As I was in Brighton for the evening, I thought I’d tick off a couple of craft beer bars that I hadn’t visited before. This is the Rook Taproom, formerly the Prince Arthur pub which was reopened in 2023.
The beer list, all rather extensive and there were numerous options that I would have liked to try, but I limited myself to two half pints.
The bar looked modern and on-trend with the service being friendly and engaging. It had a nice inviting feel atmosphere and was relatively busy when I was there, with a main bar and a separate room at the rear.
Some of the extensive cans list.
The Even Rooks Need Beer from Moon Brewery, a smooth, hazy, hoppy and quirky beer with a decent mouthfeel.
The Respectable Mystery from Howling Hops, a slight taste of marmalade and hops, certainly not unpleasant.
It’d be unlikely that a customer couldn’t find something that they liked as there are 22 craft beer taps and over 150 cans, which should surprise and delight a fair number of people. The online reviews are very positive and they’ve actually yet to pick a review of fewer than four stars, so that’s some impressive work.
I imagine that this can get quite busy at times, but it’s certainly worth a visit. The prices were middle of the road, the service was friendly and the surroundings were comfortable. It’s only a short walk from the central area of Brighton and it was clean internally, so definitely recommended.