Brighton's Best Cocktail Bars for a Hen Weekend
Brighton's cocktail scene, mapped for a hen group: the showstoppers, the speakeasies, the masterclasses and the bars that will happily take all of you.
By Stephen · 14 min read · June 2026
Brighton drinks like nowhere else: a square mile of speakeasies, rooftop terraces and award-winning bars, most of them a short walk from your front door. For a hen group that's a gift, because you can spend a whole weekend working through the city's best cocktails without ever needing a taxi. Here are the rooms we send our groups to, from the daft and theatrical to the dressed-up and glamorous, including the bars that will happily seat the whole guest list and the ones that will teach you to shake your own.
The Golden Pineapple of Ship Street
4.6 ★A Lanes cocktail bar that makes a natural first stop for the evening, a few minutes from most of our houses. The drinks menu changes regularly and everything's made fresh with good ingredients, so it rewards a group that orders broadly and shares. There's a Spanish pintxos and small-plates menu running alongside, which lines the stomach nicely before the main event. Get in early, claim a corner, and let the night build from here.
The Joker
4.4 ★The Joker is a neighbourhood spot with a hand-carved rosewood bar and a games room on the first floor, exactly the kind of space a hen group wants to claim for itself. The lounge is available for private hire, so if you want a corner that's just yours, this is one to ask about early. Settle into the velvet seating around the marble tables and work through a list that runs from the classics to a seasonally rotating menu. A relaxed, grown-up place to get the evening going.
Black Dove
4.6 ★Down on St James's Street in Kemptown, Black Dove is all nooks, candlelight and a bit of mystery, the sort of place a group falls into and stays far longer than planned. There's an eclectic playlist and regular live acoustic sets, plus a cosy downstairs snug if you want a quiet corner away from the bar. The cocktails are made with real care and the crowd is all happy locals, which tells you everything. Lovely for the slower, talk-til-late part of a hen weekend.
Twisted Lemon
4.5 ★One of the longest-standing cocktail bars in the Lanes, and a properly easy win for a big group watching the budget. The happy hour is generous and runs daily, so a round for the whole guest list needn't be the moment the kitty vanishes. There's a cute courtyard out back that buzzes at weekends, which is where you want the group when the sun's out. Relaxed and unfussy, it's made for a long afternoon that drifts into the evening.
Be At One Brighton
4.6 ★When you want the energy turned up, Be At One is the bar for it. The bartenders put on a show, the daily happy hours keep the rounds coming, and the whole place is built to get a group going. It's loud, it's fun, and it's exactly where the hen night shifts up a gear before you move on. Book ahead for a big table at the weekend, because everyone has the same idea.
Alcotraz Brighton Cell Block One Three
4.9 ★If you want the night to be an activity in itself, Alcotraz is a hen-party gift. You're checked into a fictional prison, handed an orange jumpsuit, and challenged to smuggle your own bottle past the warden, which the serving inmates then turn into cocktails. It's daft, theatrical and a brilliant ice-breaker for a group where not everyone knows each other yet. You book a slot rather than wander in, so lock this one in well ahead, it's one of the most popular group bookings in the city.
The Bootlegger
4.6 ★The Bootlegger leans full speakeasy, with swing, jazz, blues and rock 'n' roll, live music and DJs to have the group dancing into the small hours. The list runs to over 80 cocktails, from the classics to Prohibition-era creations, so there's something for the picky drinker and the adventurous one alike. It's one of the few bars in Brighton mixing proper cocktails with live music, which makes it a natural one-stop for the big night. Get there before the band starts to bag a spot for everyone.
The Rossi Bar
4.4 ★The Rossi Bar sits on Queens Road, a short stroll down from Brighton Station, which makes it an easy first or last stop for a group arriving or heading home. It's a relaxed, well-liked little place for a drink without trekking far from the train. We'd check their latest menu and opening hours before building the night around it. A handy, low-key addition to the list rather than a destination in its own right.
The Ivy In The Lanes
4.5 ★The Ivy in the Lanes is the place for the dressed-up, photographs-itself part of the weekend. Art deco styling, attentive service and a real air of elegance make it our top pick when the bride wants somewhere that feels like an occasion. The cocktail list is extensive and sits alongside a menu of British classics, so you can make a full evening of it. Book the group in for dinner and drinks, and bring the camera, the room does half the work.
Bohemia
4.4 ★Behind a handsome brick façade in the Lanes, Bohemia is far bigger inside than it looks, with a glass-covered roof terrace made for a group. At weekends the DJs turn it into a big night out, so it works whether you want early cocktails or to stay on and dance. Best of all for a hen do, they run cocktail masterclasses, so the group can learn to shake their own before the evening kicks off. Ask about the terrace or a masterclass slot when you get in touch.
The Plotting Parlour
4.7 ★The Plotting Parlour feels like a secret, just off the Old Steine in the heart of town. It's all speakeasy styling, low lighting and dark decor, with table service that makes a small group feel looked after. The drinks are beautifully made and presented with a bit of theatre, ideal for the part of the night you want to feel intimate rather than rowdy. It's small, so book ahead and keep the group size sensible.
L’Atelier Du Vin
4.4 ★L'Atelier du Vin made the UK's top 50 cocktail bars in 2022, and one sip in its boutique, 1920s-styled room tells you why. The name means artist's studio, and the hand-built bar and eclectic furniture carry that craft through to the glass. It's one of our favourites in the North Laine and one of the more refined stops on this list, suited to a group that wants the drinks to be the event. Intimate in scale, so it's better for a smaller hen gathering or an early-evening stop than the full guest list at once.
Bar Medusa
4.7 ★Bar Medusa is the kind of warm, friendly bar that regulars are quietly protective of. The welcome is genuine, the staff are helpful, and the cocktails come with a smile, which counts for a lot when you've got a big group in tow. It's an unpretentious place to settle the hens into before the night gets going. Nothing showy, just consistently good, which is exactly why locals rate it.
Helm Gallery
4.8 ★Helm Gallery is two things at once: a serious art space by day and a cocktail bar by night. Drop in for coffee while you browse the latest exhibition, then come back after dark for an inventive list that runs from a Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Espresso Martini to the house Chilli Peach Margarita. The weekly 'Take the Streets' Fridays bring live DJs and an in-house tattooist, so if anyone fancies a little permanent souvenir of the weekend, here's the place. A genuinely different night out, and a great shout for a creative hen crowd.
Apiary
5.0 ★Apiary is built entirely around bees and honey, run by two beekeepers whose passion shows in the decor and the drinks. The cocktails are laced with local and international honey, the signature Honeygroni among them, with a serious wine and mead list alongside. Small plates of seasonal, locally sourced produce make it simple to graze while you drink. It's small and intimate, leaning toward a special celebration with a tighter group rather than the full guest list, perfect for a more refined hen evening.
Clementine & Co.
4.8 ★Clementine & Co. is a stylish, friendly bar that thinks about everyone at the table. The cocktails are refined, and there's a strong range of zero-proof creations made with quality 0% spirits, which matters when the group includes drivers, the non-drinkers, or a mum-to-be of their own. The happy hour runs almost every day, and the rotating 'Cocktail of the Week' supports a local charity, so a round here does a little good. An inclusive choice that keeps the whole hen group looked after.
Blossoms Bar
4.7 ★Voted number one for cocktails at the 2026 BRAVO Awards, Blossoms takes its cue from Tokyo's izakayas and gets every detail right. The list is strikingly creative, with drinks like The Cherry Blossom blending vodka, umeshu, yuzu and sour cherry, served in a flower-festooned room on Brighton Square in the Lanes. For a hen group, the move is the Blossoms Afternoon Tea at £25 per person, a spread of gyoza, maki, sandos and sweet mochi that turns drinks into a sit-down occasion. One of the most exciting newer additions to the city's cocktail scene, so get the group booked in ahead.
Burnt Orange
4.8 ★Burnt Orange took the top spot for Best Restaurant at the BRAVO Awards, and its cocktail bar more than holds its own. The kitchen cooks small plates over open flame, think wood-fired flatbreads and chargrilled prawns, to go with a seriously good margarita list, the Flor de Limón and Yuzu Spicy both around £13. At weekends the DJs lift the energy and the room takes on a social feel that's ideal for a hen group settling in for the long haul. The courtyard on Middle Street comes alive on summer evenings, so ask for a table out there if the weather plays along.
Dishoom Permit Room
4.9 ★The Permit Room brought a slice of old Bombay to the Lanes and the city hasn't stopped talking about it since. Expect spice-infused highballs, twisted classics and frozen tipsters in a richly styled space, with resident DJs spinning funk, hip-hop and disco. The real prize for a group is the almost-secret rooftop, the Aunty Bar, fitted with heaters, a retractable roof and blankets, one of Brighton's loveliest spots for an alfresco round. Try the Feni Martini or the Thums Up Sazerac with a bowl of Peanut Masala to share. Winner of the 2025 BRAVO Best Cocktails, and easy to see why.
Bonsai Plant Kitchen
4.8 ★Bonsai proves plant-based can be bold and exciting, with everything cooked over a bincho grill on premium Japanese coal for a smoky, umami depth. The cocktails keep pace, the Choco Raspberry Espresso Martini and Kaffir Rum Punch among the standouts, with flavoured soju shots if the group wants to raise the tempo. On Baker Street in the North Laine, it's a brilliant choice for a hen dinner where everyone digs into the sharing plates, and it quietly solves the question of the vegans and veggies in the group. Winner of the BRAVO Plant Champions award, and voted among the best cocktails in town.
The Grand & Cyan Restaurant
4.4 ★Cyan, inside Brighton's grand old seafront hotel, is one of those places where the setting does half the work. Choose the inky conservatory looking out over the sea or the sleek bar room, where the mixologists put on quite a show. The cocktail list changes with the seasons and the kitchen matches it with high-end seasonal plates from local produce. For cocktails with sea views and a real sense of occasion on King's Road, this is the bride's glamour moment, so dress for it.
The Salt Room
4.5 ★The Salt Room is one of Brighton's most acclaimed seafood restaurants, right on King's Road with uninterrupted views of the West Pier ruins. The signature Surf Board, a sharing platter of grilled and steamed shellfish with fries and aioli, is worth the trip alone, and the cocktail list brings the same seasonal thinking, with earthy herbs and sea spices running through it. The heated terrace is a lovely place for the group to watch the sun go down with a drink in hand. It closed for a refresh recently, so do call ahead to confirm it's reopened before you build the evening around it.
The Coal Shed
4.5 ★If you like your cocktails with premium steak cooked over hot coals, The Coal Shed on North Street is the one. The 28-day Irish steaks are the headline, but the seafood and sharing plates hold their own for a mixed group. Handily, the standalone cocktail bar takes walk-ins from noon until late, so you don't need a dinner booking just to get the hens a well-made drink. With DJs from Thursday to Saturday and a chic New York brasserie look, it slides from a relaxed afternoon into a lively evening. Recommended by The Guardian and The Telegraph, and rightly so.
Tutto
4.7 ★Set inside a beautifully restored former bank on Marlborough Place, Tutto brings regional Italian cooking to Brighton, and does it with flair. Its dedicated cocktail bar is rooted in Italian tradition, with excellent Negronis and Americanos alongside house signatures like the Pistachio Espresso Martini. The move for a group is Aperitivo, every weekday from 4 to 6pm, with off-the-record serves and traditional cicchetti and no booking needed, the ideal warm-up to a hen evening. Regulars call the Beef Carpaccio and Carbonara ten-out-of-ten must-tries, and the Pistachio Tiramisu is dreamy, so stay on for dinner if the group's hungry.
Fourth and Church
4.8 ★Fourth and Church is a neighbourhood gem on Church Road in Hove, part wine shop, part restaurant, part cocktail bar, all in one relaxed space. The cocktails are spirit-led with creative twists on the classics, letting the quality of the craft spirits, vermouths and sherries do the talking, and they hold the city's largest range of quality Sherry. Grab the group a spot at the bar and let the team guide you through something new, whether that's an inventive cocktail or an unusual glass from the natural and biodynamic wine list. A Hove favourite with a loyal following, and a great option if your house is over that side of town.
Bar Valentino
4.6 ★Ring the buzzer on New Road and step into red velvet, low lighting and full Art Deco glamour, the entrance alone gets a hen group in the mood. This speakeasy-style bar next to the Theatre Royal feels like a scene from Moulin Rouge, with cocktails made from carefully sourced spirits and house infusions on a menu that changes weekly. It's small and doesn't take reservations, so it suits a smaller group or an early arrival rather than the whole guest list at once. While you sip, order tapas up from Tinto Taperia downstairs, the Jamon Serrano and Manchego Croquettes are the ones to get.
Brighton Rocks
4.6 ★Down a quiet Kemptown street, Brighton Rocks has a New Orleans warmth and a welcome to match. The bar carries over 160 whiskeys from 25 countries, so the bourbon and single-malt fans are in very good hands, while signatures like the Naked & Famous and Thai Swizzle show off the team's skill. For a hen do, the draw is the cocktail masterclasses at £30 per person, a brilliant daytime activity that gets everyone shaking their own before the night out. Friendly, unpretentious and a short walk from the sea, it's an easy one to bring the group to.
Plateau
4.5 ★Plateau was the first natural wine bar outside London, and more than fifteen years on it's still one of our favourite spots in Brighton. The cocktails are built on quality ingredients and small-batch spirits, and if you fancy something that isn't on the menu, the bartenders will happily make it, which a group loves. Candlelit and laid-back in the South Laines, with seasonal French-inspired small plates from Sussex produce, it's the sort of place where an early drink quietly becomes the whole night. A top pick for a more grown-up hen evening.
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