The Bee’s Mouth

Hands down the best bar in Brighton, and probably the best one I’ve been to in thirty years of travels. Great drinks selection, the best staff (they’re friendly, but not the sort of fake, patronising friendly that makes you want to vomit your finely crafted beer in your mouth, which seems to confuse a few who want that) and by far the best and most reasonably priced drinks menu in Brighton. For every expensive rare beer there’s two other less fancy options cheaper than anywhere else in town, and there’s a plethora of whiskeys, rum and gins on offer as well as some bizarrely named cocktails.
Oh, and there’s a spinning head on a turntable. And a Steve Buscemi themed toilet. And an altar.

Awesome, quirky pub in Hove with lots of little nooks to explore. Think hipster bar with an element of the Addams family thrown in.
Blue Moon is an exorbitant £5.50 a pint though. One mistake I won’t be making again!

I’m glad that I have waited a while to review The Bee’s Mouth — the more I come here, the more I love it. I has now become one of my favourite drinking spots in this area of Hove.
The pub is strangely laid out. Its long and thin, but has a variety of spaces including a stage area at the front which hosts regular live music at weekends, we have seen some great bluegrass musicians here recently. The bar serves a variety of beers including asahi and fruli on tap, good wines and all your regular spirits.
There is further seating at the back, including a lounge-​bed behind the curtains! Downstairs there is a another room which hosts numerous events including a free cinema, life drawing events and other eclectic nights out.
The bar staff have always been friendly when I have been in.
On the whole, this is a quirky bar with loads of atmosphere and character. The revolving head and the bed seating make good talking points! It’s a far cry from you gastropub or generic chain bar, but give me The Bee’s Mouth any day of the week and I’ll be a happy lass!

Probably the best selection of bottled beers in Brighton?

Went in here Tuesday 4^th Dec 2012 at 6:45 and was greeted by, well actually not greeted, stared at by a member of staff. «How strong is that chocolate beer please?» Turns his back (no answer) picks up the bottle «4.1″
“I’ll have one» I said
It was my wife’s turn to be «hurry up» stared at, bear in mind that the place is empty so the male staff member could’ve taken all the time he needed, (I later noticed he went straight to reading a paper after we ordered) half a Samuel Adams please, (audible sigh) «it’s not a half, it’s 2 thirds»
«Yes please», I gave the money, he desperately tried not to say thanks, which came out «mmmrrss»
AVOID

An excellent place to listen to live music and enjoy a friendly atmosphere!

The Bee’s Mouth (formerly The Artspace) has always been a thorn in my side. One of Brighton’s best bar’s, with an incredible atmosphere, wonderful décor and a wide range of beer, it has always been one of my favourite watering holes.
However, I have a confession to make. Possibly due to the fact that I am used to visiting it after other venues (and other beers), it’s precise location has caused me considerable vexation. Heading down from Seven Dials I have become accustomed to hitting Western Road at the wrong point, then foolhardily continuing in the wrong direction from the bar, ending up either in Hove or by Churchill Square. Unfortunately my sheer stubbornness («I’ve lived here 7 years, I must know where I am going…») has resulted in innumerable unnecessary miles being clocked up in my attempt to find this delightful drinking space.
But last night, my friends, I finally did it: Seven Dials to the Mouth, with no unnecessary mileage! The joy in finding myself surrounded by fairylights, slick music and plentiful beer was almost unholy. It must be said, that since changing name and being refurbished it is a *lot* easier to find (for 18 months I lived on Montpelier Road, a mere stonesthrow from the then Artspace, but it’s unintrusive exterior repeatedly foiled solo expeditions there).
The provision of Bavaria provided much needed Netherlands nostalgia, while the selection of arguably the finest Belgian beers allowed me to celebrate my navigational achievement fittingly. I implore you to try the Westmalle Trippel — it is divine. Initially struggling to find a table due to the massed hordes within, gathered to enjoy the jazz band playing by the bar, eventually I found a comfortable spot and holed in for the evening.
One thing I especially love about the Mouth is the sheer flow-​throw of Brightonians. Far enough out of the center to ensure that only the local populace tend to make their way there, the Mouth is a wonderful spot to find friends and acquaintances idling over a few beers after a hard days work. Having had my phone stolen a few weeks ago, it provided a excellent opportunity to refill my contact book.
This really is one of Brighton’s best bars: fabulously indie decoration, replete with revolving heads; the lighting ambient, but enough to read by; the music always cool, but never pretentious; the bar always busy, but never overwhelming. I cannot recommend this place highly enough.
How to get there from Seven Dials? I’ll leave that for you to find out. The joy of eventually finding it will make up for the longer than expected journey.

This is a very unique bar nestled down the far end of Western road. Thankfully, this makes it far enough down to escape invasion by non-​Brightonians who descent in their droves every weekend. It’s the kind of place that has something to see everywhere you look. From it’s multiple levels and varied themes on each, to the very well stocked bar that includes Strawberry beer (a true winner), the Bee’s mouth really is the bee’s knees.
You can certainly get a bit jostled about in the front room where the small bar is (this is probably the one thing that prevents me offering a 5 star review), but once you get your tipple and get back to your table without spilling it, everything else picks up. In a lot of ways, you mostly end up feeling like you are in a mate’s house having some beers, rather than an official establishment. They host a number of obscure events (as mentioned by Georgia) and you would not be too surprised to see Dr. Parnassus appear from an alcove.
The staff are also very chilled and I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a surrealist test to pass to gain employment. Even the bouncers who are employed on the weekend are of a better calibre than you normally find manning pub doors. Certainly a venue to seek out in the city if you are not already familiar with it.

The first time I ever wandered wide-​eyed down Western Road towards Hove, I was palpably upset that I couldn’t just wile away each day in its rich pub-​life. Having been here for some time now, I realise this isn’t so far from the truth, but we shan’t let that get in the way of a good yarn. The Bees Mouth is one that stood out, and along with the Lion & Lobster is among the best in the Bri/​Hove no-​mans land. Busy, bordering on hectic at the weekends, they know how to cram ‘em for such a relatively narrow pub. This is deceptive though, and there are more rooms further back and downstairs.
If you’re an adventurous with your drinks, specifically beer, there’s a great board full of loads of deep, dark Belgium beers, going up to a dizzying 12% abv. They also serve them in cool half pitchers, like test tubes complete with little wooden holders, which depending on your perspective, is either a complete gimmick, or an irresistible quirk (I go for the latter). There’s music on offer too, with open jazz sessions on Mondays and open mic on Wednesdays. For something wholly different though, try the life-​drawing on Tuesdays.

This pub has a beer made entirely of out honey, a chili ale, and raspberry flavoured lager… What’s up with that? No, seriously, it’s cool, a dive bar in the best sense of the phrase (very dark and pokey, but not too dirty), with a huge selection of outlandish drinks, as well as the occasional jazz night: pretty cool if you ask me!
However, it is really quite pokey inside, and you can’t shake the feeling as you meander into the second sub-​basement that you might never return. Also, their outdoor smoking area is a couple of tables directly in the middle of crazy-​person highway: Western Road. There’s already a problem here with the pavements here doubling as beer gardens, and the Bee’s Mouth is as guilty as any and seems to attract the more peculiar of Brighton’s nightlife.
Still, if you don’t mind a couple of wackos, it’s all very pleasant, and remarkably cheap for such peculiar drinks. I personally recommend the Delirium range, the Nocturnum is so dark it’s almost caramelly, and the Tremens is a really excellent, sharp lager. If you haven’t been here, you’ve missed out on one of Brighton’s nicest pubs: don’t miss it!

Quintessentially Brighton, super cool and quirky with a fantastic range of exotic beers, both bottled and on tap. They serve my favourite Floris Honey beer here, which tastes how I imagine butterbeer from the Harry Potter books to taste. There is usually incense burning, which combined with the low lighting and busy wallpaper make it a slightly trippy place to have a drink. They also have really cool things going on, like life drawing every Tuesday evening, and regular ‘quiet nights out’, for hearing and deaf people to socialise and speak sign-​language. This gem of a bar is no secret though, and with its limited floorspace you have to be prepared to get up close and personal with the rest of the clientèle, particularly on the busier nights of the week.

A great noisy pub with a brilliant atmosphere. There is always loud music playing which I love and it’s full of alternative crowds. Most the people in there are either musicians, artists, performers or just generally really cool. It’s pretty small and gets packed extremely quickly so if you want a seat I would suggest arriving early as there really isn’t anywhere to stand. A lot of the time they have bands performing there and as squashed as it may be it’s a great intimate venue. There is a really nice area at the back of the pub with comfy seating and also a small downstairs area. It is a great place to meet new people as sometimes it’s so cramped you have no choice other than to talk to the person next to you. If you are looking for a fun place to visit I would definitely recommend this little place but just get there as early as you can to save disappointment!

The Bees Mouth is up there with the elite when drinking in Brighton. The dimly lit nd deceptively proportioned bar is long, thing and always busy. I’ve always had really good nights out that have either started, finished or taken place here, and has often due to the people who are involved with the bar itself. The multiple rooms are good to discover who’s out and about, and when there’s live music on in there it’s like a jazz festival. Loads of beers, loads of spirits, a great bar.

Ah, the Bees mouth. One of the most intriguing, unusual venues in Brighton (or possibly, the UK), this is a many floored maze of tables and red velvet and candles.
On the ground floor, first time visitors would initially think they were in a tiny one roomed bar, and this part of the place can be very crowded and waits for a drink long. Waiting for your cocktail can be made much more amusing by watching the waxwork head spinning on a record turntable, along with various other quirky artwork. Once armed with drinks, it’s time to explore the other floors. At the back of one floor, there is a small cubby hole/​stage with a curtain covering it — a place to put on impromptu plays for your friends perhaps? The bottom floor has a piano and is used for live music, and can feel slightly like a deserted film set when the music isn’t playing. A gem of a place with a slightly illicit, speakeasy kind of vibe.

Come rain or shine, you can usually guarantee there will be a bunch of people stood outside The Bee’s Mouth smoking, talking and laughing underneath the neon sign.
A lively bar with a fantastic range of spirits and bottled beers, they have regular jazz and rock bands playing in the tiny front room and the rest of the time an eclectic mix of music from Miles Davis and Radiohead to Yeah Yeah Yeahs. If you can’t get a seat near the bar, there’s a bigger room in the back and more seating downstairs. I’ve had some wonderful nights out here but have to admit, the clientele can be mixed.
Local hipsters, musicians and couples = cool.
Big groups of wankers high on coke = nasty.

Sandwiched between an Egyptian Restaurant-​cum-​shisha-​bar and a late-​night kebab joint near the Brighton/​Hove border, The Bees Mouth pub is a real diamond in the semi-​rough. With live music and DJs keeping your ears busy on certain nights, your eyes can be left to wander across the various displays of local art and found objects that wouldn’t seem out of place on the set of an off-​beat film or TV show (think Terry Gilliam’s «Brazil» meets «The Mighty Boosh»).
These aural and visual delights aside, the bar is stocked with a huge number of beers and spirits from the all over the world (many from the far away land of Belgium) and although not cheap, many come in their original glasses, which is a nice touch. As mentioned, the prices are not as competitive as somewhere like Yates’ or Wetherspoon’s, but The Bees Mouth offers more than just a pint. A thriving venue on most nights of the week, the clientele is varied and the staff are always chirpy. This is an ideal place to start your night (around 10 mins walk to Churchill Square), or to simply meet friends for a drink or two in a place with an abundance of soul and quirky character.

this place is the best. great music. and the bar staff are so hot. soooooo hot. they’ve got the best beer. it’s like a jazz fantasy terry gilliam david lynch michael fish gumbo. with reaaally hot bar staff. honest to god it’s the best bar in brighton. try it. if you don’t like it there’s a kebab shop either side. but i won’t tell you which one’s best until i find you drinking hard in the bee’s mouth. by which time it won’t matter because you’ll have made a million new friends and lost a few crap ones and you’ll be a whole new person, new arms new legs, new everything. all the fittest girls go there, and all the nicest, funniest, handsomest blokes too. this place is already legendary the world over but as soon as it goes intergalactic you can forget about getting a seat so get there now before it’s too late. and bring your friends. and a camera. and a bar of chocolate for the whistling pig.

Describes itself as a «jazz dive», the Bee’s mouth is a thin but sprawling bar which is best to visit on nights when you want to get seriously drunk with friends. Always a good atmosphere, but lives up to the «dive» name with unisex toilets and it’s grimy and slightly sleezy vibe.

A darkly lit, thriving pub that celebrates alternative Brighton. A great selection of bottled beer contributes to the very arty crowd the venue attacks. Also, adding to the atmosphere, is the occasional band, which tends to be of a jazz variety.
It goes down three floors, every room slightly different but equally as charming. Once you’re settled into one of the deep sofas, it’s hard to get up.
A lot of fun, always busy, sometimes the music gets too loud, but not often. There’s a real buzz around the place, thanks to the customers.
Probably the best place to go for an end-​of-​evening drink.