Abby Faires
The Mesmerist: 1-3 Prince Albert Street, Brighton, BN1 1HE
A new-age gin emporium located in the heart of the Lanes, the Mesmerist celebrates all things bizarre and bohemian in Brighton. So if you’re looking to escape the doldrums of life on campus or the never-ending dub of the clubs, I highly suggest you pop on down to the Mesmerist for a night of unconventionality.
Each week, the bar has a rotating entertainment programme featuring local musicians, burlesque dancers, artists, magic and more. Claiming to try and keep something “good and different alive in the Brighton lanes”, the owners of the Mesmerist truly foster local talent and all things weird.
They succeed, however, in delivering just the right touch of weird. Everything from their checkerboard floors to the old-school barber’s chair upstairs, is carefully calculated, transporting patrons back into the perfect 1950s juke joint jamboree.
Perhaps that’s why I love to get lost in The Mesmerist on Friday nights, when the bar puts on its “Shake Holla and Roll” party. Propelling the crowd into the 1940s and 50s with full force, the DJ dusts off the old 45s, and bar hoppers get to swing the night away to Old Dixieland jazz and soulful rhythm and blues.
And if you’re looking for a bit of the dark side by day, don’t be afraid to check out the Mesmerist’s sister cafe next door: The Alchemist, where you can find artisan baristas serving up some rockin’ surprises.
