The Actors
Kemptown, Brighton and Hove
Bar in Brighton and Hove, United Kingdom
Book with PearlWhy go
The Actors is a Kemptown local with a genuine LGBTQ+-friendly crowd and a neighbourhood-pub feel that's hard to fake. Walk-ins are easy and there's no dress code pressure. It's not the right pick if you want a polished cocktail experience; for that, look to CIN CIN Vine Street; but for a real Brighton local with personality, it delivers.
About The Actors
The Actors, Kemptown, Brighton: Worth Booking?
If you're looking for a Kemptown local with genuine character rather than a polished bar that could exist in any city, The Actors is worth your time. Sitting on Prince's Street in Brighton's LGBTQ+ heartland, it draws a crowd that's lived-in and local rather than tourist-facing; which, depending on what you're after, is either exactly the point or a reason to look elsewhere.
The Actors operates in the kind of neighbourhood where the regulars know the bar staff by name and the atmosphere shifts noticeably depending on the night. Kemptown has long been one of Brighton's most distinct quarters, The Actors reflects that: the crowd skews creative, community-rooted, unpretentious. If you went once and found it quiet, going back on a Friday or Saturday evening will show you a different venue entirely. The energy is crowd-dependent in the leading way; this isn't a place that manufactures atmosphere through lighting design or a curated playlist.
For someone returning after a first visit, the advice is direct: go later, go with people, treat it as a neighbourhood pub with personality rather than a destination bar with a programme. Comparison is useful here, if you want a more structured cocktail experience with a considered drinks list, CIN CIN Vine Street or L'Atelier Du Vin offer that kind of precision. The Actors is a different proposition: it's about the room and the regulars, not the menu.
Brighton's bar scene has evolved quickly over the past few years, with a wave of more concept-driven openings pulling attention toward the North Laine and the seafront. That shift has, in some ways, made places like The Actors more appealing to those who find the newer venues a little studied. It hasn't tried to rebrand itself into something it isn't, for a specific kind of visitor, one who wants to feel like they've found a real local rather than a curated experience, that's genuinely useful.
Booking is easy and walk-ins are the norm. There's no significant wait to worry about, no dress code pressure. For a broader view of where to eat and drink across the city, see our full Brighton and Hove bars guide, our Brighton and Hove restaurants guide, and our Brighton and Hove hotels guide. If you're planning a wider trip, our Brighton and Hove experiences guide and wineries guide are also worth a look.
Know Before You Go
- Address: 4 Prince's Street, Kemptown, Brighton BN2 1RD
- Neighbourhood: Kemptown, Brighton's LGBTQ+ quarter, walkable from the seafront
- Booking difficulty: Easy, walk-ins are standard
- Leading for: Casual drinks, LGBTQ+-friendly nights out, locals-first atmosphere
- Price range: Not confirmed, expect pub-range pricing based on venue type and location
- Dress code: None, come as you are
- Hours: Not confirmed, check locally before visiting
How It Compares
See the full comparison section below.
Planning details
- Location
- 4 Prince's St, Kemptown, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN2 1RD, United Kingdom
- Website
- actors.pub
- Phone
- +44 1273 570028
The take
The Take
The Vibe
The Actors reads like a true neighbourhood bar: compact, characterful and shaped by its regulars. It sits on a quiet residential cut in Kemptown and trades on local identity rather than slick design or cocktail theatrics. The name and location signal an arts-adjacent crowd — performers, creative freelancers and neighbours — and the room feels familiar rather than staged. Expect an intimate, cozy energy that leans lively in the evenings; this is a place whose personality emerges from the social chemistry of the immediate community rather than from a tourism-driven fitout.
Best For
This is a bar built around local routines: after-work pours, casual catch-ups and small group nights are where The Actors shines. It anchors an everyday social circuit in Kemptown, so it’s best for people who want an unpretentious setting to linger with friends or colleagues. The Actors isn’t pitched at destination cocktail crowds; instead it suits neighbourhood gatherings and creative types looking for a familiar spot to convene. Visitors hoping to plug into Brighton’s local scene will find it especially rewarding.
Ordering Tips
The Actors is not described as a formally programmed cocktail or hotel bar, so plan to lean into straightforward, well-chosen drinks rather than expecting technical cocktail theatre or a curated wine-list experience. The venue’s strength is its local atmosphere — order something simple, take a seat or mingle with regulars, and let the neighbourhood rhythm dictate the pace. If you’re exploring Kemptown’s drinking corridor, treat The Actors as an essential local stop rather than a destination for elaborate beverage theatrics.
Planning details
Location
4 Prince's St, Kemptown, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN2 1RD, United Kingdom · Directions
Also consider
Also Consider
- 48 Trafalgar St; Notable alternative
- Black Dove; Notable alternative
- CIN CIN Vine Street; Notable alternative
- Drakes Hotel | A Curious Group of Hotels; Notable alternative
- L'Atelier Du Vin Wine and Cocktail Bar; Notable alternative
Bar context
The Actors sits at the casual, community-driven end of Brighton's bar spectrum. If you're weighing it against CIN CIN Vine Street, those are genuinely different nights out: CIN CIN offers a considered wine and cocktail programme in a more intimate setting, better suited to dates or small groups who want a structured drinks experience. The Actors is the right pick when you want to feel like a local, not when you want a curated list.
Black Dove and 48 Trafalgar St occupy similar casual territory but operate closer to the North Laine, which draws a slightly more mixed crowd. For visitors who want the Kemptown atmosphere specifically; and the LGBTQ+-friendly community feel that comes with it; The Actors has a distinct character those venues don't replicate. Drakes Hotel is the obvious alternative if polish and a seafront setting matter more than neighbourhood authenticity.
On booking difficulty, all five venues are broadly accessible, but The Actors requires the least planning; walk in, no reservation needed. That makes it the lowest-friction option in the group. For travellers comparing bar experiences further afield, the contrast with something like 69 Colebrooke Row in London or Bar Leather Apron in Honolulu underscores what The Actors is and isn't: it's a local, not a destination cocktail bar, it's best judged on those terms.
Explore Brighton and Hove
Around this place
Discover more on Pearl
Unlock the full The Actors guide in Pearl, including awards, comparisons, FAQs, planning details, and nearby places.
Compare The Actors
| Venue | Awards |
|---|---|
| The Actors | No published awards |
| 48 Trafalgar St | No published awards |
| Black Dove | No published awards |
| CIN CIN Vine Street | No published awards |
| Drakes Hotel | A Curious Group of Hotels | No published awards |
| L'Atelier Du Vin Wine and Cocktail Bar | No published awards |
A quick look at how The Actors measures up.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Actors good for a date?
It works well for a low-pressure first or second date if you want somewhere with local character rather than a generic cocktail bar. Kemptown's Prince's Street address puts it in one of Brighton's more interesting neighbourhoods, which helps set a mood. For a more polished date setting, Black Dove or CIN CIN Vine Street offer a more curated atmosphere.
Is the food good at The Actors?
Food details aren't confirmed for The Actors, so don't go in expecting a full kitchen. Treat it as a drinking venue first. If a meal is part of your plan, pair it with a nearby Kemptown restaurant before or after your visit.
Does The Actors have happy hour deals?
No confirmed happy hour information is available for The Actors. Worth checking directly when you arrive, as Kemptown locals often run informal deals on weekday evenings. Don't build your evening around it without confirming on the day.
Does The Actors have outdoor seating?
Outdoor seating isn't confirmed from available information. Prince's Street in Kemptown is a relatively narrow residential street, so a large terrace is unlikely. If outdoor seating is a priority, call ahead before making it your first stop.
Is The Actors good for groups?
It can work for a small group of four to six looking for a casual Kemptown pub crawl anchor. For larger groups or a more structured evening, Drakes Hotel or a venue with bookable private space would be a safer choice. The Actors reads as a drop-in local rather than a bookable group venue.
What's the crowd like at The Actors?
Given its Kemptown location on Prince's Street, expect a local neighbourhood crowd rather than a tourist-heavy room. Kemptown has a longstanding reputation as one of Brighton's more eclectic and LGBTQ+-friendly areas, The Actors reflects that community mix. It's a venue where you go to feel like a local, not to be seen.
