Brighton has a new Italian aperitivo haunt to fall for – Bar 50ml is a central Brighton cocktail bar serving polished classics, playful originals and top-tier snacks to match.
The decidedly well-heeled Northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna – land of Parma ham, balsamic vinegar and, yes, Ferraris – has lent a slice of its glamour to our city by the sea. It’s a tasty arrival, and one you should race to at your earliest convenience.
Launched in late 2025 in a quirky cocktail cave near St Peter’s Church in central Brighton, Bar 50ml is run by the multi-talented Stefano, who has honed his craft at some of the city’s finest bars. The result is a place that feels both intimate and ambitious: part neighbourhood hangout, part Italian aperitivo fantasy.
Alongside immaculately executed classics, the bar serves up inventive creations designed to take you on a journey through flavour. True to its roots, there’s Parma ham, focaccia, cheeses and olives to soak up house specials such as the 50ml Martini, Mediterraneo and Tiramisu della Mara, alongside a thoughtfully curated wine list.
What You’ll Love
- An intimate setting, moments from St Peter’s Church
- Expertly made classics plus inventive house cocktails
- Italian boards done right: focaccia, Parma ham, cheeses and olives
- Negroni Roulette – take the risk!
- Monthly Jazz and Negroni nights
- Negroni roulette, anyone?
A first for us: Bar 50ml offers Negroni Roulette – a gloriously risky way to select the gin, vermouth and amaro that will make up your drink. As the saying goes:
“The life of man is like a game with dice; if you don’t get the throw you want, you must show your skill in making the best of the throw you get.”
Happily, the team here can conjure up beauties with whatever fate throws their way. It’s a brilliant ploy to encourage you to explore unfamiliar combinations, and solid proof that chance, in the right hands, can taste spectacular. Love, love.
Focaccia coming atcha
Handily available to mop up the dice-chosen spirits are those nicely presented food boards. The focaccia is rich, airy yet chewy, with a crisp, rosemary-dotted crust and enough salt to make you reach – happily – for another sip. Emilia-Romagna has landed. The ham is light and buttery and, matched with those salty olives, is pure joy.
And once we’d polished that off, there was tiramisu: creamy, elegant and impeccably balanced, made to perfection in Brighton by Bee May Bakery. If dessert could wink, count this one as a total flirt.
Jazz hands
On our visit, Bar 50ml was hosting its monthly Jazz and Negroni night. Duo Maddy and Oliver delivered jazz standards alongside pop-rock reinterpretations – Dire Straits’ Sultans of Swing never sounded quite so seductive. It was a fitting soundtrack to an easy evening in the bar’s ambient lighting and ochre décor.
Date night, post-work decompression or a leisurely catch-up: Bar 50ml is a little beauty. Saluti. Oh, and make sure you check out the elevated, ornate mezzanine level.
Plan a visit today – and follow Bar 50ml on Instagram for news of their next Jazz and Negroni evening.
