The Ranelagh

Nice local, just off St James’s Street, at the Steine end of Kemp Town.
The interior is cosy, with main room at the front and an alcove-​like area at the rear; and there’s a beer garden to the side which, as others have said, is great for people watching. The main event is the Blues Music, for which it is well known — gigs are normally on Thursdays or weekends.
They normally have 3 or 4 real ales on tap, which on my visit seemed well kept. On our visit these included Harvey’s Sussex Best Bitter, Harvey’s Old Ale, Gales HSB and Sharpe’s Doom Bar. (The Doom Bar in particularly was superbly kept).
The clientele reflects the slightly bohemian mix of the area, with gays, straights, locals, visitors and students alike. They have a wonderfully skittish dog, and on cold nights a lovely log fire.

The Ranelagh is a small but brilliant pub in the heart of lower Kemp Town. If you’re a music-​lover, you’ll probably know that this place is most famous for its Sunday night Blues gigs and eccentric décor. In winter, there’s usually a proper roaring log fire, which sits in a bizarre contrast to the blue flickering fairy lights on the ceiling which are wound around old records that must have been stuck up there for decades. They also have guitars and banjos randomly hanging from the rafters and the walls are plastered with old gig posters. Sounds odd, but combined it all creates a fantastically unique atmosphere.
If you fancy a change from your thumping R’n’B and club-​style music in packed-​out pubs on a Saturday night, then head to The Ranelagh. There always seems to be just the right number of people in there to make it feel buzzy but not crowded and the music is loud enough to appreciate but quiet enough to have a conversation. Definitely my kind of place.
They also have a brilliantly-​placed beer garden situated right on St. James Street and is one of the best people-​watching spots ever. I spent a year living two minutes away from this absolute gem of a pub and really miss heading to this home-​from-​home with my housemates of an evening.

I’ve seen some pretty impressive blues acts in this lovely old boozer. Its got a great reputation for it and does attract some really friendly locals along the way.
They have a nice big terrace at the front of the pub which is great in the summer months and allows you to get away from the music if its A: too loud or B: really bad.
Good selection of real ales and the staff really do their best to make you feel as welcome as possible.

The Ranelagh is a great little Kemptown pub, one of the only places with outside seating on St James street that isn’t just on the pavement! Its renouned as a live music venue and primary has Blues bands but also a bit of Rock and Country as well.
Its a great place all year round as the interior is cosy with an open fire and the outside area has heaters.

I have to be honest, until I read the other reviews, I wasn’t aware of this place’s reputation for live music. I had thought of it as a small and slightly scruffy place, friendly and comfortable enough but not with anything in particular to recommend it over the nearby Sidewinder and St James.
The outdoor area is a good people watching spot if the weather is good enough, and the interior is basic but comfortable. I think though, I may have to come back and update my review once I’ve had a chance to see some music here — it sounds great.

Brighton is one of those places where you can’t escape live music. This is no bad thing but it often means it’s hard to cut the wheat from the chaff. No need for you to do that here though: The Ranelagh hosts one of the best live music nights in the city. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays offer you the chance to see some of the best roots music this eclectic city has to offer. From blues to country, from folk to rock ‘n’ roll The Ranelagh does it all.
When there’s no live music to enjoy it does loose its edge somewhat but as the drinks are well priced and the atmosphere tends to be fairly good, The Ranelagh is rarely a disappointment. If you’re in Kemp Town it’s definitely worth a shout.

(Say: Ran-​Lee, not; Ran-​Larr)
Just to clear that up. Perhaps no one else has that problem whilst reading Ranelagh, but in case you did I thought I’d better say first. Good. I’m glad we’ve got that all sorted.
A proper small and cosy little affair with locals galore, this place is surprisingly (due to it’s size) one of the best places to see some of the more interesting bluesy, folksy acts in Brighton. If you like to get up close and personal to your artistes’ and even attempt to touch their long, bluesy beard? The Ranelagh provides this type of close up intimate action with aplomb.
The pubs really popular with students as well as trendy kemp town folk and would be a good bet to just hang out, catch some music and some of the cool vibes flying about.

It’s between this one and the Saint James, but this is possibly my favourite pub on St James’ Street. I love the cosy interior with funky lighting and paintings of soul singers. They have live blues, rock and country music at least three nights every week, which can be a bit hit and miss, but it’s worth sticking in your head in as you get a good’un now and then. (On my first visit there was some sweet pensioner man singing along to cds and miming his guitar — I tend to mainly visit on the non-​music nights nowadays). And you can drink Somerset’s Thatcher’s Gold or Cornwall’s Doom Bar off the tap so it’s great if you’re from that neck of the woods. You’re looking at £.3.20 for a pint of cider, but that’s quite standard for Brighton unfortunately. Outdoor area is big, always lively and with outdoor heaters. I like it inside as it’s one of the few places you’ll find a table to get your friends round on a Saturday night.

The Ranelagh is a live music pub primarily offering Blues, but also has Rock & Country music.artists. Live music nights at the moment are every Thursday and Sunday.
This little gem is one of the only bars in Kemp Town with outside space on St James Street. Its a right little suntrap and awesome when its hot. The venue can seat roughly 40 outside & has outdoor heating which is a must with the off sea breeze.
The interier is wintery with dark woods and not a lot of light, but its cosy and has an open fire to snuggle round in the colder months. They’re obviously going for a bit of New Orleans vibe and theres a lot of old records and instruments hanging around the place.

The Ranelagh is a small blues-​oriented pub in the Kemptown area of Brighton.
The landlord Barry is very keen on blues music, and for at least a couple of decades there have been regular music gigs currently Thursday and Sunday nights. The ceiling is covered with old records 78s I think and there is various blues memorabilia on the walls. The piped music is often blues, sometimes rock, or sometimes whatever the staff like when Barry’s not around. Sometimes the piped music is too loud to have any sort of conversation.
A focal point of the pub is an excellent, real, open fire. I think Barry must be especially keen on real fires as it’s obviously a lot more expensive than having gas or electric heaters and Barry counts the pennis. The fire is wood-​fuelled, always kept up, and is completely open it doesn’t even have a fireguard, so is a lot more welcoming than other places that have caught the health and safety bug.
The Ranelagh’s patio must be the best people-​watching place in Brighton. It’s on the corner of St James’s Street and High Street (not exactly in the spot indicated on the map), and on hot sunny weekends you can enjoy life’s rich tapestry flowing past.
The staff are fairly good, and although there’s usually only one behind the bar that’s usually enough.
The toilets have in the past been pretty bad. In fact, I’d say they used to be the worst in Brighton not quite the worst toilet in Scotland out of Trainspotting, but not far off. A review on another site said they were disgusting. However, they have since been greatly improved and are now average for a pub.
If you like staring at screens when you’re in pubs, there’s free wifi password from the bar. The TV is almost always tuned into Sky Sports, but usually with the sound off except for big sports events (e.g., England internationals).
They usually have 3 or 4 real ales on (Harveys and Doom Bar I remember from last visit), usually in reasonable condition. They don’t really do food I think they have had informal arrangements with local cafes but perhaps even that is no more.