Royal Pavilion Tavern
A historic pub and former hotel in Brighton's Castle Square, later reopened under the name The Fitz Regent.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
The Royal Pavilion Tavern was a historic public house in the centre of Brighton, England, occupying a prominent four-storey building at the junction of North Street and Old Steine in Castle Square. It was commonly known as the Pavilion Tavern or “Pav Tav.” The building originated as an early nineteenth-century terraced house and acquired several public roles before becoming a hotel and then a pub. It was also used for court sessions during the early nineteenth century, when the Court of Whalesbone, a Hundred Court and an early form of magistrates' court, moved there from Lewes in 1808. The premises were converted into the Royal Pavilion Hotel by approximately 1820, and possibly as early as 1816. The hotel was intended to serve middle-class visitors and commercial travellers who wanted accommodation and sociable facilities near the Old Steine, then one of Brighton's principal centres of fashionable life. Local architect Amon Henry Wilds was associated with the redesign, either in 1820 or 1826, and may have been assisted by Charles Busby. The resulting building reflected Brighton's Regency architectural character, with a stuccoed bow-front façade and a decorative balcony incorporating interlinked dolphins, a motif associated with Brighton's civic emblem. The hotel later became a conventional inn known as the Royal Pavilion Tavern. Its name and history were connected with the social and commercial development of Brighton as a seaside resort. An anecdote associated with the premises concerns an early proprietor's use of a rear-wall sign reading “Gin Palace,” which reportedly offended Maria Fitzherbert, the Prince Regent's companion, whose residence backed onto the inn. The sign was subsequently changed to “Shades,” a local term with a similar implication. “Shades” was later revived as the name of a café-bar and restaurant area created during a substantial refurbishment in 1991. The 1991 refurbishment also introduced a bar counter salvaged from a public house at London Victoria railway station, giving the interior an additional historical feature. In its later years, the establishment was operated by Mitchells & Butlers, one of the United Kingdom's major managed-pub groups. On 24 September 2019, the company announced that the pub would close two days later, with plans then indicating conversion of the property to residential use. That proposed outcome did not occur. In August 2021, Mitchells & Butlers submitted a planning application for alterations and remedial works, and the premises reopened on 13 February 2022 under the new name The Fitz Regent. The reopened venue retained the same historic building but adopted updated interiors with an Art Deco-inspired design. Consequently, Royal Pavilion Tavern is best understood as a historical pub identity that ended when the venue was rebranded, rather than as a currently operating standalone brand. The building remains significant independently of its hospitality use. English Heritage listed the building and its external iron railings at Grade II on 13 October 1952, recognising its special architectural and historic interest. It also lies within Brighton's Valley Gardens Conservation Area, designated in 1973. The listing and conservation setting reflect the property's importance within Brighton's Regency-era townscape and its relationship to the city's development as a resort.
History
The Royal Pavilion Tavern occupies a building whose history predates the pub by several decades. Brighton, originally the fishing and agricultural village of Brighthelmstone, expanded rapidly from the mid-eighteenth century as sea-bathing, transport improvements and investment turned it into a fashionable coastal resort. The Old Steine became an important social centre, and the nearby Castle Inn, established through the conversion of a house in 1752, served as an early focus for visitors and residents. Although the Castle Inn declined and was demolished in 1823, the surrounding Castle Square retained commercial and social importance. The building at number 8 Castle Square was constructed as a tall terraced house in the early nineteenth century. In 1808 it became a venue for the Court of Whalesbone, a Hundred Court that had moved from Lewes. Sessions took place several times a week. Although the court used other locations for periods, it returned to the building between 1823 and 1832. By the early 1820s the property had been converted into the Royal Pavilion Hotel. Sources place its establishment possibly as early as 1816 and certainly by 1820. It was described as a family and commercial hotel, aimed at a middle-class market that had previously used the Castle Inn. The building's redesign is associated with Amon Henry Wilds, a leading local architect of Brighton's Regency period. Charles Busby, Wilds's frequent collaborator, may also have participated. The redesign gave the premises a stuccoed, segmental bow front and a prominent balcony decorated with linked dolphins and crowns, details that connected the building to Brighton's civic imagery. The property subsequently ceased to operate as a hotel and became the Royal Pavilion Tavern. The pub developed an identity rooted both in its central location and in its connection to Brighton's historic architecture. A story from its early period recounts that a proprietor placed a rear-wall sign reading “Gin Palace,” upsetting Maria Fitzherbert, the Prince Regent's companion, whose home stood behind the premises. The sign was changed to “Shades,” a colloquial local expression. The name returned during a major 1991 refurbishment, when part of the pub was adapted as a café-bar and restaurant. A bar counter dating from the Second World War period was recovered from a public house at London Victoria railway station and installed as part of the refit. In its later operating period, the Royal Pavilion Tavern belonged to Mitchells & Butlers, a large managed-pub operator. The company announced in September 2019 that the premises would close permanently, and an initial plan called for residential conversion. The closure took place on 26 September 2019. In 2021, however, Mitchells & Butlers pursued planning permission for works that would allow the hospitality premises to be altered and repaired. The venue reopened on 13 February 2022 as The Fitz Regent, ending the Royal Pavilion Tavern name while preserving the building's pub function under a new identity. The structure has continued to have civic and architectural significance. English Heritage listed the building and the iron railings outside it at Grade II on 13 October 1952. The designation recognises the property as a nationally important building of special interest. It is also located within the Valley Gardens Conservation Area, established by Brighton Council in 1973. Its four-storey Regency-influenced façade includes a slate-covered gambrel roof, dormer windows, a balustrade, a stuccoed bow front, rusticated ground floor and decorative ironwork. The conservation and listing status mean that the building's historical value is not dependent solely on the Royal Pavilion Tavern trading name.
- 2022
Venue reopens as The Fitz Regent
[1]The premises reopened on 13 February 2022 under the new name The Fitz Regent following alterations and an interior update.
- 2019
Royal Pavilion Tavern closes
[1]The pub closed on 26 September 2019 after Mitchells & Butlers announced that it would cease trading and initially planned residential conversion.
- 1991
Major refurbishment introduces Shades café-bar
[1]A substantial refurbishment created a café-bar and restaurant area called Shades and installed a recovered wartime-era bar counter from London Victoria.
- 1973
Included in Valley Gardens Conservation Area
[1]The building became part of Brighton's Valley Gardens Conservation Area after its designation by Brighton Council.
- 1952
Building receives Grade II listing
[1]English Heritage listed the building and its external railings on 13 October 1952 for their architectural and historical importance.
- 1820
Royal Pavilion Hotel established by this period
[1]The premises were operating as the Royal Pavilion Hotel by 1820, although the hotel may have been established as early as 1816.
- 1820
Regency redesign associated with Amon Henry Wilds
[1]Amon Henry Wilds was commissioned to redesign the building either in 1820 or 1826, producing the Regency character that remains visible in the façade.
- 1808
Court of Whalesbone moves into the building
[1]The building began hosting the Court of Whalesbone, a Hundred Court that had relocated from Lewes. It was used for court sessions during the early nineteenth century.
Products and positioning
A centrally located Brighton pub combining everyday drinking and dining with a distinctive Regency-period setting and strong architectural heritage.
Pub and hospitality venue
Royal Pavilion Tavern pub
The core offering was a centrally located Brighton public house providing alcoholic drinks, non-alcoholic beverages and pub hospitality in a historic Regency-period building. The venue served as a social and drinking establishment after the property ceased operating as a hotel. Its architectural setting, including the bow-front façade and decorative iron balcony, was a notable part of the customer experience.
Café-bar and restaurant · 1991
Shades
Shades was a café-bar and restaurant area created during the 1991 refurbishment of the Royal Pavilion Tavern. The name recalled an earlier sign associated with the building's history. The refurbishment also incorporated a bar counter recovered from a public house at London Victoria railway station, adding a salvaged historical feature to the interior.
Brand decisions
2022
Rebranding as The Fitz RegentGeneration changeBackground
The former Royal Pavilion Tavern returned to operation after closure and building works.
Action taken
The venue reopened on 13 February 2022 with the name The Fitz Regent and refreshed Art Deco-style décor.
Aftermath
The Royal Pavilion Tavern identity became historical, while the same building continued as a pub under a new brand.
2021
Decision to pursue hospitality reopeningStrategyBackground
After the closure and proposed residential conversion, Mitchells & Butlers submitted a planning application for alterations and remedial works to the pub premises.
Action taken
The owner sought permission to modify the building and prepare it for continued use as a hospitality venue.
Aftermath
The venue reopened in February 2022 under a different name, The Fitz Regent.
2019
Closure and proposed residential conversionOtherBackground
Mitchells & Butlers announced that the Royal Pavilion Tavern would close in September 2019. The initial plan was to convert the building for residential use.
Action taken
The pub ceased trading on 26 September 2019, two days after the company's announcement.
Aftermath
The proposed residential outcome was later superseded by plans to repair and alter the premises for renewed hospitality use.
Recent events
- 2022
Former Royal Pavilion Tavern reopens as The Fitz Regent[1]
Product launch
The venue reopened on 13 February 2022 under the name The Fitz Regent, with refreshed interiors described as Art Deco in style.
- 2021
Planning application submitted for alterations to the former pub[1]
Other
Mitchells & Butlers submitted proposals to Brighton and Hove City Council for alterations and remedial works, indicating that the premises could remain in hospitality use rather than being converted to housing.
- 2019
Mitchells & Butlers announces closure of Royal Pavilion Tavern[1]
Other
Mitchells & Butlers announced that the Royal Pavilion Tavern would close on 26 September 2019, with the building expected at that time to be converted for residential use.
Sources1 sources
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