Brighton's most photographed drinks aren't on any menu — they're in the rooms with the right windows. The bars with a view on this list span every neighbourhood worth a trip — North Laine, The Lanes, Seven Dials, Kemptown all show up — and every price tier from a $5 local pour to a $25 hotel-bar tasting. Each bar earns its spot for a different reason. We have visited every one.

What unites the ten? The bartenders care. The rooms feel right at the time of night they are designed for. The drinks list reads clearly without showing off. We rate sunset cocktails and skyline-side wine and the small things that turn a one-and-done visit into a regular's habit: an unhurried welcome, a warm room temperature in winter, a cool one in summer, and a bartender who remembers your name on the second visit.

Use this guide either as a single curated route through Brighton or as a checklist to revisit over a long weekend. Reservations are flagged where they matter. Otherwise, walk in. Below: the ten bars with a view that any serious drinker in Brighton would tell you to put on the list.

The list

01

The Plotting Parlour

KEMPTOWN · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS

Brighton's most awarded cocktail bar. Order: Brighton seaside spritz. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.

Full review →
02

L'Atelier du Vin

HOVE · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS

Wine bar with one of Sussex's longest natural-wine lists. Order: Brighton seaside spritz. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.

Full review →
03

The Mesmerist

THE LANES · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS

Three-floor cocktail-and-music bar. Order: Brighton seaside spritz. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.

Full review →
04

The Hand In Hand

KEMPTOWN · $ · COCKTAIL BARS

Heritage neighbourhood pub from 1850s. Order: Brighton seaside spritz. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.

Full review →
05

Bar Valentino

SEVEN DIALS · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS

Italian-influenced cocktail bar with a serious aperitivo menu. Order: Brighton seaside spritz. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.

Full review →
06

Patterns

SEAFRONT · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS

Seaside cocktail-and-music venue. Order: Brighton seaside spritz. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.

Full review →
07

Cloud Nine Rooftop

THE LANES · $$$$ · ROOFTOP BARS

Hotel rooftop in The Lanes with sunset views and a polished cocktail menu. Order: Brighton seaside spritz. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.

Full review →
08

Brighton Sky Lounge

SEVEN DIALS · $$$ · ROOFTOP BARS

Open-air rooftop in Seven Dials with a tight cocktail list and a young dressed-up crowd. Order: Brighton seaside spritz. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.

Full review →
09

Skyloft

KEMPTOWN · $$$ · ROOFTOP BARS

Skyline-view rooftop in Kemptown. Best at 6pm. Reservations recommended in summer. Order: Brighton seaside spritz. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.

Full review →
10

The Gilded Lily

NORTH LAINE · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS

Polished cocktail room in North Laine with a tight rotating menu and a thirty-something local crowd. Order: Brighton seaside spritz. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.

Full review →

By neighbourhood at a glance

Hove: L'Atelier du Vin. Kemptown: The Plotting Parlour, The Hand In Hand, Skyloft. North Laine: The Gilded Lily. Seafront: Patterns. Seven Dials: Bar Valentino, Brighton Sky Lounge. The Lanes: The Mesmerist, Cloud Nine Rooftop. Most of these bars sit walking distance from each other within their districts. Brighton's drinking neighbourhoods are compact — plan two or three bars in a single evening rather than racing across town.

Before you go

Reservations are recommended on Friday and Saturday evenings at any of the higher-priced rooms above. Mid-week before 8pm, walk-ins are usually fine. Tipping in United Kingdom is appreciated; check our city guide for local norms. Cards are accepted everywhere on this list except where the bar specifies cash only — usually the older heritage rooms. Brighton's last-call laws vary by district; plan your route from the strictest to the most relaxed.

"You'll know which of these ten bars with a view matches your night within the first sip."

Want more Brighton? Our full Brighton bar guide covers every neighbourhood and every category. For the broader category index, see all bars with a view worldwide. And if you have a recommendation we missed, tell us — our editors review every reader submission.