Spring into Beaujolais (reviewed): Wednesday 25th March
Tucked into Hove’s increasingly strong food and drink scene, Fourth & Church, is a stylish, compact, independent venue which manages to be many things at once: A wine bar, a restaurant, a space for cocktails, a wholesaler and an off-licence. Everything here is built around a simple idea — really good wine, thoughtful well-crafted food, and a genuinely welcoming environment. Celebrating its tenth anniversary recently, it has an artisan approach to all good things, most refreshing in an era of mass production.
We visited yesterday for the first time for their inaugural Spring into Beaujolais evening. It was a bespoke event that combined being both curated and relaxed at the same time. Beaujolais is a wine region in eastern France (north of Lyon), famed for producing light, fruity red wines. The region is known for producing 12 different appellations, including the well-known Beaujolais Nouveau.
Designed as an informal wine pairing dinner rather than a structured tasting, the night focused on celebrating Beaujolais wines beyond its usual November spotlight. Instead of Beaujolais Nouveau, this was about the breadth of the region — from light, bright whites to juicy reds and more complex Cru wines.
Guests were welcomed with a glass of Beaujolais on arrival, before settling into a three-course menu (£65 per person) shaped around seasonal ingredients and a light French paysanne influence. Throughout the evening, a wide range of wines was available by the glass, allowing people to explore at their own pace rather than being led through a fixed tasting. This struck the right balance: enough guidance if required, but no pressure if not needed.
What stood out immediately — before the wine, even — was the staff. Hospitality can often feel efficient but impersonal at best; here, it was genuinely friendly, warm, attentive without hovering, and knowledgeable without being overbearing. There was a generosity to how the team engaged with diners that shifted the whole tone of the evening. The staff are all wine and food enthusiasts, and it really shows in what is offered, and the breadth of choice available.
Fourth & Church, founded by Sam Pryor and Paul Morgan, has built a reputation as one of Brighton & Hove’s most respected independent wine destinations, and it’s easy to see why. There’s a clear commitment to small producers, careful sourcing, and making wine feel accessible rather than intimidating. The Beaujolais evening and the next upcoming Try Before You Buy tasting on Sunday 29th March reflects that ethos, a night of enjoyment and wine celebration by genuine enthusiasts.
The space itself is intimate, with a relaxed, European feel. It works equally well as a place to drop in for a glass after work or to spend a full evening. This flexibility is part of its appeal. A way to visit for a quick drink and pick up a bottle of something nice to take home, or to end up staying for dinner and good conversation. In fact, food critic Grace Dent in The Guardian newspaper called it “a small, independent labour of love”.
Wine is, understandably, the main event. The list is extensive but considered, with a sense that each bottle has been chosen deliberately for this specific spring menu. What sets Fourth & Church apart, though, is the off-licence element. Everything you try can also be taken home, which turns the experience into an easily available event, a place to discover wines to return to later and to sample new varieties in the comfort of one’s home.
The Beaujolais focus worked particularly well in a spring context. These are wines made from the Gamay grape, typically light, fresh, and well-suited to being served slightly chilled — exactly what is needed as the weather (finally) starts to shift. There’s a versatility to these that pairs easily with a range of food, from small plates to more substantial dishes, and the menu reflected that without overcomplicating things.
Alongside the hundreds of bottles of wine as an enjoyable backdrop to the evening, the in-house kitchen delivered a menu designed to complement rather than compete. The menu felt like offerings from a country French restaurant with four courses created in the restaurant’s kitchen to match these seasonal wines. The entrée of white crab, watercress, crab verjus, and red meat radish was a light yet colourful way to settle in and pair with both red or white Beaujolais. The main dish of roast chicken with a black garlic butter centre was a variation and exploration of a much-loved chicken Kiev, but with a French insouciance that was most welcome. This was accompanied by braised leek and a rich mushroom medley which complimented, but didn’t overpower the poulet.
The menu offered flavour, balance, a soupçon of coquettishness, and an understanding of how food and wine can successfully sit together. There was what suggested itself as an amuse bouche, a Petit Sumaintrain which was in fact a beautifully creamy French cheese accompanied by artisanal crackers made onsite from a sourdough starter. This is a team that knows what it’s doing, is confident in its skills, and doesn’t feel the need to overstate it. The dessert, a Rhubarb Tartlette was a melt-in-the-mouth spectacular with fresh stalks of rhubarb to give a final frisson. This paired really well with the 2023 Beaujolais Blanc (Chardonnay, Chateau Cambon) as it matched its springy punch.
Try Before You Buy tasting: Sunday 29th March, 12–5pm (£10 for three pours)
If you missed the Wednesday event, there’s still a chance to engage with the spring Beaujolais series. This Sunday 29th March (12–5pm), Fourth & Church are hosting a Try Before You Buy tasting (£10 for three pours). This is a more informal drop-in session, offering the opportunity to sample a range of wines ahead of Easter, with advice available if you want help choosing bottles. There are also discounts on case purchases, which makes it a practical option as well as a social one.
More broadly, Fourth & Church sits comfortably within what Hove is becoming: a destination for eating and drinking well. Around Church Road and the surrounding streets, there’s a growing cluster of independent venues that take quality seriously without drifting into pretension. Fourth & Church stands out within that, though, for its clarity of purpose. It knows exactly what it is. And after a decade in business, it shows it has staying power.
And then there’s the sherry. I am a big fan of a Spanish Fino, yet had no idea that this restaurant has the widest array of regional Andalusian sherries in the area. For those who care about it, finding a genuinely good selection locally can be a challenge. Here, it’s clear that proper attention has been paid. The range of dry sherries in particular is one of the strongest I’ve seen in the area. It’s not tokenistic; it’s a serious part of the offer, and the Fourth and Church team all visited the Jerez area recently to explore and develop their knowledge of these crisp drinks. That expertise alone makes this somewhere I’ll be returning to.
What is a real pleasure is that there are no chasing trends here, but a solid, knowledgeable and engaging focus on sourcing (and sharing) interesting wines, creating food that works with them, and building a space where people feel comfortable enough to explore.
It’s also worth saying that this is an accessible place, not just in price (which feels fair for what’s on offer), but in attitude. One doesn’t need to be a sommelier or know anything about wine to come here. There’s encouragement to ask questions, try something new, and work out your tastes without feeling judged.
At the same time, if you do know your way around a wine list, there’s enough depth to follow your nose. It’s the kind of place open to repeat visits (as evidenced by lots of friendly banter with regular clientele) and yet have a different experience each time.
If you’re considering it, the advice is simple: go. Book if you can, particularly for events, and sign up to the mailing list to keep track of what’s coming up. The Beaujolais series is a strong entry point, but it’s unlikely to be the last interesting thing they do.
There’s something quietly confident about Fourth & Church. It doesn’t shout for attention, and yet by the end of an evening there, I felt I had discovered somewhere rather special. I’ll be back — if not for the wine alone, then certainly for the sherry. And with any luck, next time it’ll be at a dedicated tasting.
Details
Fourth & Church, 214 Church Road, Hove BN3 2DJ
Coming up – Try Before You Buy tasting: Sunday 29th March, 12–5pm (£10 for three pours)
For any queries, email anna@fourthandchurch.co.uk
For bookings, events and shop enquiries, visit their website or join the mailing list.
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