Poisson et frites-No.2 The Basketmakers Arms

When: August 26 2011
Where: The Basketmakers Arms, 39 Cheltenham Place, Brighton
I paid: £3.60 for a pint of HSB, £9.00 for fish & chips

It's Friday lunchtime, I've just finished for the week, it's a Bank Holiday weekend and I'm heading to a pub that I know I already like. Even having spent the previous three hours trudging around Hanover in the rain can't dampen my spirits. Furthermore, I'm not even going to be Billy-No-Mates. My french colleague Philippe is joining me for lunch, if the fish and chips he's been banging on about for weeks are half as good as he says they are then we could well be looking at the first perfect score of 10 just two pubs into my mission.

Situated on the fringes of Brightons bohemian North Laine area the pub is just far enough away from the beaten track to make it a pub for locals rather than tourists. This Friday lunchtime it's packed with a genial mix of students, office workers, pensioners and off duty postmen (and probably some on duty ones as well). It's small size and low ceilings just help to add to the convival atmosphere. The walls are decorated with old tobacco tins and there is no fruit machine or pool table but they are not needed, it's the kind of Brighton pub you'd be happy to bring your family. Offering a large array of whiskies as well as eight different ales on tap I'm spoilt for choice, not wanting to spend the entire mission drinking generic lagers and/or orange juice and lemonade I opt for a pint of HSB (verdict: alright I guess...fortunately I'm here to review the pub not the beer). We then head outside to wait for the eagerly anticipated fish and chips.

Being sandwiched on a corner there is no beer garden but there are a few scattered tables and chairs on the street with an awning to keep the rain off. Despite this, there was rather a stiff breeze making things uncomfortable and I was going to suggest to Philippe we might be better off inside but he was already headed back to the bar for another round. I was with a frenchman who drinks like a poisson. By now we had been joined by quite a crowd of off/on duty postmen and we all chatted easily with the regulars, it's that kind of pub. The fish and chips when they turned up didn't quite live up to the build up they had been given (verdict: pretty good, filled a hole.....fortunately I'm reviewing the pub not the food) but I didn't mind. The sun had come out, the company was good and I was in no particular hurry to go home. In short, I liked it there. And you will too.

Dog friendly: Yes              Games: None. But who cares?

Outside seating: No patio or beer garden but a few tables and chairs on the street.

Quiz: Wednesday night                Live music: None. Probably a wee bit too small.

Food: A sizeable menu offering an impressive selction of starters, main courses and specials. Average pub prices.

OVERALL SCORE: 9/10......Would have been higher but Philippe moaned that the mushy peas were not mushy peas but just peas that had been mashed. Sacre bleu!