The Hydrant

Probably named thus due to its close proximity to the fire station, The Hydrant is an average place frequented mostly by the dreadlocked crowd. Its BBQ shack outside is a great place to grab some food in the summer and the spacious interior means you’re not likely to be short of seating. With a couple of benches out front it allows you the opportunity to absorb the somewhat less than wonderful atmosphere of Preston circus although it has to be said this is a place that’s better in the evening when there’s live music. Every week there’s a wide range of acts on show, from folk to ska and beyond. Prices are average but when measured against the slow service and poor drinks selection you can’t help feeling a little short changed. There are plenty of good pubs nearby and while the Hydrant isn’t the worst place I’ve ever been to, I’d recommend heading elsewhere if you’re not into the London Road Hippy scene. Go Anarchy!

The Hydrant is a pretentious name for a pub that could only climb to the heights of pretentiousness.
Perhaps its clientele would like beer to be sprayed into their mouths at national water pressure?
Admittedly it’s had some trouble over the last few months, with the previous manager reportedly absconding with only the full slot machine for company, leaving neither pay nor instructions. This lends a hollow clang to its blackboard boast of ‘happy staff’.
Mmm. I bet they’re ecstatic.
Still, it’s gamely trying to struggle back up to the heights it may never have reached. It puts on live music and comedy (of a sort) and seems to be finally attempting to engage a bit with its surroundings.
So far, so average.
It’s not that expensive, I suppose, but then it’s not that cheap either, and I can’t imagine that sitting in its front garden, complete with dead pot plants and a view of Preston Circus, would be that enticing a prospect. They have, to give them their due, put an effort in with the back garden though — dotted with pots and gilded with fairy lights, the decking is much more appealing than the interior, and its only real trouble is the lack of privacy. It’s still open to London Road and its cast of less than savoury characters, who can be a little off-​putting if you’re halfway down a pint — the location makes you a bit of a sitting duck for weirdoes and lengthy, uninvited conversations, interspersed with wafts of B.O. If you want a clandestine pint that you can quietly vomit onto the carpet without anyone having a care, head on down to the last haunt of the desperadoes.

The Hydrant, formerly the Hare and Hounds, used to pretty famous as Brighton’s most useless pub. Gigs were often cancelled, as were club-​nights upstairs, drinks were more often off than not, and a particularly rough local crowd meant fights were, apparently, frequent. I didn’t go much before it changed hands, although this ailing pub is now in far better hands. Now a bit rockier and a bit less grungy, the hope here is that the Hydrant will slowly find a better clientele and become a new Brighton hotspot. It hasn’t happened yet, but that doesn’t mean it won’t.
The Hydrant has certainly cleaned up since its younger days: where the Hare and Hounds was often a little, ahem, grubby, the Hydrant now looks and feels much more habitable. The carpets have been replaced, a lick of paint has made everything look a bit more respectable. The main room is still too large and echo-​y, but they’ve made a good step in the right direction.
Drinks are still relatively cheap, which is nice to see, although the selection is a bit Bacardi-​Breezers and lager orientated now. The couple of times I’ve been here since the change over, the music has been a little too loud and rocky for my sensibilities, but I was pleased to see a new crowd of younger pub-​goers: the Hydrant seems to be doing quite well at creating a new clientele-​base for itself. Also, the smoking garden has been redone nicely, so there was somewhere I could find refuge.
This will never be my favourite pub: it’s gone from being not my sort of place to being another kind of place I don’t often frequent, but this is definitely a step up in my estimation. The clean-​up has been effective, and I’d recommend going back if you went before and thought it was a hole: things have certainly changed.

The Hydrant, or Hare and Hounds as it was previously known, use to be one of my most disliked pubs for a very long time. I once went there and accidentally saw in to the kitchen, which appeared to be home to a number of life forms.
However, since giving it a lick of paint and a good polish, the new management have made Hydrant a touch more pleasant.
The pub is still a bit bare and lifeless, but with relatively good drink offers, live sports and a pool table, there are worse places to go then the Hydrant.

After changing hands and changing names, The Hydrant has been given the old pub a new lease of life. I would always past and it would be completely empty, day or night. But after recently being taken over by a member of the Brighton based band Los Albertos, there has been a resurgence of input from this otherwise somewhat overlooked pub.
You can already sense the air of excitement buzzing around this place as they’ll no doubt be a haunt for the festival party people to frequent. The benefit gig for the Sussex Fire Stations charity was a huge success and looks like it’s going to be a good venue for live acts. Expect lots more music and mayhem

Despite having lived in the local area for several years and therefore passing this place frequently, I had never actually managed a visit to the Hare and Hounds until very recently. However, on a rainly hungover Sunday on a mission to find a pub showing football, my friend and I found ourselves in here for the first time. The place is much larger than most other local offerings, although a series of different levels for seating help break up the space a little. There is a small stage at the front which is used for live music, next to a long and well-​stocked bar. I can’t comment on this as a live music pub as yet, but the space did seem as if it would work very well. Upstairs is a function room often used for club nights, again, I can’t comment on these yet but intend to try and make a visit as soon as possible to one of their nights. The outside decked area is lovely space — the smoking ban has encouraged many pubs to convert previously unused spaces but this is one of the best I’ve seen.

The Hare and Hounds is big. If you like a big pub, then you’ve got my recommendation straight away. Personally, I prefer the smaller World’s End, or cosy Cobbler’s Thumb nearby. This place will always hold a warm place in my heart though, as it was here I had my first Baileys in a chocolate cup. I’m not sure if this is a common delight or not, but it was my first time and although probably slightly disappointing, the excitement and novelty left their mark. To be fair, the prices are good, there’re are plenty of pool tables, and they even hold events such as bands and dance classes. This is a good place to go if you’ve got a big rowdy group to accommodate, but lacks the heartiness of smaller pubs.

Well, what to say about this pub that occupies one corner of Preston Circus…
One thing springs to mind… it’s pretty big. Like, really quite large. Recently under new management, they profess to be revitalized with a new menu and new drinks. I’ve been in and to be honest, a pint’s a pint– it has certainly been spruced up, but it still has that characterless ‘big pub’ feel and as far as I can tell, the same punters are frequenting the place and chuffing away at their fags out front. I like atmosphere, I like intimacy, in short I like a pub to have personality. The only reason I would choose this pub over the many others in the area, is if I wanted to play in a pool tournament… they do have a few tables, which is a rare thing these days, and completely unfeasible in the poky little pubs I prefer!
Like every pub in England, the smoking ban of 2007 and the subsequent potential for lost business, terrified the Hare and Hounds into popping out a decked smoking area… as usual this involved the speedy conversion of a previously unnoticed side alley into a reasonably attractive plant-​adorned annex. It’s a shame that the new addition faces out on to the London Rd– any delusions of a quiet and tranquil smoking spot are quickly banished!

With one of the nicest outdoor spaces I have seen outside a pub, the Hare & Hound should be an immediate consideration for an alfresco pint if you’re in the London Road area.
I used to live about one minute away from this place and have watched it being lovingly renovated to its current state. Think of the opposite of dilapidated (my thesaurus drew a blank for the antonym!) and that’s what you’ll find at the Hare & Hound.
The bar staff are friendly and you feel very welcome when you enter. There is a mixed clientele: all local residents, but as the area is a mix of Brightonians and students alike, this makes for a cheerful mêlée. Prices are good; drinks are good; outside terrace — superb!