My wife and I wonder if there are any traditional pubs left in Brighton and Hove with a warm welcome and value for money.

We recently went for a walk around the Preston Park area and fancied a drink and a bite to eat.

We went into one pub and were charged almost £10 for two pints of lager.

Admittedly it was Peroni which always works out a little dearer but almost £5 a pint, in an out of town pub? I don’t think so.

Wine prices in this and other pubs were also unnecessarily high, including for example a bottle of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc for £20. Bottles can be purchased from wine dealers from as little as £6.66 (so a 300% mark up seems steep!) One problem is that so many establishments don’t readily display drinks prices (if at all – isn’t it still a requirement that prices be prominently displayed?) It’s embarrassing to have to keep asking the price of drinks.

Another problem is that so many pubs are pretentious enough to think they can act like bistros, with bistro prices for food as well.

They seem to believe that if they tart up the menu sufficiently, this gives them carte blanche to charge exorbitant prices.

Admittedly there are value for money chains – Wetherspoons, M & B and Crown Carveries – but these are not always in a convenient location, and do not offer the same atmosphere as a traditional pub.

We would be interested to hear if there are now any proper pubs left, which will give you a welcome, sell you a decent drink at a decent price, and offer you food at a reasonable and appropriate price.

David Gibbons

The Deneway, Brighton