Village in Brighton and Hove

Great atmosphere and a really cool place to sit and drink.

My 4 word review is: My Nan's but better For full review including photos, see potato_world_and_beyond on Instagram!

Lovely bar/cafe with excellent food

A funky bar with ye olde style nik-naks crammed in all over the place. Friendly staff and a great atmosphere, thanks to Ellie and Alice who were fantastic. Ate Thai food which I found far too sweet, more sugar than you'll find in Thailand but still good enough to devour. Wifi wasn't working on both visits to the pub!

It's a pub where services food but doesn't is good service about this ( example...I ordered food and drinks in bar and pay there, but when you eat and want some more drinks you need again going to bar for order and pay there....and this pub isn't busy, just looks like very lazy bar staff (((( seating area....it's a joke, really....can see in picture. Food.....was nice, really nice.. This pub have Thai food and I can say, it's propably one of the best Thai food in Brighton. Sadly, only this is positive about this pub. First beer what I have ( Birra Moratti) taste like a water from cleaning beers pints ((((( terrible, tissues with knifes and forks.... OMG, smells like dump, wet.... absolutely disgusting. I understand this staff little be, Saturday evening propably won't be somewhere and have fun but if is in work.....sorry, just not recommended. Plus this funny,, Nazis,, bench)))))))) that makes me smile, but still not recommended this pub.

Great little local pub, lovely staff

We hired Village for a memorial get-together and couldn't have been happier with the experience. Relaxed/friendly staff, delicious Thai food, great beer, and quirky ambience. Couldn't recommend more highly, thanks guys.

Nice friendly pub with fantastic Thai food on the night we were there. Typical Brighton cosy / quirky vibe. Good range of teas and coffees as well as pub drinks, too - and cake!

A little on the expensive side for pints (£5.80 Guinness atm) but the food and coffee is great, and it’s got a lovely atmosphere. Service can be a bit slow when busy, like at weekends. I often think they could do with an extra person working.

Had breakfast here few mornings. Excellent food service is great and staff are friendly. The price is good also and all cooked fresh. Nice clean place and nice music in the back round. Highly recommend

A great local place with excellent drinks and an absolutely superb 'Village Breakfast'. Great stuff.

They offered me a role and I have a 2 week notice, they said it would be okay. As I quit my old job and was about to start this one. They then proceeded to hire someone else without telling me leaving me unemployed and I have bills to pay. When messaging them they proceeded to leave me on read and didn’t respond back. Extremely unprofessional and quite rude don’t recommend working for them.

We used to really like the vegetarian breakfast at the Village but we feel like it has gone downhill since the last time we visited. The potatoes and sausages were undercooked. The sausages on my plate were pretty much cold. The harissa sauce didn’t seem fresh. The toast was soaking with butter and things just weren’t right. We also ordered a cappuccino which had whole coffee beans dropped in it and tasted like warm milk with a splash of coffee. The whole place needs a proper clean because the tables and the toilets weren’t clean. It’s a shame because we really liked the breakfast there before!

Really lovely pub with a good beer selection (especially the Joosy IPA) and great coffee too. Always a good atmosphere and friendly bartenders. Have occasionally come in during the day to work on the laptop for a while, but the WiFi can be a bit iffy so check it’s working first! But if it’s quiet, it’s a great spot to grab a coffee and bite to eat.

Lovely small local bar. Good staff, nice chilled atmosphere

Very well run, staff are amazing & a well stocked bar too. Eclecticly interesting decor in a traditional setting. well worth a visit or two!

village is an awesome venue !!! With Great staff and a lovely ambience :)) Thank you for tonight guys!! I will be coming back soon!!

We are local and the village was our favourite pub. We loved the addition of the new Thai menu, however….we went there tonight and mid meal (after starters), the waitress Hannah took a call and then gave our table away for people to attend the pub quiz..our table was then marked as reserved, meaning we had to leave within under an hour and we were told we should order our mains fast and then we may have time to eat them. No consideration that we may have wanted to actually do the quiz or even not to have downed our mains then leave straight away. So disappointed, now at home ordering a Thai takeaway. Feel like we have been kicked out of our local.

Lots of good options. Very nice staff and easy relaxed atmosphere!

Amazing Thai food! Hannah does the best strawberry daiquiri everrr! I always come back for more! Thank you :)

This is a lovely little pub, with an incredible breakfast 😱

13 of us booked Village after a couple of us ran the Marathon. The restaurant was very busy but we were allocated a really nice spot at the end of the restaurant where we could all be together. Even though the place was packed due to the Marathon, the service was excellent. When the food arrived we could not have been happier - the roasts were DELICIOUS! We had a gluten free vegan with us and they could not have been more accommodating. The nut roast was equally as good as the lamb / beef - superb! We had a great meal and a top notch experience at Village.

Probably the best veggie (and vegan cos we accidentally ordered too much) roast I’ve ever had.

History: The former Horse and Groom pub, Islingword Road. A street-corner pub in the densely populated terraced streets of Hanover. It closed and was sold in February 2015. The building is on the Brighton and Hove City Council register of locally listed buildings. The building itself was a pub for over a hundred years, having originally been called the Horse & Groom. In 2014 the owners decided to sell it, with the plan being to turn it into offices. Luckily, a local group campaigned to instead make the pub into an asset of community value, and so Village Café Bar was born. It’s now a space that’s open all day and night for both the community and visitors to the area to enjoy. Village Café Bar in Brighton is a venue of two halves. In the morning and early afternoon, the in-house team churns out hot drinks and a tempting brunch menu. Brunch is served every day from opening until 4 pm. If you stop in later in the evening it serves a delicious variety of dishes to tempt your taste buds. Dog-friendly... 🐕 The staff are friendly and welcoming as soon as you walk through the door. The brunch was sumptuous & the coffee was on point. Definitely will return & thoroughly recommend it.

Had a gorgeous roast here yesterday, I chose the lamb which was super tender and veggies were cooked nicely. Such a great Hanover/ local atmosphere. This pub is unique in it’s style and has a great sense of community.

Great little local pub...that's just a bit quirky and different. Always enjoy coming here.

Village has just started doing Sunday roasts and knowing how strong the competition is for the roast trade on a Sunday they had to be excellent, and my lamb was exceptional! Pressed Lamb Shoulder and excellent gravy and all the trimmings! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Can't fault this welcoming place. Great food. Good selection of drinks. Great discovery. Will return.

Orson former chef and owner of the fabulous and sorely missed Semolina on Baker Street Brighton - is now running the kitchen at Village Islingword Rd in Hanover Brighton. One of our best local chefs imho, serving brunch- now evening meals and fabulous Sunday Roast (as of today )…you really can’t get better , it’s a little cramped when busy , not helped by seemingly superfluous furniture and full of a tatty jumble of stuff decoratively walls and surfaces that doesn’t add much (maybe consider the old adage- less is more perhaps?) - the fabulous fantastic food is what you go for and it is truly outstanding. Value and appreciate time with friends and family during an exquisite dining experience that is reasonably priced and easily right now - one of the best in Brighton 👍😊❤️👏🧑‍🍳🎉

Super friendly. Really cosy. Serves the best breakfasts, with a great choice for vegetarian and vegans.

Staff are always fabulous- the eccentric look is charming to an extent but crammed with *rap is a little off putting as it’s clear the main dining area is not cleaned or cleared out very often. Saying that the tables and chairs although old a rickety are never grubby just a bit uncomfortable to sit on for long. So my visits are brief …..making a change this week as want to try the new evening menu created by ex Semolina chef and proprietor- Orson. My other half finds the place gloomy so we’ll see how it goes ! I will report back later in the week👍😊

A gorgeous little cafe/pub with lots of atmosphere and very friendly staff!

Exceptionally good vegetarian meal. I had the haggis and neeps and I would return for seconds in the blink of an eye. Superb v haggis recipe, excellent gravy too! My friend opted for Portuguese style stew which she also deemed tip-top. A special mention for Vanessa (the new chef) whom quite clearly applies a lot of love and care to her work. Book now.

It's a really lovely community focused cafe and bar

Amazing vegan nachos! Fresh ingredients, punchy flavours and a big plateful at a great price. And that's although I'm not vegan and most of the time I don't even like nachos. But it was the only dish available for a quick dinner, so I was prepared to be punished- but actually it was really really yummy! I ll be back.

Didn't eat so can't comment on the food. Lovely establishment though x

Had a really delicious breakfast. The food was amazing.

Feel so lucky to have this lovely place at just 2 minutes walking distance from my house. Love it 😍

Love this place when I am in Brighton

A real local community atmosphere but equally welcoming to those from further afield. Great food and friendly staff. Thank you.

Great menu and even better ambience Highly recommend the Algerian breakfast

Had the pleasure of staying in one of the airbnbs upstairs, enjoying the breakfast & drinking cocktails in the evening. Village has it all! Great atmosphere, lovely staff & amazing food and drink selection

The heart in hand is no longer. The Village survives which is great. However, the beer selection is a bit average and the nibbles on the bar didn’t inspire one so much. The sun trap seats outside were much appreciated and if you have three pints of beer starting with £16 it’s not to be sniffed at. Staff were nice too. Only mark down was it was a tad mundane there and no sport on the telly box. We live to fight another day.

Nice pub with home-y vibes, had fresh baked goods including vegan options. Nice to sit outside during the evening

I've really enjoyed the pub in the past. But, hmmm, some times you pick up an odd vibe - like when the staff are doing their best, they seem defo friendly and helpful to the customers, but when they are not serving, don't look so happy.. like there's a management issue. .. perhaps not. Just a feeling. If that's the case, then I hope the managers look to themselves to address it rather than starting with the staff. Other than that, it is a great pub/cafe/local location - really characterful but, hmmm, perhaps it's that vibe, not feeling that busy or lively on a Thursday night - we'd walked by several other Hanover pubs and noticed how they seem to be getting their buzz back.

Place absolutely stank and had the vibe of a stagnant pond- back in the day this pub used to be where it was it- owner really needs to sort it out

What a find! The food was wonderful, the Latin music fantastic and a laid back relaxed atmosphere. I would definitely go back with food as delicious as that. Great chai latte too

The staff are really nice and just everything is lovely, including the drinks ad their food options.

Their bunch is the best! Lovely for an early evening pint too.

Lived in Brighton for 15 years and only just discovered this wonderful place. Went fo a beer in the evening- friendly service, great atmosphere and full of character. Good music and a totally brilliant relaxed vibe. Returned couple of days later for brunch. Top notch. Atmosphere even more chilled and welcoming. Delicious Bloody Mary's, wonderful food and coffee, all woth excellent service. What sets this place apart is its totally independent feel - eclectic menu, furniture and design. Cosy, comfortable and so welcoming. These guys know what they are doing. It's as far removed from the uniformity of dreary chain style pubs/restaurants as you can get. Go!

Great food and friendly, fast service. Shame the kitchen closes at 8.30. We Airbnbd across the road for a week and enjoyed several meals here

The Village is a pleasant little cafe cum bar part of the way up Hanover Hill in Brighton. Despite the signage from a previous existence it is not a pub although it does have a selection of drinks to go with its decent food. From the outside The Village looks the part of an old school pub. It is not. It is a trendy cafe with a large range of meals on offer. Inside it has the homely and lived-in feel of a community cafe. The decor includes various art pieces and curios as well as a slightly mis-matching chic. There are a good few tables. Of a weekday lunchtime most were taken but not all. The atmosphere was friendly and conversation generally family-orientated. The drinks on offer include a couple at the pump but most are bottles and need to be spotted in one of the fridges to be identifiable as available. The range is decent but buying bottles from a fridge does not make the place feel particularly high quality. However, the food is excellent. Breakfast is served all-day and there are lots of other options as well. Vegetarians are well catered for The shashuka was an excellent choice. A great combination of nicely cooked egg, an appetising tomato sauce, some vegetables, small pittas, and a chili pepper. The combination was fantastic and a great, refreshing meal. Never heavy and with the pepper always tasty. Adding a couple of veggie sausages was a solid choice. Well worth the visit for a meal like that. WiFi is available which is handy as coverage seems poor inside so tapping into the WiFi is a necessity. Seating is pretty basic but does the job. This is not a hugely comfortable cafe but as a place to stop off and grab a delightful bite to eat the Hanover community is well-served.

The Village is a pleasant little cafe cum bar part of the way up Hanover Hill in Brighton. Despite the signage from a previous existence it is not a pub although it does have a selection of drinks to go with its decent food. From the outside The Village looks the part of an old school pub. It is not. It is a trendy cafe with a large range of meals on offer. Inside it has the homely and lived-in feel of a community cafe. The decor includes various art pieces and curios as well as a slightly mis-matching chic. There are a good few tables. Of a weekday lunchtime most were taken but not all. The atmosphere was friendly and conversation generally family-orientated. The drinks on offer include a couple at the pump but most are bottles and need to be spotted in one of the fridges to be identifiable as available. The range is decent but buying bottles from a fridge does not make the place feel particularly high quality. However, the food is excellent. Breakfast is served all-day and there are lots of other options as well. Vegetarians are well catered for The shashuka was an excellent choice. A great combination of nicely cooked egg, an appetising tomato sauce, some vegetables, small pittas, and a chili pepper. The combination was fantastic and a great, refreshing meal. Never heavy and with the pepper always tasty. Adding a couple of veggie sausages was a solid choice. Well worth the visit for a meal like that. WiFi is available which is handy as coverage seems poor inside so tapping into the WiFi is a necessity. Seating is pretty basic but does the job. This is not a hugely comfortable cafe but as a place to stop off and grab a delightful bite to eat the Hanover community is well-served.

Awful place tables dirty, staff are rude, food basic

What a gem! Food was amazing and had a great table. There was a lot of us and the food was still consistent and we all were very impressed with the service. Looking forward to coming back.

A large group of us went to Village for brunch - the food and drink was fab, and the staff were very gracious and patient with us despite our numerous order changes and general levels of confusion! The bloody marys and decor were two particular highlights.

Great food and vibe. It feels like a little hidden gem, but was busy so I suspect it's not such a secret location.

Amazing food (eggs royal in photo), good prices, cozy environment, lovely staff. Nice venue for small gigs too!

Don’t go anywhere else for coffee or breakfast. Super relaxing and the best service. Will definitely be coming back. Thank you for a great start to a beautiful day.

The best cosiest place to go for great veggie food a lovely relaxed family friendly and dog friendly atmosphere.

Without doubt, the best breakfast and accommodation in Brighton . I have eaten here many times because the food is super tasty and all home cooked. The rooms are clean and extremely comfortable. Everyone is friendly and accommodating it really makes a weekend away that bit more special. The evening entertainment was an added bonus for our stay as it meant we could make the most of everything on offer in one place. Food, drinks, and music! Thank you for having us.

We love Village!! Best breakfast in Brighton!! .. (shakshuka as always is amazing!) Had a lovely family breakfast this morning for Father’s Day!! Thanks again to you all for lovely food and a friendly welcome and service!

The food was really tasty, the service was really good and to top it off a great selection of beers.

Me and the family loved our visit here. Great customer service, staff very friendly and helpful. Loved the smiles. Loved the deco and food spot on. Plan to come back.

We had an amazing 2 night stay at The Village. Everything was spotless and the staff went above and beyond to make sure we had a good stay. We treated ourselves to Breakfast both mornings and the food was 5*. We can't wait to come back! Thank you.

Great local, community run. Varied menu, wide range of drinks. Friendly staff and welcoming atmosphere. Up a hill, but worth the trek.

Stayed upstairs in the new rooms I found on airbnb. Slept so well in my nice clean room and had a great breakfast downstairs in village the following morning. So convenient and as with last time, the staff were really helpful and full of local knowledge.

Been in for coffee a fair few times now. Super friendly staff and dogs are welcome to which is always a plus

Sadly had a very poor lukewarm meal at the Village last night as did my friend. I’ve been a fan of the Blue Man for years but the meals were lacking taste or substance and very watery. Very disappointing indeed and can’t recommend.

Lovely pub, friendly laid back staff, excellent background music - and incredible food! Met a group of friends here last week, really impressed. Highly recommend

Had an amazing meal with a group of friends. The North African food is absolutely delicious, we literally wiped every plate clean! Loads of vegetarian options and sharing plates. Really lovely staff and very relaxed atmosphere. Highly recommend and can’t wait to return.

Met friends for food last Friday night. The food was amazing!! I used to go to Blue Man years ago and the food is still incredible, absolutely delicious and great value. The pub is also super lovely and great bar staff. Can’t wait to return.

Such a wicked little pub, can’t rate highly enough. I like it so much I just had my birthday here. Hired the whole place and had great food, amazing cocktails, really friendly staff, all in the perfect cosy space that feels like your living room but with a glitter ball dance floor. Love this place. Definitely recommend popping in for a drink and to sample the delicious menu. 10 stars ⭐️

The halloumi wrap was divine. I came here drunk once and had a wonderful experience. I wanted to come back sober to re affirm my passage to oral shangri-la. Needless to say, my experience was equally delectable.

We had a lovely brunch at the Village over the Easter weekend, the cosy and calm atmosphere suited us perfectly ar the time, although we have thoroughly enjoyed the buzzy evening vibes in the past as well. Staff is very friendly and attentive and the Bloody Mary was rich and full of flavour. Highly recommended!

Could be cleaner and tidier inside. Food quite pricey bearing this in mind. If I could rate 3.5 that is probably fair.

A lovely friendly place. And a toad table to boot

Great social hub serving good food and drinks, alcoholic and other. A proper post pub experience.

Lively, friendly, helpful. Jazz plus conversation - a lovely Sunday evening out.

Was delicious, had the Algerian breakfast and a cappuccino for £18.00. So the food was a little more expenny but it was deffo worth doing for fitness

Very cosy and a wonderful vibe!!

My first ever time here. Was greeted with friendly banter at the host station which made me feel comfortable. Waiting Staff were great, friendly and honest! Wasn’t sure if I should have the roast chicken or Roast beef, with advice from the waiting staff I opted for the chicken. I certainly wasn’t disappointed! Food was great! I asked for extra gravy which was no problem. Awesome ambiance, I’ll say again.....all the staff that I came into contact with were just great, no pretence and so down to earth which can be a rarity in Brighton!! Excellent pub overall!

Expensive food and rather grubby surroundings. Pleasant staff

We visited the Walrus for a Christmas Day Lunch. Booking online was £75 per head which we paid online. The reservation was seamless and on arrival we were shown our table. The tables although busy were laid out to be Covid Safe and all the staff serving were polite and helpful. We pre ordered our menu choices and just needed to order our drinks, the drinks prices were reasonable. There was a perfect pause between each course and the food was well prepared, unfortunately there was way too much food.....sometimes less is more. My amuse bouche was a chestnut hummus which was amazing followed by a butternut soup for starters, turkey dinner main and Christmas pudding for dessert followed by coffee and petit fours (which we had to take away). The Walrus is a nice relaxing pub and had a good environment. Well done to one staff member who paid particular attention to one couple having an argument I feel she went above and beyond to help diffuse a potentially embarrassing situation. Would definitely visit again.

Done up to look very traditional, so it has that weird boxfresh yet old feeling. Ordered the fish and chips. The battered haddock was crispy and fresh, but the mushy peas were cold and some of the chips were undercooked. My friend who had a roast was slightly underwhelmed. We were eating relatively late, so the upstairs room was quiet, yet service was slightly inattentive towards the end. So all-in-all a bit of a ho-hum average experience.

Great food, great atmosphere, beer on tap and casual

Excellent little local gem. So glad I’ve got this place on my doorstep, I forget how lucky I am. Thanks to Magid and staff, who are always excellent. The food has a North African twist, they do a good line in eggs, and they also do a good vegan range. Deffo recommended, but save a spot for me!!

Trendy, expensive, vibrant and worth it.

My favourite place for breakfast, brunch or late lunch. Delicious food, good coffee and super tasty bloody merrys. Chilled atnosphare and cosy. Would definately reccommend it.

For a Thursday afternoon in January it was busy, buzzy with good food and music. Should have ashtrays for outside though. Friendly staff with cosy interior.

Came with friends hungover , had eggs Benedict was very tasty, great coffee and very good service and good value for money

Glorious food. Well balanced traditional Algerian with a modern twist…. Delicious!! Great service and atmosphere too! 10/10.

A hidden jem, amazing food, friendly staff and friendly locals , tip the staff, they were shocked when I left a tip.. you won't find a better pub for low cost amazing food

Friendly and warm atmosphere.. most relaxing.

Warm, friendly pub. Decor rather funky. Food and service good - don't miss burger night (Monday)!

Nice place great food. Could always do with some more staff on.

This pub has the warmest, loveliest vibe of almost anywhere I've ever been.

Great pub, great people great music.

Great North African breakfast. Just about sticking the bohemian and not scruffy vibe. Staff lovely. Recommended.

We moved to Brighton because this place would be our local. It’s a mix of rundown library with disco ball , real ale and North African food. The place that Hannover locals meet for a coffee and a Bloody Mary. Definitely worth a visit for Hannover locals.