The Lion & Lobster in Brighton and Hove

I LOVE this pub. Run by the fantastic Emily, this is a cute little getaway from Brighton’s busy streets where you can enjoy a Guinness in an arm chair. The atmosphere is lush and the menu is very nice. I’ll be coming back for the doughnuts! ❤️

Didn't have any food but it looked good. Slightly expensive but nice pub nonetheless

UPDATE: 16/10/2024 My partner and I visited for a meal and drinks after such an amazing meal about five months ago. Oh dear, what a disappointment. Two parts of our meals were cold and the plates and bowls that everything was served on were also cold so it wasn't surprising. Plus the overall taste was quite bland. We would have raised this with staff if anyone had bothered to check on us but that didn't happen. Even asking for a spoon was an inconvenience. We don't know if there was a different chef but this meal compared to five months ago were worlds apart. Even our drinks were a disappointment. Who serves gin and tonic in a half pint glass?!! And when reporting that one of the ladies cubicles was constantly flushing with the other cubicle having a huge puddle on the floor was met with, "yeah, yeah, we know" so that did not go down well. Plus the hand dryer in the gents wasn't working. After a disappointing evening we are not likely to go back any time soon. Our dirty plates are probably still on the table now as there were no attempts to clear tables and there were plenty of staff on duty and it wasn't that busy. What a shame. 11/05/2024 - Cosy pub with a fire (lit in the winter, obviously!). Friendly staff and great choice of drinks. We have visited a few times, but today was the first time we've eaten here. THE FOOD WAS PHENOMENAL!! So much so that I asked to speak with the chef to compliment them. Laurie was very humble and contributed much to his Mum. I had the plant based gnocchi and my partner had the special, beef maal, which was a platter good enough for a king! Everything was fresh, delicious, well presented, well seasoned and the vegetables were still crunchy, as they should be!! They do have three TVs that show football, etc. Good for those who want to enjoy a drink and watch the footie. Heads up for those who, like us, who are not sports fans. We highly, highly recommend The Lion and Lobster!

One of my favorite pubs in Brighton. The layout is amazing with a lot of seating upstairs and down. The staff are lovely and always very fast to serve you. Food is good and drink selection is nice and varied. The garden is 'multi-levelled' with heaters and a bar. If you want an iconic pub that has everything then this is the place. Happy to call this place my local. Continue the amazing work.

What a deceptively awesome pub/restaurant this place is. Visited 2 nights in a row. The food was amazing each night. Staff very friendly. Has door staff on busier nights. The drinks are not stupid prices and cocktails are available. Has 3 floors of seating, 2 with indoor and also 2 levels of open air. Dog friendly too! Recommend booking for food on peak nights. Highly recommend this place.

Brilliant Sunday lunch! The perfect place to entertain and will be back. Great find.

Atmospheric pub very popular and most expensive of the side street pubs I visited.

Great, great pub. Stayed locally for a night, so popped in for a quick pint to be met warmly by the bar staff and a good selection of well kept ales. Popped back around 11:30pm for a late night drink, and the atmosphere was still great. Also had Sunday lunch, which was superb. Trio of meats seemed expensive, but when it arrived it all made sense!! I'm glad I don't live nearby as I'd be tempted to be in the Lion & Lobster way too often!

A really nice place to have dinner & drinks. The curry was the best meal I had in the uk

Had an Amazing Sunday Roast it was sooo good, all 5 of us throughly enjoyed our afternoon here. Wss friendly, cosy, the waiting staff were amazing. Was very chilled after 4pm then had The delightful live jazz, perfect Sunday afternoon/evening thankyou all👌👌

Just a great pub. Last went about 19 years ago. Remembered it was a good pub. It's still a good pub.

Great pub, nice open area for us smokers and vapers, lovely beer.

A wonderful traditional pub with incredible food. We had the L &L sharing board, which was just right for 2 people, but the Pea and ham arancini caught my eye, and I'm glad it did - amazing taste and texture. All in all, it's a great place to spend a few hours and eat some magnificent food...and there is a great selection to choose from.

Very friendly staff, delicious food, they got good Indian food and best Sunday roast, book in advance for roast dinner

Nice pub. I did not try the food.

Classic brighton boozer. Good mix of people in a unique space. Hoping the new owners give it a little spruce and freshen up here and there.

Popped in for a pint on a weekday afternoon, so rather quiet. A good range of ales, haven't been here for years.

Great food. Good service. Nice atmosphere

Good selection of drinks. Loads of nooks and crannys to sit and relax or catch up with friends. We went for the quiz night which was good fun and a great atmosphere. Will certainly return it has character.

Characterful and traditional pub that is a good local. The only downside is that they have ceased showing live football so we are having to find a new regular for game days. Otherwise it's perfect.

A great cosy and classic pub, serving pub style food that is better than most! It’s a perfect pub atmosphere to spend hours and hours chatting to mates in, with traditional pub decor and a good drinks section. The food is modern pub style dining, with great steaks, and a special mention is needed for the seafood pie, delightful! The service was a little slow, but the candle lit table and helpful waiters with a smile made the whole experience a good one!

One of the better vegan roasts I've had at a pub.

Had a fabulous Sunday lunch whilst away for the weekend. Great choices on the menu which included a fabulous Mushroom wellington for us vegans and very well cooked and tasty meat for the carnivores. Lovely friendly service.

Unfortunately the food has deteriorated greatly since our last visit. New menu, new chef?

I've loved this pub since I was 18, I'm now 37. Last night my wife and I stopped by for some food. The ambience and the drinks were just as perfect as they ever have been. The staff have always been awesome but the lady on the bar this time was next level, in terms of friendliness and banter, but also bar efficiency and attentiveness (I wish I'd asked her name). Then we ordered three dishes and OH MY GOD THEY WERE AMAZING!!! Like, I remember the food always being decent but I did not expect THAT. Basically normal Brighton pub prices but real, serious foodie food. We had the monkfish in a rice paper basket (yes, like actually homemade (I think) rice paper in a sort of crown 👑) which melted in the mouth, the baked goat's cheese which came with jammy goodness in the bottom and burnt bits around the edge and god I'm salivating thinking about it now and we also had the tomato salad with vegan feta which had so many beautiful flavours in it - it was all just SO five star. So yeah, go to the Lion & Lobster

Had 2 burgers that were delish, me and boyfriend and my little dog loved the atmosphere. Goat brûlée is a must! Will come again !

One of the best pubs in Hove. With it's multiple floors and rooftop garden, you can't get better than this on a summer's day or winter's evening. Regarding food. I have not been recently, but used to serve a legendary Sunday roast. I'll have to go back and test to see if it is still true.

I’ve just made a New Year’s resolution ‘go to the Lion & Lobster more regularly’. I remember the hay days when Gary Whelan owned it. When he sold it in 2014 it went downhill. Portobello took it over in 2022 and installed the current manager Emily. Portobello and Emily have transformed this pub back to its former glory. I’ve just enjoyed a fabulous Sunday roast. The portion was perfect, enough room for donuts with custard and rhubarb for desert. Go there!

We loved the vibe of this pub! The drinks were great, and the food was delicious. The sun terrace was so cozy and perfect at sunset.

Had a really nice pub dinner,classic meals cooked fresh all with refreshing modern touches at very resonable prices. But what made made the evening was the exceptional staff who all went above and beyond with thier service to make it a really speacil and welcoming evening. You could tell they all cared and wanted us to have the best time. Classic example of an established pub excelling in thier service. Thanks to the team

Very cosy pub with a garden like trace on top. Very friendly and good food.

This is a very cozy neighborhood bar, with great atmosphere and food! But, unfortunately service was strange… waiter in bar was talking on the phone with AirPods in ears all the time, even when the guests ordered in the bar. I ordered a cocktail, but got non alcoholic drink. When i was paying, the waiter tried to make me pay for alcoholic drink and not what I got (what I also got wrong). When mentioning it the waiter said “oh! You noticed..” -and redused the price, but seemed a bit irritated…

It's great! Really cosy, great atmosphere... I'd prefer less screens for sport but I know in a minority.

Watched the quarter finals here great atmosphere

Love this pub! We keep coming back! The terrace at the top is a favourite spot, especially when the sun is shining!! 🌞

Great local pub with a terrace upstairs

An amazing characterful boozer. Been here 3 times and each time has had about a 10 year gap between, still a class place everytime.

Cosy local neighborhood typical English pub, with lovely staff. We just came for a drink and were treated like their best guests.

Really friendly, with great service and surprisingly good prices for being that close to town.

We had the Sunday roast today, all five of us were very impressed. Excellent food and an amazing historical pub. Would definitely recommend.

Absolutely love this place. So cosy, perfect for groups. Lots of books and crannies, different rooms as well as a terrace.

We went as a group on a back holiday. The roast was one of the best I have had in a pub. The service was equally as good. Definitely worth seeking out.

One of my favourite pubs in Brighton for many years!

Great venue. The service was amazing. The kitchen did a great job at getting the food out for 16 people at the same time. They were also able to cater for several dietary requirements (gluten free/dairy free). I had the pork belly for the main which was delicious and cooked perfectly. My partner had the scallops for the starter which she said was delicious. Would highly recommend!

Got the beef, pork and chicken roast - one of the most amazing roasts ever, must have 😍

Great boozer , quite narrow bar but has lots of nooks and crannies to sit at, goes up several floors and secret roof garden. Good food, friendly staff, 5 mins from the seafront.

Everything was great! We were a big group (20+2 babies) on a birthday celebration and all run smoothly. The booking process was easy and very accommodating; the staff was brilliant, very friendly and super helpful! It was very well organised. The roast was absolutely delicious! Everyone loved it! We will definitely go back. Thank you very much!

Lovely little pub but prices are quite insane. They are london prices and for a small brighton pub it seems insane. Paid 9£ for double gin!

My boyfriend and I had an absolutely wonderful time here. We had pork belly and it was so delicious. Staff were really lovely and we loved all the nooks and crannies. Would defo recommend.

Lovely place with very friendly staff. The building is so large with so many twists and turns that sometimes, because you aren’t visible, you are forgotten about. Some really great food and the atmosphere is buzzing though!

Such wonderfully friendly staff with a great range of drinks. Food we had was 10/10 - pork belly - it was massive!! I could not fault a single mouthful.

Great location, lovely staff… outrageous prices… £6.80 for a non alcoholic beer 😂😅 come on…

Quite expensive for drinks. Great pub though.

Emily was a fabulous barmaid and made us a requested cocktail...lemoncello strawberry spritz which was gorgeous she was so patient and the drink was amazing thank you Emily

Lovely Sunday afternoon had in the upstairs dining room of which there are quite a few. Like a maze is this gorgeous olde worlde pub. Friends from Australia were quite taken with both the ambiance and the Sunday Roast.

After a gorgeous experience yesterday its only fair that I leave a wonderful review to the Lion and Lobster and all who make it what is . Firstly I must make the point that they have the most friendly and attentive staff I have come across in Brighton . Its a kooky place with historic interiors which look like it hasn't been change in decades but I'm not complaining!! The vibe suits and I felt like I was back in an old theater . We were seated in the upstairs dining room on a big table in the sunshine it was perfect and it felt like we where some where really special . I had roast Pork Belly and was intimidated by the size of the portion and that's not a bad thing ! Fabulous crackling the best I have ever had , tender meat , yummy veggies and potatoes , I was so greatful for the extra jug of gravy and not at one moment did we need for anything else with the attentive staff looking after us . Wonderful sunday soulful music and generally a lovely way to spend the evening ... next time I shall get downstairs for the live Jazz band! JT

Snooty kitchen staff, snooty waiters, but the food is delicious. The head chef always kindly called me kyan, and I respect him. His pizza chef Omar was probably not so great, brazillian with a burn mark on his cheek kind of type.. Sorry for leaving I really was deathly ill from a fever.

Lovely pub, lovely people. Food was a let down. Had the mussels, portion size was an embarrassment, not fresh or prepared properly. Gave the feedback to the kitchen. Nice pub for a drink though.

The Lion and Lobster never disappoints! Had the best fish and chips in a while… although £15 is slightly steep for a student.

Visited for a family meal. This is a cosy pub in the heart of Brighton. Good choice of menu. Food was slightly bland and lacked some imagination. Service was friendly and welcoming.

We had a party of 12 to dine, booked at quite short notice. We were given the private room that was really excellent. We were well attended to for the whole evening with great food and drink. The whole pub is charming and the staff are top-notch

We enjoyed a fabulous roast dinner at the Lion & Lobster on Sunday. It is a very popular venue & as there were 7 of us, we booked ahead.. We were seated upstairs, big table, lots of space. Excellent menu, vegetarians, vegans, meat eaters alike, catered for. We had 2 x vegetarians & 5 meat eaters. We ordered 2 veggie wellingtons, 1 chicken supreme & 4 pork bellies. Service was excellent, friendly & efficient. Food portions were HUGE. My veggie Wellington was delicious, accompanied by roast potatoes, Yorkshire pud, carrots, kale, purple cabbage & gravy - so much food. Not one complaint (amazing for my children), everyone loved their food. Very reasonably priced too. Highly recommended & be sure to book ahead.

What a fantastic proper old school type pub, 👌 great atmosphere and friendly bar staff and people 👍

Wow, Wow, Wow!!! what a great evening, It was our first visit to the Lion and Lobster, it will not be the last, the meal was great, the wine was delicious, and for the first time in a very long time we did not feel rushed so we were able to enjoy a ful night out. Your staff on the second floor were a credit to you..

Only went for a drink. Plenty of choice beer and lager wise

Excellent food. Original and home cooked menu. Very fresh produce and a lovely service. Great atmosphere and location. All in all the perfect pub.

I adore this pub. Such a great atmosphere, all little nooks and crannies - old fashioned but in a charming way. Definitely one of our favourites in Btown.

Don't eat here. Got bad food poisoning from the moules. Atmosphere is nice but terrible food.

Maybe we were unlucky but we arrived on time and the staff were extremely busy and apologetic, We were eventually shown to our table and ordered our food, we waited over an hour for it to arrive. We nearly all ordered the Sunday roast the portions were good and the food was beautifully presented and cooked. No sooner had our plates been cleared and we were handed the bill with some confusion we asked for the dessert menu to be told we needed to leave as they wanted the table back the staff continually apologised but it was awful. Having been Chefs we do understand the pressures but it was obviously extremely overbooked and the staff could not cope this is not fair on staff or customers . We had travelled from Warwick to meet our daughter and left to go home no dessert or coffee very upset

They used to have a fantastic quiz however they’ve now changed it and completely ruined it. Changed the prize to a laughable low amount that just comes across greedy. Questions are poor and very disorgansied. Food is very average.

We came here for a belated Valentine’s Day dinner. We walked in to a great atmosphere and Emily behind the bar greeted us and told us where to go for dinner. We headed upstairs and here we met Daffy, Ebony, and Maya. All three of them so very nice. We had a rather unpleasant experience with the guests sat next to us being quite rude toward me and it was on the verge of spoiling our evening. We debated abandoning the food we had ordered and finding somewhere else to eat but the girls all stepped up and helped us salvage our evening in a spectacular way. They moved us to a different room, comforted and joked with me, and their customer service was just flawless the whole night through. I write this review in the Uber leaving the venue as I just couldn’t wait to sing their praises. I am very confident that we both will be returning at my earliest possible convenience. These four women are all a credit to the lion and lobster and they have saved our Valentine’s Day celebrations from ruin. Not even to mention the food was out of this world!! Thank you so so so much for a fab evening Xx

Had a great Sunday lunch here. Lovely pub, great staff, even a cheap pint (not lager obviously).

Really nice traditional pub, carpets and low ceilings, lots of different rooms including outside seating. Good music.

Nice “traditional” pub with lovely atmosphere, staff and an amazing Sunday Roast. Can’t wait to be back to try the pork. Our vegetarian friend said the veggie roast was delicious 👌🏼

Lovely atmosphere and good service. Drinks great but food to be honest disappointing for the cost, Two of the meat choices on the menu not available which was disappointing but I guess beyond their control

Total disappointment, took the boys out for a roast my turn to pick the pub, food cold, service..what service. Nice pub as a boozer, roast was a massive let down and its not the first time either. Fedup will go there to drink not to eat!

We all ordered the same on the menu which was the braised short rib of beef. We all thought the beef was amazing and fell off the bone. It came in a very tasty sauce but we had to ask for more sauce as there wasn't enough. The potato puree and the vegetables complimented the dish well also. The only reason why I am not giving this a 5* review is due to the portion size. I had to order a side dish for my desert as I was still feeling hungry. The least they could do is offer more potato and a bit more veg as this is really at hardly any cost. Reading the other reviews here I think that the Lion and Lobster needs to take note of this point and do something about it because it's enough not to make me return or recommend to others.

Sunday lunch was excellant. Great relaxed atmostphere, but very attentive and good service. There is plenty of dining areas but best to book.

One of my favourite pubs. Lots of floors, good for exploring

Been there a while back, got to visit again tonight. Lovely, cosy (yet not small) with a decent selection of beers and great food, there's a roof terrace as well if you fancy it. Bar staff were lovely and accommodating. Hearty tip: on colder nights, try and secure a spot close to the fireplace.

Nice place with plenty of room, good service and great food

We went for a meal this afternoon and we were disappointed. Lots of the dishes were unavailable so we chose fish and chips and paid for it. About five minutes later the person serving came and told us it was not available. So reluctantly we ordered the veggie burger option. Bearing in mind we paid over 15 pounds when it arrived it looked smaller than a child's meal and less appetising than a meal at McDonald's. My partner did eat his but I refused and sent it back. The person serving did order extra chips but I asked for a refund. The guy did apologise and give us a full refund. Avoid being disappointed never order the veggie burger.

Excellent food and beer, friendly and quick service and a quirky and cosy atmosphere!

Possibly the worst food I've ever had the pleasure of purchasing. Served by a bunch of teenagers for top prices.

The mash potat is amazing I'd advice ordering bucket of mash potato if u get the chance it's so yummy x

This is a wonderful old pub with a great atmosphere and lots of little nooks and cranny’s. We had a large family meal in a private room at the top. The food was good and I highly recommend the Lion and Lobster

Good pub grub. Always busy for Sunday lunch

Lovely boozer. Cosy, good beer choices.

I reviewed the Lion and Lobster some time ago and gave it 5 stars. Now it's a 3. The service continues to be very friendly and attentive, and the traditional atmosphere is very welcoming, but the menu is now quite disappointing. There used to be lots of options, with particularly good fish. Now limited to a choice of 8 dishes (two of which are burgers). The beef was cooked well, but small, and served with one carrot and a few tiny pieces of kale. Not enough for £19.50. The burgers are small and come with a sprinkling of skinny fries. Still hungry after a main meal, we ordered desserts. The vegan tiramisu was nothing like a tiramisu, and not very filling either. Overall, the menu should be better. We did stay for some drinks after our meal, and had a really good time. It's a great pub, let down by the food.

Nice staff. Roast wasn't v warm, but to be fair, it was almost 8 O'Clock and they could've said the kitchen was closed. Nice to have a pub where one can still get a roast at that time.

We were a party of13 friends and had a brilliant time . We were able to have a lovely pre Xmas meal together in a beautiful room . Great service and very tasty food . The mackerel starter was the only disappointment as it appeared to have hardly much mackerel otherwise everything was perfect .

Nice atmosphere. Very popular with the locals. Every table book d for Sunday roast. You do need to book in advance on Sundays. We had the lamb and the beef. Lamb super, beef was okay. I thought the portions were a bit on the stingy side, 3 small potatoes,

Not exactly the best place to go on a romantic date as it's quite loud and busy on a Friday night, but perhaps that was the point. Might have to try it with friends next time.

Great place! Very nice selection of beers and nice atmosphere. If the weather allows it, check the roof terrace.

A mixed bag. My meal a roast lamb was delicious. My friend’s trout was good. However, the others meals were lukewarm and the gravy watery. There was also no Yorkshire Puddings for the roasts?? The side cauliflower was delicious albeit small and expensive. Service was slow but polite and they did change our table for a bigger one. The Prime red South African wine was horrible. The white wines were excellent. Overall a mixed bag.

Intially seated us at a tiny table (there were 4 of us!) more suited for 2. Moved us when we objected but then made us wait for over an hour for food. When it arrived, it was luke warm and flavourless. Also, no yorkshire puddings, but we were not told this at the start. Not impressed.

Booked a table for dinner weeks in advance, turned up with my group and told that the kitchen was a disaster and that food might take 2-3 hours to arrive. At least they were honest and staff were really friendly. We had to queue for 25 mins for drinks at one stage as only two people on the main bar taking various orders. They let us get takeaways in so we had fun and the drinks were good too, but it wasn't quite the evening we'd expected.

Lived in Brighton for 35 years and this was the first time I've been in. Nice pub (much bigger than it looks). Didn't eat but the food looked good.

Unfortunately we experienced a comically terrible experience here tonight 01/12/23 for our works Christmas meal. Yes we were a large group (~20) but we booked months in advance. We received a starter an hour after seating. Some received a sub standard mains an hour later after starters, others left before it could be delivered (2 hours after seating time) and some stuck it out but turned away the offer of a reheated or remade mains 2.5 hours later. Needless to say we left before desserts and refused to pay for a shambolic service. Do not book here for large groups. They cannot handle it and a lack of management on site meant they could not recover the situation.

Fabulous pub , useless and rude staff. Couldn't get served. Will not return