Michael Rowarth
Great atmosphere, friendly and helpful staff and great food!
The atmosphere in the kemp was warm and inviting. The staff were fantastic and very kindly allowed me change the potatoes to chips for my meal. The fish and chips was the best I've ever eaten out in a pub. The fish was delicately cooked, a lovely crispy flavourful batter and a great portion size. The chips were crispy on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside. The tartar sauce was also delicious, well balanced and a silky texture. The star of the show was the minty crushed peas, they were the best crushed/mushy peas I've ever tasted.
The pints were also reasonably priced for Brighton. A fantastic pub, with great food and a nice atmosphere. I will definitely be returning.
Sarah Gillespie
This is a must visit if you’re in Brighton! The food is absolutely delicious. Would highly recommend the small plates in the photos below but everything we’ve ordered from the menu has always been incredible - crispy potatoes, asparagus with whipped feta and chilli oil and manouri cheese with babaganush and candied walnuts. So yummy! The roasts are also incredible… would definitely recommend booking a table. It’s a lovely setting with a nice beer garden, great atmosphere, amazing service and the prices are very reasonable too! Without a doubt my favourite spot in Brighton.
Jessica Ferguson
Beaut roast, lovely Guinness and house red, friendly staff and reasonable prices - overall a great pub. We would definitely go back.
Polly Oakes
Amazing place to stumble upon, though they had a small(ish) menu, there’s definitely something to suite everybody’s tastes. I had fish and chips (it would have been rude not to!) and hats off to the chef for making such a beautiful dish and presenting it so nicely… just writing this review is making me salivate!
Great food, fantastic atmosphere and amazing service. Huge thank you to the team for making me feel welcome in Brighton!
Hadiza Ibrahim
Lovely Sunday lunch and staff were flexible and supportive. Issues with orders were quickly resolved and they allowed us to change booked tables so we could sit more comfortably. Would recommend to anyone wanting a tasty Sunday lunch.
Mark Garwell
Great place for lunch, lovely open plan design with a welcome breeze through the pub on a hot sunny day. Really nice staff and great food. I opted for lots of small plates and would definitely recommend if you are with a few people. It really is a cut above. Give it a go, it won’t disappoint.
Steve Gilbert
Great little find in the quiet back streets of Brighton. With a sea view too!
Saffi Gadafi
Having seen previous reviews we called in to see what the place was like before booking in for a meal before the quiz. Jo was absolutely brilliant - as were all the staff. The quiz is like no other we've ever been to - a live music round being a first for us.
The food was lovely . (we are vegetarian ).Our only gripe was the quiz was the best part of an hour late kicking off
husaini uba
Great location and good service. Best prices in Brighton. Served a decent glass of rosé. Went a number of times at different times of day during our short stay. Lovely sitting at front looking down to sea.
Michael Enever
Been coming to this pub for years. Good vibe all year round. In summer the doors open out onto the pavement and it's cosy in the winter. Staff are always friendly.
Mark Christopher Brogan
I've been going to the Thomas Kemp for many years. I remember the place when it was the Polar Bear.
I often go for Sunday Lunch which has become a bit of a Sunday normality for me. We take friends and family there whenever they stay with us in Brighton.
Like most pubs in Brighton it is completely dog friendly, they'll always bring over a water bowl etc if you need one.
Food is always great, they've been recognised as having one of the best burgers in the whole of Brighton.
Their traditional Sunday lunch is delicious. Whether you have beef, pork, lamb, chicken or the veggie option, they are all great with a fabulous selection of vegetables and all the usual accompaying condiments and sauces.
Service is great, friendly and attentive. The place can get really busy on a Sunday for lunch but they take reservations which is good if you want to take a larger group.
They give a discount to pensioners and to certain groups like NHS staff which is an added bonus.
It's a place where you can just relax and have a drink and food, in the midst of lovely Kemp Town and a block back from Marine Parade if you fancy a walk on the seafront after filling your belly.
Love it.
Mx
Alessandro Basso de Marc
Lovely place with a cozy beer garden (I just wish people weren't allowed to smoke there, I'll detract a star for that) and gentle staff. I enjoyed two great Sussex beers: Dark Star Sunburst and Arundel Brewery's Castle.
Richard Taylor
Wow what a super Sunday roast
The beef was to die for. And excellent service to go with it.
Suzi Grace
Relaxed atmosphere friendly and helpful staff. Perfect place for a drink. Summer time when the doors are open at the front it’s lush �
Wendy Kidd
Normally love it here, shame the mums felt it was a good place to take babies & children there? Someone stopped a little one from going down the stairs?? Had to leave in the end for the constant crying!!! Couldn't hear our conversation?? Sorry, I love kids, but this is not the place? Give your children the attention they deserve??
Robbie McNeil
Thomas Kemp has the best Sunday roast in Brighton. I have eaten here so many times and every meal has been beautiful!!!
Andrew Tyrer
Food good, having to wait an hour for it not so good! Also 10% off just the food element in compensation pitiful �
Helen Paddon
Totally scrummy Sunday roasts!!big portions too. I ordered a child's roasts plus a side order of honey roast parsnips and cauliflower cheese and couldn't manage it all. Meat (pork) delicious and crackling beautifully crispy. Veg really tasty. Loved the red cabbage especially! Couldn't fault it. Really relaxing atmosphere and friendly staff too.
Caroline Cazza Bradley
Lovely dog friendly pub. Burgers were amazing and staff are great
Sue Bonny
The food is amazing here - good portions and all so beautifully fresh and flavoursome! Excellent service too!
Lydia Hunt
Best roast in Brighton! Absolutely love this pub, the staff are friendly and hospitable. The pub is dog and child friendly. There's a great selection of drinks and the Sunday roasts are amazing. I walked past someone with nachos and they looked fantastic, I look forward to sampling them!
Tracy Sharman
Went for afternoon tea on Friday, what can I say apart from wow, food was amazing and what a lovely pub
David Broadbent
The staff are all very friendly and the food is very good
Graeme Reid
Fabulous food & staff are so friendly & welcoming , not been in a while but will definitely be back soon
Julie Burke
Nice atmosphere and very friendly. Would recommend a visit.
Maria G.
The food is fantastic. Don't be put off by the price! You get what you pay for, you definitely do. I've lived around the area for about five years now and this is the place to go if I want to treat myself-LARGE.
The atmosphere is also fantastic. I've had plenty of nights out with colleagues for a morale boost and the occassional leaving do. It seems to be the hub for hospital staff to socialise. The staff are friendly and pleasant altogether. One thing I haven't experienced is their live music events and open mic on weekends. I look forward to it one day!
Rachael H.
The Thomas Kemp is a pub that I have frequented often over the years. It has a very nice vibe to it and the food is extremely decent. The drinks are a little pricey but then that is standard for central Brighton. The location is decent as it is in central Kemptown and therefore easy to access.
Colin M.
A nice pub with a friendly traditional interior and a nice patio area too. The restaurant part of their business is obviously. I had the opportunity to try one of their Sunday roasts. A generous amount of meat and it was pretty tasty too. If you have visited this pub on a Sunday you might have found out that they only serve roasts on a Sunday. Apparently the kitchen is being reorganised and you'll be able to order from a larger menu on Sundays, so it might be worth a revisit. This isn't a part of town I normally frequent, but I would certainly come back if I had the chance.
Thomas O.
A nice pub in the middle of Kemptown.
Certainly spacious, with nice staff and some really rather good food. Beer selection is pretty middle of the road, so you won't be surprised by the offering.
Certainly worth popping into and checking out yourself.
Kate J.
Lovely little bar in kemptown, and right by the sea and pubs. Excellent service, although you have to order at the bar, which doesn't really fit in with the lovely ambiance of the pub, as it seems as though it would be a lot fancier.
The food is very reasonably priced, and you get HUGE portions... so share and get a dessert! I don't recommend the king prawn stir fry though... it is a strange mix of different tastes, with root veggies that shouldn't be in a stir fry, really. But the more "local", pub style dishes looked yummy!!
The atmosphere is great, and the pub is really big! If you are a small group, you need to not mind sharing a table though, as they are all joined in pairs.
I will certainly become a regular here!
adam s.
In the heart of Kemptown, a lovely pub with lovely staff and an open fire. 3 for 2 on Sambuca and Brightons favourite spirit Tuaca and they always rustle up a mean Bloody Mary. They have an extensive menu of locally sourced and homemade dishes, including soup of the day. Sunday roasts are quoted as the 'best in Kemptown', they plates come fully loaded with a mountain of nourishment. The Monday night quiz can attract quite a few people and the prize fund can be worth staying in the pub for. Once I received £28 for my time and even beat a team containing Danny from Withnail and I, who is a regular drinking the Kemp.
Alice C.
The Thomas Kemp used to be Polar East, and since those days has undergone fairly major changes. It's a large and airy space, with nice big windows onto the world outside at the front.
It's a modern feeling place, with polished wood floors and white painted wood.
It is a little lacking in character unfortunately, with the area to the front feeling sometimes like a big expanse of table after table with not much in the way of interesting decor or features to break it up. There is a lovely garden to the back though, with an awning to pull down if the weather demands it!
Felix T.
This is a really nice pub, located deep in a residential area of Kemp Town. I visited before going to a gig at the nearby Hanbury and found the Thomas Kemp to be the perfect warm up.
This is definitely a bit of a gastropub, combining exposed brickwork and varnish wooden furniture with deeply grey decor and eccentric statues in each corner.
There are normally a number of a offers available, ranging from beer to spirits, and occasionally including wine. You can also get food at The Thomas Kemp, I had a pizza that was nice, although it was certainly pre bought.
plethorinkman
Probably one of the, if not nicest and definitely friendliest pubs in Kemp Town. Bright (not dark), dog friendly, couches for kicking back, tables for eating A typical 'Brighton' bar mixed ages, with Berlinesque overtones. Funky music. Gets busier and with DJs in the weekend evenings. The food is good and very tasty and good sized portions!!. A few of us went there for Sunday lunch. We all had lamb. It was a rack of lamb. I have to say that it was no less than exceptional! Extremely high quality that most restaurants would struggle at competing with! You have to try it. Really, great food!
All round a good little (or quite large actually), boozer. Well managed with friendly, polite staff. Go there!!!
tesslangley
Named after the mastermind behind Kemptown, Mr Thomas Reed Kemp himself, this pub is popular with many of Kemptown's locals and visitors alike.
With a tantalising pub grub menu with a sophisticated twist: jerk chicken, tofu satay, tuna steak, a range of ales, ciders and lagers on draught and a programme of live music and DJ sets on the weekends, including regular open mic nights, the Kemp is a bustling pub full of character.
The interior is mostly white and clean, with chalk boards and low lighting dotted around, and you can park your arse on an array of stools with cushions scattered about. There's a beer garden out the back to soak up the sun or have a smoke, and in the summer the front windows open from floor to ceiling, really bringing the light into the place.
A lovely little pub, even if the food is a little pretentiously presented.
Mike F.
Located up and away from the busyness of St James' street this aptly named Kemp town pub is a nice place to chill or visit for pre-club banter. However, if you don't fancy anything major it's an equally good venue for spending an entire evening in. Fridays and Saturdays are good for this as there are DJs playing both nights. The decked area out back is great for summer fun and provides respite for smokers and fresh air fans alike. Having never eaten here I can't vouch for the food but with regular quiz nights every Monday, poker on Tuesdays, Live music on Wednesdays and an open mic night every Sunday it's got plenty of attractions.
MikeFawcett
This is a great little pub located up from St. James' street. Named after the founder of Kemp Town, Thomas Reed Kemp, it's a decent place for escaping the hustle and bustle of the city centre without loosing too much atmosphere. On weekends it gets quite busy and certainly provides much entertainment. Fridays and Saturdays feature live DJ sets, Monday is quiz night, Tuesday is poker, Wednesday is live music night and Sunday is open mic. With average prices and friendly staff there's no reason to turn your nose up. The patio out back makes for a good retreat in the summer and while the décor may lack real character, it's a good, solid pub overall.
malory-t
A bit lacking in character, but still a good atmosphere and can be heavin on live music nights. Smokers' area out back. Restaurant area to front - a bit overpriced. Good location in Kemp Town
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