired (not at all unusual for Brighton!) we have always been assured of a friendly welcome from both staff and clientele. Our Xmas meal was unusual, in that it consisted not of the usual tired turkey, saturated greens and rocky spuds - but of a large number of small dishes like delicious little game pies, quiches, spiced olives, spicy salchichas, and similar rather healthy Mediterranean delicacies! All in all very imaginative. The service was efficient and friendly - and rapid - the prices were very reasonable indeed, including the drinks. We were made easily comfortable at a long table, and the pub had a very Christmassy and festive feel to it. I've had many an expensive and ghastly Xmas dinner out in the past - but not this one! I ate my fill of very tasty food and my bill was a whisker over £16! Not at all bad for an Xmas dins to remember!Lovely! Well done and thanks for a super time, girls of the Marly, and see you next year for more - and probably well before that in any case!