The Oldest Pub in Brighton: The Cricketers and Its Rivals

The short answer: who really claims to be Brighton's oldest pub

The 1547 date comes from The Cricketers and is repeated by Visit Brighton, which describes a pub on the site hosting one of its most famous alleged guests, Jack the Ripper, and notes the pub was immortalised by Graham Greene in Brighton Rock. That is about as solid as the claim gets: the pub states it, and the city's tourism body repeats it.

The Black Lion's case rests on a 1455 date that has been put about but is not an official claim made by the pub. Local coverage of the rivalry makes exactly that distinction, noting the discrepancy between the Cricketers' stated 1547 founding and the earlier figure attached to the Black Lion.

For practical purposes, treat the title as contested rather than settled, and decide on the pub you prefer rather than the plaque you believe. Both are on Black Lion Street, so you lose nothing by comparing them directly.

The Cricketers, Black Lion Street: the 1547 claim and its Lanes setting

The Cricketers sits at 15 Black Lion Street in the Lanes, the tangle of narrow streets between the seafront and North Street. It is a traditional pub in the fullest sense of the word, and the address is worth noting before you set out, since the Lanes twist and a firm street number saves a wrong turn.

Visit Brighton lists it as a pub and inn with cask ales, local produce, a garden or patio for guests, live music and a family-friendly set-up with children welcome and baby-changing facilities. It also takes card payments, including American Express, Delta, MasterCard and Visa, so you are not relying on cash for a round.

If a Sunday roast is part of your plan, compare what else the city offers before you settle on one pub; our pick of the best Sunday roast in Brighton is a sensible place to start.

Inside The Cricketers: dark panelling, velvet and a Victorian feel

The gap between the two pubs shows up sharply indoors. The Cricketers' decor harks back to the Victorian era, with a bar in place since 1904, dark wood panelling on the walls and bar, and red velvet covering most of the benches and stools; gold gilding finishes the light fittings.

Visit Brighton puts it more romantically, describing a step back in time to Victorian splendour. What that means in practice is a warren of small, low-lit rooms where the fittings do the talking and the seating is more Nook than banquette.

Choose this pub when you want the historical atmosphere to be the point of the visit rather than a backdrop. If you are after a bright, stripped-back room with long sharing benches, the pub next door is the better fit.

What to order at The Cricketers, and when the kitchen serves

The kitchen describes its food as home-cooked and uses fresh, local ingredients, with a menu built around its versions of pub favourites alongside a few more creative dishes. Order along those lines: a main from the pub-favourite end of the menu is the natural choice in a room of this age.

Kitchen times are the detail most likely to catch you out, so check the current hours before setting off for a late plate. The Cricketers publishes its kitchen and opening hours on its own site, including the Friday and Saturday evening cut-off, which comes earlier than the bar closes.

Cask ale is the sensible drink with that food, and Visit Brighton also flags vegetarian catering and lunch and evening service. If you want to branch out beyond the pub, our guide to breweries in Brighton covers where the city's beer is made.

The Black Lion, next door: the 1455 claim that the pub does not make

The Black Lion stands on the same street and is the pub most often thrown into the oldest-pub argument. The 1455 figure has been attributed to it by others, but it is not an official claim from the pub, which is the neatest way to understand why the argument keeps going.

Its interior is the surprise: stripped back, painted white, with large sharing benches and a cosy outside area fitted with heated booths. That is a modern pub treatment applied to an old building, and it changes who the pub suits.

Groups and anyone who wants space to spread out will be more comfortable here than in the velvet corners of The Cricketers. If you have your eye on one of the heated booths outside on a cold evening, ask on arrival whether one is free rather than assuming it can be reserved.

Black Lion versus Cricketers on the ground

The comparison flips as you cross the threshold. From the street, The Black Lion has the features of an old English establishment dropped into a modern city, with council buildings and restaurants nearby sharpening the contrast; inside, it is the plainer of the two.

The Cricketers runs the other way: a less assuming frontage giving on to dark wood, velvet and gilding. For a quiet pint with a bit of atmosphere, that makes The Cricketers the stronger pick; for a bigger party, a long table and a heated outdoor booth, the Black Lion wins.

If you want to drink outdoors in better weather, our guide to beer gardens in Brighton covers other options, as the outdoor space here is a patio rather than a garden proper.

The Greene Room: a separate upstairs bar

Upstairs at The Cricketers is a separate bar, The Greene Room, named for Graham Greene and holding memorabilia relating to him and to the Jack the Ripper story, with a modern feel rather than the Victorian one below.

Visit Brighton treats it as self-contained and independent of the main pub, with its own music and live music set-up, buffet or canapé menus, and private hire for weddings and receptions. In practice it is a function space: useful if you need a room of your own, irrelevant if you want a quiet corner for two.

Practical points before you go

The Cricketers takes bookings through its own site, and given the size of the rooms that is worth doing for weekend evenings and larger groups. Children are welcome, with highchairs and baby-changing on site, and card payments are accepted across the main cards.

The Cricketers publishes its opening and kitchen hours per day, and the Friday and Saturday kitchen closes several hours before the bar; Sunday hours differ again from midweek. Check the current times before a late meal, and note there is only on-street parking nearby, which in the Lanes means walking is the realistic option.

If you are staying in the city and eating beyond these two pubs, our wider look at the best pub food Brighton serves will help you place them against the competition.

Which pub to pick, by occasion

For history and atmosphere, choose The Cricketers: the 1547 claim, the 1904 bar and the panelled rooms make it the one to show a visitor. For a group, a long table or an outdoor booth with heating, choose The Black Lion across the street.

For a sit-down meal with children in tow, The Cricketers has the clearer set-up, with highchairs, baby-changing and a menu pitched at pub favourites. For a quick pint with no plan, either works, and they are close enough to try both in one evening.

For the named pubs and food stops with a guide of their own, see Brighton pubs and food landmarks.

So which is Brighton's oldest pub?

On the evidence, The Cricketers holds the claim: the pub states a site history back to 1547 and the city's tourism body repeats it. The Black Lion's earlier date circulates but is not the pub's own official line, so treat it as local legend rather than fact.

Base your evening on the room you want rather than the date: velvet, panelling and small corners at The Cricketers, white walls and sharing benches at The Black Lion. They are a few steps apart on Black Lion Street, so you can check both before choosing.