The Colonnade

This is a great looking pub. Very busy pre-​show and during intervals for shows at the neighbouring Theatre Royal but otherwise usually a quiet but characterful bar.
Inside its a mellow haven from the bustle, but it also has outside tables in a great spot to watch the world go by (or stand busking) in New Road.

Very strange bar… I know it is located next to the theater, but there are much better places to go for a drink before and after your show. The service was OK, but I got ID’d?! This has not happened to me in the UK for about 5 years, so that took me by surprise… especially as the bartender looked about 16 haha.
But this is of course not why I gave it 3 stars… I felt that the décor was really outdated, and although it was supposed to look like an old theater, I didn’t really get that impression… it just looked like old theater curtains had been glued to the beams! The prices for drinks were also a lot higher than the other bars around.

This is the official bar of the adjacent theatre and is suitably decorated to be worthy of the role. It certainly is a plus hand glamorous bar, reminiscent of times past.
There are a number of outside tables which are a great place to take in the sights of the people bustling around the city, especially as the road has recently been pedestrianised. The inside of the bar is also a unique drinking experience, but I would warn against being there when there is a show playing at the theatre. It can turn into a monsoon out of nowhere during the interval period.
At any other time it is fairly quiet and a good place to go if you are wanting somewhere to have a chat and a drink. If you were having a 20’s or 30’s fancy dress night, you would be a fool to arrange it for any other location. In fact, writing this review has got me thinking about arranging such a night just to take advantage of this very unique establishment. Be warned though that some drinks can be at the pricier end of the going bar rates in the city.

Chuck a beer mat in this bar and you stand a fair chance of striking a ‘resting’ actor. Not that such uncouth behaviour is encouraged in a place that oozes raffish charm. The walls are lined with portraits of thespians, some you may recognise from daytime television repeats, others as anonymous as a missing person poster. Velvet drapes, orange lamps, top hats and white gloves around the balcony edge, little Willie waving at you in the main window (that’s the ventriloquist’s dummy, Madam) it all adds up to an agreeably eccentric experience.
If you need to fortify yourself ahead of viewing whatever is on stage next door, a bottle of Rioja is £15.95, a Pinotage Rosé is £12.95 and if you really want to push the boat out the Laurent Perrier Cuvée is £70.00.
While I was in here, a local thesp was told that his agent had recently called in to see him, but had drunk himself rotten, defaced the toilets and had been sick over the regulars. The actor’s jaw hit the floor: My agent came to see ME?
(I’ll get my coat.)

Every time I’ve been in this place I’ve been served by a really, REALLY miserble chap (who I assume is the landlord) which annoys me when I’m handing over my money. Your in the service industry dude!
Its such a shame as its a beautiful old pub and has a great location nect to the theatre so must do a roaring trade from that alone.
Maybe he’s just a bit lonely so will someone please pop in and offer to marry him as I would quite like to drink in here on a more frequent basis if he could just cheer up a bit.

The Colonade is a great traditional theatre bar complete with plush décor and photos of past performers. Its situated on the pedestrianised New Road, on the edge of the North Laines and over looks the Pavilion Gardens, so very central and gets a lot of passing trade.
It has great outside seating with large wooden table and umbrellas, which are some the most sort after tables in town on a warm summers eve. Definitely worth popping in, whether watching a show or not.

This place is full of dark, old school glamour.
It is all red, velvet, gold and mirrors, and feels very much as if it is part of the theatre itself. Although in here, I feel more like I’m in a 20s film than in a play.
Naturally very busy when there are shows on at the theatre, particularly as they offer interval drinks, it is also a lovely place to go the rest of the time, for a drink and also to check out the theatrical memerobilia on display.

A bit of an unknown gem, just down the road from the ever busy Mash-​Tun. Situated right next to the theatre Royal and parallel with the North Laines, aesthetically this is one of the most striking pubs in Brighton.
All brass, ornate mirrors, old fashioned Victorian décor, theatre memorabilia and signed photos, the Colonnade’s a dead cert for pre theatre drinks or post performance dissection. The small bar is a feast for the optical senses to the extent that you could happily sit in there on your own and have a couple yourself, just browsing the walls.
Surprisingly I’ve never seen this place full, and I’m not sure if theirs a loyal local contingent, but well worth a pint in especially if your in Brighton and want to take a visitor somewhere a bit quirky.

The Colonnade bar is definitely an experience! The place is ostentatious, inside and out! Whether you’re into theatre and it’s history or not, this place is bound to leave an impression on you. Inside, the bar is dark with lots of ornate detailing and heavy velvet upholstery. The décor and layout remind me almost of an old-​fashioned train station bar… I can just picture it filled with characters in 20s and 30s dress exhaling clouds of cigarette smoke. The characters that frequent the bar today are often just as theatrical as the bar itself! The bar is often full of actors and theatregoers, but even the other everyday customers have an eccentric quality about them…
The Colonnade certainly makes a change of scenery form all of the more run of the mill pubs and bars in the area. Personally, I find the atmosphere a little oppressive and the drinks a little pricey, but the theme does make the place stand out!

The Colonnade is the theatre bar for the Brighton Theatre Royal. With a traditional 1920s green tiled outside the venue stands out against the modern development of New Road. It not only functions as a theatre bar and is a popular evening bar for Brighton revelers. I even spotted Brighton celeb Zoe Ball on the spritzers one summer eve.
The theatre theme runs through out the interior with lots of gold and velvet, and signatures of actors and actresses adorn the walls. On show nights its packed with theatre goers but attracts a variety of Brighton locals post show,
One of the main draws of the venue is the outdoor seating areas right on the pedestrianised section of the North Laines, over looking the Pavilion Gardens.

This pub has an unmistakeable charm. Avoid pre-​theatre when it will be rammed pack (unless of course you are going to the theatre !) and instead try and get there when it quiet so that you can appreciate it’s full quirkiness — and have a good look at the memorabelia on the walls !. Staff are extremely friendly !

This is a rare gem in Brighton, one of those theatre bars that used to be two-​a-​penny in London’s West End. Plush velvet, photos of stars (who always sign a photo of themselves as they looked 25 years ago).
It’s pricey by some standards but worth the treat. We saw George Melly in here about a year before he died, carefully negotiating the steep stairs to the downstairs loos (and they are steep). The view is of New Road, now largely given over to pedestrians and taxis. You can watch the world go by then decamp to a play a next door’s Theatre Royal. Through the trees opposite is George IV’s folly — Brighton’s stunning Royal Pavilion. This is the inner heart of the city, away from the sea-​front, away from the shops. Here is Brighton’s cultural quarter and it makes sure youj know you are in it.

This bar is full of characture. Its the bar servicing crowds for the Theatre Royal. On the walls are pictures of bygone stars. The staff are good. There is Harvey’s on the bar.
The theatre informs punters as too the start of the show. So sipping some amber necture is relaxing knowing one won’t miss the show!

This is the best (and most obvious) bar to go before an evening at the Theatre Royal. It’s plush and cosy, and although it is separate from the Theatre, the design makes it feel as if it is part of it — lots of red velvet and polished wood. There’s a Theatre bell so you can drink up to the last minute, and don’t forget to pre-​order your drinks for the interval.
An even bigger plus is the real ale on tap — Harvey’s plus a guest ale. Worth popping in to have a look if you are in the area — it makes a real change from the ‘modern’ stripped-​down bar interiors so trendy at the moment.

Situated — as the name suggests — under the Colonnade of the Theatre Royal in Brighton, this is a theatre bar in the true sense of the word. Although physically separated and with its own opening hours, this cosy and traditional pub has theatre memorabilia on the walls and a bell to sound the beginning of performances.
They serve a couple of real ales, usually including Harvey’s Best Bitter. It’s a little pricey, but then it’s a real haven of tranquility and comfort in a City Centre that is otherwise packed full of noisy bars. The interior is plush and Victorian: crimson walls, an abundance of dark polished wood, and rich, dark, velvet curtains.
There’s a small seating area outside at the front, both for drinking and for those who wish to smoke. The lavatories are down a steep winding staircase, so not suitable for those with reduced mobility.
As well as theatre-​goers, it attracts both a loyal mix of regulars and those who want some respite from a hectic day’s shopping. As you might expect, it is very gay-​friendly, but not exclusivley gay.
Staff are efficient — they have to be during intervals — but they also take orders for interval drinks before a performance: you’ll find them lined up on the side when you go in. (Remember to take your tickets with you so you can get back into the threatre, though they don’t usually check, and don’t order anything you can’t drink in 15 minutes…).
A delightful haven in the centre of Brighton.