15 Best Things to Do After Dinner in Brighton

Topped by fluttering Union Jacks and lit up in lights every evening, Brighton Palace Pier is a classic snapshot of a British seaside attraction. The wooden boardwalk is a bustling place to be, with everyone from families to old couples enjoying the carnival atmosphere. 

You can play some games in the amusement arcades, get dizzy on the fairground rides, and pick up some ice creams, doughnuts or sticks of rock from a whole row of stalls.

Kemptown is the hub for bold evening escapades in Brighton. It’s the epicentre of Brighton’s ‘gay village’ scene with an eclectic row of bars that offer a mix of games, cabarets, and karaoke besides fancy tipples. Many of them are LGBT-friendly venues with regular drag gigs thrown in for good measure.

For a night out with great cider choices and grooves set by basement DJs, Black Dove is a local favourite near the upper end of St. James’s Street. Then, swerve into any of the parallel avenues leading to Marine Parade to find hotspots like The Plotting Parlour on Steine Street or Brighton Rocks, a local legend where burlesque shows and live music complement classic cocktails in a subtle vintage setting.

The Lanes is the place to go for a memorable pub crawl in Brighton. This warren in the centre of town was once the hub of an old fishing town. It spans between the famous West Street – known for its varied selection of traditional pubs, bars and restaurants – and East Street.

Smack-dab in the centre of The Lanes is a collection of traditional pubs that date back centuries. On Meeting House Lane is Bath Arms, which has been serving top-quality real ales since 1868. Just up from the pub is The Pump House, where you can find cask ales and medieval cellars. At the larger and more modern The Font, live DJs liven up the atmosphere on weekends.

Brighton is blessed with a wide pebbly coast, where the town’s nightlife scene flows onto with its collection of seafront nightclubs. By day, these venues are excellent places to soak up the sun and take in the coastal views. By sunset and beyond, the venues’ DJs put on their best tracks ranging from hip-hop and reggaeton to house and dubstep on certain evenings throughout the week.

There’s quite a selection to choose from for partying out on the beach in Brighton. There’s the legendary seafront nightclub Coalition, as well as the petite but lively Volks Club right on the beach. Across the promenade from the sand but still overlooking the coast is the cavernous Shooshh where you can expect VIP booths and services.

Brighton Music Hall is centrally located on Brighton Beach, snug in the iconic Victorian seafront arches of Kings Road and overlooking the coast. A roster of Brighton's top music talents regularly performs on its stage. You can sit back and relax om comfy seats with a pint of cold draught beer or cider.  

Its onsite bar offers a selection of mojitos, daiquiris and wine, as well as homemade nibbles such as mac and cheese, burgers, and firecracker chicken. People often end up here by strolling along the beach, getting drawn in by the cool live performance, and staying on for a drink.

The Mesmerist in The Lanes is well known for its retro, speakeasy vibes. This stylish lounge bar has 3 floors – each with their own individually styled spaces where you can fill up with good pub classics alongside craft cocktails.

Head upstairs to their hidden bar, The Flipside, where you can expect more from their list of quirkily named drinks. These include a peachy pina colada called God Save the Cream, a twist on the classic negroni called Love Buzz, and a sazerac called Luke Ryewalker to further transport you into ‘a galaxy far, far away’ with every sip.

The Prince Albert in North Laine Bazaar is one of Brighton’s nightlife institutions, known for its mural that is just as iconic as it is Instagrammable. During an evening out at this legendary pub, you can expect regular live gigs featuring top local talents performing from vintage British funk and soul to bouncing glam-punk.

Choose from its great selection of beers, ciders, and shots. On tap, there’s a cool variety of British craft ales and ciders worth trying, such as Burning Sky and Orchard Pig. Their mural – filled with the stylised faces of legends like Freddie Mercury, Lennon, Marley, and Hendrix – is lit and just as mesmerising after dark.

Black Lion is considered Brighton’s oldest pub, though that title has been a subject of dispute for years, shared by the Victorian-era The Cricketers Pub on the same street. However, locals believe that the pub has been around earlier for a century, since 1455. Disputes aside, it’s one of the go-to's for a cool night out.

Step inside the Olde English establishment to find large sharing benches with a cosy outside area with heated booths. Black Lion’s top-class, affordable cocktails are also main draws, with must-tries such as the Cucumber and Elderflower Collins with Brighton gin, and a Pornstar Martini made with passion fruit and pineapple.

Proud Cabaret Brighton is a retro-style bar and restaurant with a dancefloor in the heart of the fabulous gay village of Kemptown. You enter a den that’s straight out of the Roaring Twenties – the gilded venue itself is loaded with history, once a mausoleum, a boxing club, and a ballroom. Now, it’s a go-to for special dinners out with top entertainment presented by highly talented performers.

Some of the shows feature Europe’s biggest cabaret stars, boasting powerful vocals and burlesque beauties in stunning costumes. The theatricals often include aerial and fire dancers and fire breathers.

Pier Nine is a modern casino gracing Brighton’s seafront, which has gaming tables and slot machines, as well as a restaurant and bar. At some point in time, it was known as the old Grovesnor Casino, which featured a more traditional style.

Now slick and modern but retaining its former Art Deco cinema frame to a certain degree, Pier Nine offers 3 floors decked out with classic and retro casino games, as well as the latest digital gaming options. Open around-the-clock, it can be a nice diversion for when the clubs close their doors for the night but you still have several hours – and cash – to spare. 

Brighton Dome Concert Hall is a Victorian theatre that hosts a variety of live shows. Live bands and stand-up comedy are the biggest draw here, and with 3 different stages, chances are you’ll have a choice of what to watch. It’s easy to find Brighton Dome as it shares the Pavilion Gardens with the Royal Pavilion. Throughout May, the Brighton Fringe Festival comes to town and the Brighton Dome hosts numerous exciting performances.

Ghost Walk of The Lanes is the city at its quirky best, providing a look at the rich and varied history of Brighton’s Lanes quarter.  Expect tales of gory murders, terrifying ghosts, rowdy poltergeists and more than a few Jack-the-Ripper references.

Led by an actor and master storyteller in full Victorian attire, tours take in a total of 8 haunted sites throughout the Lanes and last for around 70 minutes. Key spots include Brighton Old Town Hall and the Black Lion brewery.

Rooftop bars in Brighton offer cool spaces where you can take a break from the seaside and opt for a breezy and different spot to enjoy your cocktails. Even so, these venues don’t offer the spaciousness and dedicated top-floor spaces common to rooftop bars of big cities – don’t expect the views to be far from the brick roof tiles of neighbouring houses, either.

Notable spots where you can enjoy your booze with a breeze in Brighton include Bohemia Brighton (its glassed-in roof terrace is great for lounging away to live jazz), The Grand Central with its regular DJ nights, and The Lion & Lobster, which has a leafy terrace on its rooftop.