The Star & Garter in Brighton and Hove - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Sociable manageress Increasingly busy at lunchtime in very hot and sunny weather Thanks

Star & Garter Brighton dates back to 1750 and recently reverted back to it’s original name after a very long stint as Dr Brighton’s. The feel of the space is relaxing with soft colours wooden furniture and a brick fireplace on the left wall. The solid brass serving bar top catches your eye as a classy traditional touch amongst all the wood features. There’s a decent combination of mainstream brands and legitimate craft beer here across 10 taps, it’s all on keg though, nothing on cask. Guinness (not extra cold) is also available and scored very highly in my 2023 search for Brighton’s Best Guinness. The food offering at Star & Garter Brighton is Cutie Pies Detroit Pizza and quite simply, OMG! Cutie Pies is a spongy deep-pan focaccia style cheesy bread topped with highly addictive pizza toppings. I couldn’t stop eating this, it’s the perfect beer food and I now often find myself craving it. Read a full writeup on my website, URL in photos.

Great location. Very quiet, but it was Tuesday!

Anywhere that does Detroit style pizza is on my agenda, and the Cheese Louise option at Cutie Pies, served up at seafront pub The Star & Garter, blew my socks off. Three slices of this beautifully crusty, sloppy piece of art are probably enough, but I made light work of the lot. A couple of places in London have started to master this genre now, but Brighton’s Cutie Pies has them beat for taste with its lavishly applied marinara sauce and bombastic drizzling of basil oil. Even without one of the pizzas of my life in front of me, I would gladly while away any afternoon in one of the booths of this truly delightful pub. But yes, also another Cheese Louise, please.

Very nice pub on the seafront. Good choice of beers. Friendly staff and a stunning bar maid.

What a great pub! We had our wedding reception at the Star and Garter and it was absolutely perfect. The staff - especially Tara - went above and beyond, were so helpful and a lot of fun too. We had so many comments from our guests about how perfect a venue it was, specifically mentioning the pizza and the staff. The pub has a great vibe all round and we’ll definitely be regulars from now on!

Great vibes, great staff, great beer and the most awesome Detroit style pizza! I had the Buffacota (with buffalo chicken), it was BANGING!

Can't recommend this place enough,the pizzas are amazing so good, definitely in my top 2,get down there and try them out

Went for the detroit pizza but they didn't serve it until 4pm, so didn't have it had a beer, friendly staff

We celebrated the evening of our wedding at the Star and Garter, and had the most fun ever! The night was so special and exactly what we had hoped for - the food was delicious and just what people needed after a day of drinking, the music was perfect and exactly the right vibe, and service incredible. Tara was so friendly, welcoming, easy-going, flexible and committed to making our party the best it could be. Despite being a group of 17, there was no sense of taking up too much space or being a nuisance, and Tara even put on some banging 'wedding' themed songs. Each of our guests told us how much they loved the pub and how impressed they were with the service and offering. We can't wait to come back for a more chilled evening soon.

Fantastic Friday night spent here with friends. Clean toilets, reasonable prices, really friendly and professional staff. Didn't get any food so can't comment but service and atmosphere were both top notch. Definitely recommended.

The Star and Garter hosted my son's wedding reception. Tara (not sure if she's the owner/manager/landlady) was absolutely brilliant. She couldn't do enough to make the whole experience run smoothly and happily responded to every little request we made throughout the evening. My son and daughter-in-law said that Tara was really helpful during the planning process too, and couldn't have been more accommodating. They dropped off some decorations, flowers, photo boards etc the day before so that some of the wedding party could go in and prepare the space before the event but when we got there, Tara and her team of 2 had already set up the room. This was really appreciated as the ceremony ran late and there's no way we would have been able to decorate the space before the guests started arriving if we'd been left to do it ourselves. Bar and food service was really good throughout the evening and everyone loved the pizzas and chicken wings. The staff had a very long shift as the last guests didn't leave until 1:30 but there was no sense that anyone was being encouraged to leave early. Thank you so much Tara for making a special day run incredibly smoothly, and allowing everyone to enjoy themselves to the full. You're an absolute star!!

Popped in here as it was next to our hotel and so glad that we did. Lovely little pub, friendly staff and absolutely delicious Detroit style pizza was an incredible bonus!!! Will definitely be coming back here on our next trip to Brighton 💫

Lovely cosy, warm and welcoming pub. Went here for a function, the staff were fantastic. Good drink selection and all the food was delicious. Will return on all future trips to Brighton, an absolute gem

Great atmosphere in the pub, we got take away pizzas.. service and food was absolutely brilliant! A stand out very different type of pizza to your usual, I’ve never seen anything like these. Couldn’t recommend enough :)

Tara was so lovely and kind 🥰 will definitely be coming again!

Without a doubt the best pizza in the city!

Really nice pub with a delicious Pizza, cold Cider, good music and a cool barceeper.

Lovely cosy clean pub with happy atmosphere

Nice venue just on the seafront area. Nice beer

Writing this review as constructive criticism for the usually excellent Cutie Pie pizzas. After reading reviews, I ordered a pizza (chicken shawarma) and unfortunately received a hot mess. I could tell due to the consistency of the mozzarella that the pizza was reheated and not fresh. With the added toppings of other cheese whole peppers and next to no chicken resulted in an unpleasant and congealed pie. I received a full refund for this horror show. Don’t get complacent guys.

Had a lovely visit here for a late birthday treat on Sunday 22nd. We booked a table and the rest of the bar area was booked out but after those people didn't show we were moved to a window seat with amazing view of the seafront. The staff were really friendly and the Pizza pies are incredible. Had a side of fries and couldn't finish the food the portions are very generous. Can't wait to come back for more Pizza!

Great for watching todays lousy weather on the Brighton seafront from a warm bar!

Truly awful service. The scruffy barman got our first order wrong after waiting ages to get served. Attempting to order a second round, we waved to get the attention of the inattentive bar staff, only to be told by a miserable young barmaid who clearly hates her job, that waving is rude. Won’t be going back, plenty of other pubs around there.

Great pizza (they even made it vegan for us) and the barman was really friendly and knowledgeable. Was nice and quiet in there when we ate too, which was a bonus

They must have redone the pub recently because it’s soo nice inside, though very quiet on a sunny Thurs evening - it must be a hidden gem! The pizza from Cutie Pies is 10/10 and can’t be beaten - it has a thick, almost focaccia like base. Highly recommend!

I absolutely love pizza, and the Detroit-style slices in this place are insane! So thick and juicy and delicious. Staff are also exceptionally friendly. Strongly recommend the Star & Garter!

Great little bar on the seafront. Haven't been there loads but whenever I'm in Brighton we rnd up there at some point. Great range of drinks on offer. Didn't have food though so can't comment, but what was coming out of the kitchen did look banging tbf Go give it a go 👍🏼

Not been here in years since I moved from the area. Top venue added plus of sort of a sea view 😀

Great pub Great food Staff were lovely Music was amazing Will definitely be back!

Great find. We'll be going back.

Been looking forward to trying the Detroit pizza here and it did not disappoint one bit! So delicious and so different to all other pizza options in Brighton at the moment. The honey on the pepperoni pizza adds another level of flavour that works so well. We shared one pizza and fries between 2 and it was very filling but a good amount of food and felt like good value. The pub has a nice atmosphere and is newly renovated. Definitely will be back for more!

best pizza you’ll find in brighton🙌🙌🙌

Nice hotel pity the restauraunt/bar don't serve breakfast. Room very small. A bit like faulty towers with stairs up and down to find room

The pizzas here are incredible! The pub was surprisingly quiet for a Friday evening, but all the staff were nice and the service was great!

I ordered through Ubereats! The pizzas are delicious, and not to mention you guys got my nickname (Ali G) totally right - respek!😂😂

Great little pub, good selection of drinks, lovely barman and great atmosphere. It was gorgeous sitting outside watching the world go by with a cold ale and the warm sun on us.

Awesome pub with great staff right on the seafront. The pizzas from Cutie Pies are absolutely 10/10 💫

Un pub realmente genial con vistas al mar.

Lovely place with great music and drinks. Ester is a gem there!

Great pub atmosphere with a fantastic cider on tap!

Nice pub nice beer and friendly staff

Nice little pub, much better than your usual Brighton seafront. Excellent food from Baby Bao. Decent drinks available and friendly helpful staff.

It was ok but a bit more expensive than I am used too

A really nice friendly pub one of the better ones in brighton

Friendly barstaff. We ordered Bloody Mary's. They didn't have one of the ingredients (worstershire sauce) but served us the drinks anyway without mentioning it. Pub smells of mildew in the front seats by the windows.

Good bar service the drinks were we'll priced. Plenty of seating

A stunning historical pub serving outstanding burgers, offering a great selection of beers and very friendly, easy going staff in a great location with breathtaking sea views. Highly recommend!

Very nice place very clean etc and great staff Again it being a very old building toilets were in the basement down some stairs that went on forever -felt like it anyway and I didn't feel that safe on the way down so not good for wheelchair users It's just off the front of the lanes and in between 2x hotels

Really fun pub on the seafront, great music and the food was banging, really hard to knock the place.

What a stunning building, and a great pub as well. As I read about one of my Brighton favourites, Brighton Beer Dispensary, having to close the doors for good, I look to read up on this pub and find it almost suffered a similar date prior to opening. We popped in here on our way to Plateau, and had a couple of Deya Magazine Covers which were excellent. Staff were chatty, locals happy, and I've heard on good authority the burgers are as impressive as the beer selection. Someone claimed the best they've ever had. Bold. Formerly a hotel of the same name, "it played host to many famous people, including Winston Churchill, Jack Dempsey, Charlie Chaplin, Richard Burton, and the Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII), and dates back to at least 1785" (source: mybrightonandhove). Since then, it became a pub called "Doctor Brighton's" until 2018, after the rent was tripled and they couldn't continue. Luckily, an associated company of Radfox, Star & Garter Limited, now run this pub, back to its original name, made up of founders from Brighton based Bison Beer, who also run the excellent "The Pond" and "Easy Tiger". A labour of love and frustration, renovations to honour the original vibe, combined with attempting to do all of this throughout Covid has made it impossibly tricky - but it's been pulled off (source: B&H News). It's Grade II listed, owned by the council, and a lapse in admin when changing the licences allowed the council to force harsher restrictions on the place before it even opened. But, it's here, it serves beer, it serves burgers, it's on the sea front, and it's a dream. After seeing one close down in Brighton already, the tip of the iceberg for all pubs I fear, and reading what an absolute ordeal the team behind this place had to go through to get it to where it is today, it's nothing short of remarkable. We take for granted the grind those put in to get the lights on in these venues, let alone keep them on. Hopefully I will get a chance to come back down sooner rather than later, but if any one finds themselves in Brighton soon, make sure you swing by for a swift pint and a burger. Could be the best you ever have.

Hypocrisy from the swearing bar staff. We were asked to move away from the bar by the two young women serving because we were swearing. We were buzzing from a great gig and just having a laugh, although my best friend was quite shocked how expensive two beers and a soft drink cost, even for Brighton prices. My mate said he was swearing due to the high price and one of the women, in a haughty manner, said the prices are displayed. They may be displayed but unless one was about 10 cm from the beer pump, it was impossible to see. OK, so we moved to the seated area, but we later heard both the women behind the bar swearing. I believe that's called hypocrisy. Then some customers they obviously knew came into the pub and sat at the bar. And started swearing. Were they asked to move away from the bar area? No of course not. Between my two friends and me, we're fat, bald and grey. The known customers were young, full of hair, tatted and trendy. So much for the much vaunted tolerance in Brighton. The attitude of the staff probably explains why the pub was dead, because quite frankly who'd want to drink in a pub with such attitudes to older people. (And yes, I am a white, older male. However, I qualify as 'woke' due to my left wing, socialist politics, this is nothing to do with cancel culture or white male privilege, it's about double standards.)

Lovely selection of really nice tasting beers ruined by the bar staff. It seemed like if you were one of their friends you received a warm welcome but if not forget it. What annoyed me most was the staff then standing at the bar swearing with their friends loud enough for us to hear from the other end of the pub. When we left we were rewarded with one of the staff looking up from their magazine and grunting. Well worth the visit for such a great welcome - won't be going back in there which is a shame as the beer I had was excellent.

Lovely pub in central Brighton, on the seafront. Will b returning on my next trip!

We had a lovely time here, I had a delicious cocktail made off the menu by Erin, and Abi was really friendly and helpful when choosing our food. Can't wait to come back!

Been to The Star & Garter a few times and always get service with a smile. It's in a great location, the food is delicious, and the decor is gorgeous inside. The woman behind the bar has never been anything but polite and helpful, even when I take 5 minutes to choose a drink. I won't hesitate to go back again.

Lovely little bar. Nice staff, very friendly. Second night we popped in. Toilets were out of order so probably left earlier than we intended.

Amazing little find!!! I have not had a burger so good in my lifetime!! Perfect place for food and drinks. Jake the barman provided excellent service and even made a little custom mocktail for our son.

Found this pub one evening after a swim. So pleased Dr Brightons finally got a facelift and it looks great. Great little booths for an intimate gathering. Burgers were really good …meat eaters and vegans in our group all happy! Friendly staff and a relaxed vibe.

So nice to see such a prominent site back open, and better than ever under the new guys! Go for the burgers, stay for the sea views

Great pub, and love the window seat looking onto the beach! Friendly staff and nice vibes

My fave new local! The refurb is gorgeous. The weather was amazing so we sat outside and had an incredible burger in front of a peaceful sea view. My friend’s burger was free because we ate on a Wednesday and she rolled a six on their ‘lucky Wednesday’ dice. Really friendly staff and lovely customer service. Will deffo be back!

Was a nice little pub. At first we only went there because we knew about the food (had it elsewhere previously) but now we know about this place we would definitely go back. The staff are super friendly and the drinks were delicious, and of course the food was top notch.

Nice pub just set back from the seafront. They’ve got a really good selection of craft beers. We tried their food which is pretty much all burgers and they were so good. Staff were lovely too!

Fantastic new pub on the sea front! Great feel inside, lovely staff and awesome food, will be back!!

Great to see finally open and Wow! A great refurbishment with a super group of staff! Looking forward to trying the food really soon 😋 ☺️ 😊

Friendly staff, good atmosphere, excellent food. Would recommend highly

Off the old lanes we wound our way to a delightful pub with a sea view. There we joined the burger kult. Succulent burgers laden with artisanal sauces. Vegan option was great! Clean loos, friendly staff and great brews with pier and sea views made for an excellent day out. Pretty good value @£12