Fortune of War

Sophie and I went for a couple of beers here. I saw they also serve food but there was a time when I was waiting to get the next round of drinks and I had to wait as the bar wasn’t manned. Otherwise, they quite represent how cool and quirky the city of Brighton is.

Fortune of War isn’t a place I usually frequent, but decided to go for a cheeky afternoon pint with Maria G.
It’s a nice place to sit on a sunny day, and they often have DJ’s playing during the evenings and weekend, when it can get super busy, especially in summer!
For today though, Fortune of War was just nice. I had the ‘Brighton IPA’ which was really tasty, especially since I have recently developed a bit of a taste for craft beer!

I’m pretty certain I went to this pub about ten years ago, liked it, and forgot about it. I just went back this weekend and I really, really liked it still — must be a timeless classic. There are tables to sit outside at (weather dependent) and it’s right on the pebble beach, with a great view of the new and old piers. Inside, it’s cosy and warm and perfect for a drink on a cold day. ~ few different levels where you can sit or stand, and quite busy even mid afternoon. And they serve mulled cider. I didn’t have any, but it smelled pretty good.
I had a pint of local cider which was really tasty, they seem to have lots of different things on tap. A good option if you’re looking for a traditional Brighton boozer.

I’m always a bit disappointed with the Fortune of War. I think it is because I feel that Brighton seafront has so much more to offer. I have visions of continental coastlines with a multitude of bars and restaurants, people eating and drinking outside as the sun sinks below the horizon… Instead, we have a few nightclubs, fish and chip shops and the Fortune of War!
To be fair, the FofW is fine for a daytime drink outside in the sun, you can also take your purchases on to the beach which is great in the early evening after a long day at work. What I would avoid though is heading here on a Friday or Saturday night. It’s packed with youthful pre-​clubbers and the inside space is really cramped and dark. It just doesn’t have a good atmosphere and I felt really uncomfortable here on my last visit.
To top it off, last weekend the music was terrible, the toilets were broken, and we were served bad wine in plastic glasses. I think I will be giving this place a miss for the foreseeable future.

Everything looks like boats! The ceilings look like boats, the bar looks like boats. Even the barstaff look like bo… nevermind.
It’s difficult to dislike a bar on a beach. Especially when the bar provides sweet and beautiful shade at noon on a boiling hot day. I don’t like sunlike very much. I can’t help it. It’s all bright and shiny and in your face. The Fortune of War protected me that day. And for that I give thanks.
The beer was average price but good quality, though they provided some nachos I didn’t really enjoy. Low quality chips and not enough salsa. But the service was very good.
Basically, this place gets its rating for its location and décor (and my dislike of direct sunlight). But, move it away from the beach and I’d still say it’s slightly above average.
And yes, I was drinking at noon. I was on holiday. Leave me alone.

Without a doubt the nicest looking pub on the beach. Even on this cold blustery day in September there’s nothing like grabbing a pint and sitting out on one of the benches while watching the waves slam against the shore.
Inside, the pub has a bit of a bizarre layout, but I think that adds to the charm. The bartender was very nice and helpful, even walking downstairs to pull the pint of the beer I wanted (it wasn’t available on the 2^nd floor — the main bar).
An A-​OK experience!

Only my 2^nd time to Brighton and thought it was nice to sit right by the beach with a drink. The inside kind of reminds me of a ship and unusually dark.

I love sitting outside the Fortune of War on a sunny Brighton day and so I have little else to add to the previous reviews on the matter. Apart from; as much as this pub is an amazing place to go for a drink in the Summer, try it in the Winter!
In the Summer you are more than likely to sit at one of its many benches on the beach, like you could do in so many of the bars along the seafront, where as there is something ever so cool about sitting inside this ship themed pub, with few other passengers on board, looking out at the choppy sea and the crashing waves. It’s an awesome experience, definitely felt like a pirate.

Very cool pub right on the beach — has a great vibe to it, lots of outdoor seating, and a very cool ship themed interior. Not very large, but still manages to have two bars, so you never have to wait too long to get a beer. Beware of the toilets though… one of the worst smelling bathrooms I’ve ever been to in a pub. Do they ever clean the piss off the floor?

Given the beachfront location of Fortune of War, one would naturally expect to see full advantage being taken of the nautical potentials for interior design. This pub won’t let you down on that front. The upper level of this pub is ‘decked out’, as a boat, complete with ropes, bells and a variety of other maritime paraphernalia. This pub seems to appeal to a wide variety of people, the beer garden attracting mainly smokers and passers-​by, while the upper floor provides a retreat from the cold, allowing one to get lost in the wooden clad apertures. A mixture of music is played which again might appeal to a generous proportion of the public, and the atmosphere is lively. Well worth a visit, this pub will welcome you aboard and set you on your way to your evening’s shenanigans.

It may sound a little intimidating but this rollicking old tavern of the waves will have you quoting Dylan Thomas and getting drunk on the slow black, sloe black, crow black fishing boat bobbing sea. It’s all wood inside like Captain Bligh’s cabin, narrow as a Vietnamese tube house and has bags of atmosphere. Definitely best visited in the winter on those lovely sea dog nights when the front is deserted as a John Ford movie and you feel like your tasting your last land-​lubbing dram before setting off through the sea frets. Avoid it on summer days when because of its proximity to the Palace Pier it can attract the wrong crowd from Croydon or chavdom.

Hugely popular and unique pub located down on the Sea Front, Fortune of War is decked out in the style of an old fashioned ship. This pub must be one of the busiest in Brighton when it comes to the weekend, on a number of times i’ve taken my drink of to the nearby beach because of a lack of space.
With two bars on separate floors, you can choose from a range of drinks all at your convenience. I’ve also eaten a burger here before, which was pretty decent for a cheap lunchtime eat.
If you decide to visit Fortune of War, i’d do it because of the location and for a change from your average pub, the food could easily be bettered elsewhere.

The fortune of war is a fine place to come on a bright sunny day in brighton as it’s located in a lovely location right on the seafront. They have a fairly large outdoors seating area to enjoy the sun when you’re having lunch. They do a good range of lunch snacks from toasties and sandwiches to chips and burgers. The food is tasty, very tasty. The prices are a bit above average but for a lovely spot on the seafront it’s not much to pay. The service is good… To be honest I can’t think of anything to critisize about this place. It’s a fantastic way to relax in the afternoon with some food on the beach, listen to some music in the sun and take in the laid back vibe that is Brighton.
During the evenings this place turns into a fairly lively bar with rock/​indie music usually playing, I’ve never been in myself (that I can remember!) but from what I’ve heard people say and from walking past on a night out myself it seems to have a similar laid back, alternative-​style atmosphere going on that it does during the day.

When the sun comes out and a beachside pint is in order, it’s surpisingly difficult to find a decent pub. It shouldn’t matter if all you’re doing is sitting on an anonymous bench, but it does somehow make a difference. The Fortune of War easily blows away the tacky, overpriced competition, and even if it isn’t warm enough to enjoy the sun, they have a great upstairs room which has panoramic views of the sea.
When the sun goes down the Fortune is the best place on the Arches for pre-​club drinks, and with their own DJs chucked into the mix. The outfront bar gives it the feel of a holiday beach bar, which is presumably what they’re going for, but with limited seats upstairs this vision falls a bit flat in the winter.

There should be a sign at the seafront: Leave your wallet behind. Everywhere below the Arches (sorry, for the non-​Brightonians: on the seafront, below the main road) is ridiculously overpriced, and often a little bit rubbish. All of the clubs down here, bar none, are overpriced and more than a little awful to hang out in. Some of the bars are slightly better, and Fortune of War is the better of a sorry bunch. That still doesn’t make it great: in fact, it’s decidedly average. However, you can’t beat a drink outside, by the sea, in the summer, and that’s one of the few things that takes Fortune of War into the 3 star category.
Yeah, it’s always packed when the sun is out, often with louts and students, but forget about them. Enjoy your drink in the warmth of the sun, by the seaside, and reflect on how nice Brighton can be in the two months when the sun is bright enough to sit outside in a T-​shirt. It is annoying how pricey it is, and how little choice there is beyond «beer», but I don’t mind too much if the weather’s up for it.
However, if it isn’t sunny, all you will find is an overpriced, rubbish dive of a bar with horrible clientele, no ambiance beyond low ceilings and stained carpets and a funky smell. In the summer, see if you can stand it, in the winter, just don’t go.

The Fortune of War pub is supposed to resemble the upside-​down keel of a ship. So we have: Dark wood, check; an echo inducing interior, check; fortune… uhm… I suppose that’s the joke. But you might need a fortune if you plan to spend a while out at the seafront on a night out. This pub is not that bad. But there are countless pubs a little more inland that are a little cheaper, a little more cosy or a little more chilled. If you want to have a drink or two taking in sea views, go here. If it’s dark out, you can’t see anything so go inland and do yourself a favour.

This is one of the better places to head to on the seafront but thats not really saying a lot. I just find the whole place over-​crowded and over-​priced unless like the previous reviewer, you have a student card.
It is a great place to hang out though if your going clubbing on the front afterwards and it is nice and cosy inside with nice and friendly bar staff. It is a bit of a small bar inside though so if you can get a table outside your better off there.

The place to be on a heat soaked summer afternoon, everyone comes out to play when the sun does and none more so than at The Fortune. You’d be extremely lucky to find a bunch of seating for a group but the size of the beach should accommodate even the largest of parties.
With a student card Fosters is £2.30 and a Kronenburg is £2.60, during their happy hours.
Until the summer does come though, a warmish evening is best spent in the upper tiered room with windows that open wide enough to take in all the sea air (see images).

The Fortune is a real seafront institution. Few people visit Brighton without passing through this place at some point, especially in summer.
It has a strange double identity. On hot days it comes into its own with off-​sales available in plastic glasses to take down on to the shingle, and its downstairs bar dedicated to serving these customers. There is some outdoor seating directly in front, although there are also a lot of punters vying for these barside seats!
In winter, the interior provides a cosy escape from the seafront winds. The wooden walls, small porthole-​like windows and nautical décor make you feel as if you are on a ship — I assume this is intentional, but maybe not. At weekends, DJs often provide the music here, and the Fortune can equally well be a place for quick drink before heading to one of the nearby clubs, or somewhere to spend an evening chatting with friends.

A Brighton institution, The Fortune of War is the only genuine pub left on Brighton seafront.
Over a hundred years old, it’s a homely, old fashioned place with wooden flooring and nautical decorations. There’s three floors with lots of nooks and crannies to sit but but in the spring and summer, it’s the outside seats that are the most popular. A five minute hop, skip and jump from the Lanes and other shopping areas, Fortune of War is a great place to people watch and watch the world go by.
There’s food served 12.00−8.00pm everyday but I’ve never tried it. As this is a pub with a great selection of drinks, my sole intention whenever I go is to catch up with friends and chill out with a guiness or rum and coke!
There’s acoustic acts and open mic nights in the week but these are usually free. The rest of the time, there’s speakers outside that blare funk, soul, reggae and rock. When the music is good and you’re in the mood this is an added bonus. Other times, it can be a bit annoying and makes me wish there was a jukebox so I could change the music!