Editorial
Brighton is built for a date. The Lanes hide a cocktail bar behind every other door, the seafront does the sunset for free, and the city has never been shy about a low lit room. We judged these on intimacy, the cocktail list, and whether the room lets you actually hear each other.
Eight made the list, from the speakeasy hush of The Plotting Parlour to the natural wine of Plateau. The full Brighton date night bars list goes wider, the date night bars worldwide guide goes deeper, and the Brighton bar guide covers the rest of the city.
For a first date, make it The Plotting Parlour. It is small, dark and serious about the drinks, which does the heavy lifting before you have said much. For a wine night that runs long, Plateau and its natural list is the one to book.
Brighton rewards walking between rooms. Start with a cocktail in The Lanes, drift to a wine bar, end on a rooftop if the weather is kind. Book the small rooms ahead, especially at weekends, because the best date night bars in this city seat a couple dozen at most and the locals know it.
Sources: DesignMyNight Brighton romantic bars guide; Google Maps listings and reviews; venue social channels and sites.