Branding itself as Brighton’s newest gay venue, I wandered past Infinity Bar purely by chance after a visit to Argus HQ around the corner.

It may well be Brighton’s newest bar, full stop, but is clearly keen to add the distinction.

In a past life this venue in St James’s Street was Priscilla’s and Poison Ivy. Now, it would be unfair for me to comment on either of these defunct businesses, but by their own admission the new owners recognise the need to distance themselves from previous sins.

As a result, Infinity is currently licensed to take just 40 through its doors, though if it can deliver a better record for a few months it hopes the licensing powers-that-be will increase this number to 60.

When I was in it was very quiet and I took the number up to four, including the red velvet bow-tied and braced barman. I don’t know if it was a uniform, but he looked very smart.

The place has been completely ripped apart and redone, right down to the bricks, in just 64 days, so all praise to the construction team.

There are only three lagers, a cider and an IPA on tap so, while the cocktail of the week looked great value at £6, I went for a pint of Maltsmiths at 4.6 per cent. It wasn’t particularly cheap at a fiver but was crisp and sharp with a pleasant, almost sweet flavour. It was, however, served at an incredibly low temperature which did eliminate some taste.

It also came in a toughened pint glass due to misdemeanours committed by punters visiting the previous incumbents of this business address. Infinity hopes its licence can be changed to allow them to sell bottles and serve ordinary glasses.

The new owner’s thinking behind buying a bar on this site and opening 12 to 12 every day is that it will become a stopping off point for everyone leaving a pub and heading for a club – whether this be folk heading to Kemp Town from Brighton or vice versa. As a business proposition it makes a deal of sense and again they will be looking for a 1am extension as soon as they think it might be granted.

You can immediately tell the whole place has been completely done out and, while it’s fairly glitzy, it does look good. I chose one of the eight cream stools and sat at the bar. Even if there was call for them, and I can’t imagine there would be, there’s no room for a pool table, darts board, fruit machine or anything else of this nature – although there is a jukebox. There are a multitude of screens dotted about but although they link with the jukebox, they’re generally used to promote the bar.

It was quiet during my visit, but I’m told the place has been rammed since it opened a couple of weeks ago and the official opening on Saturday, May 26, attracted a great crowd.

The owners are understandably hoping Pride will prove to be a big earner in a few weeks’ time and with one of the main entrances to the front running right behind it, Infinity’s owners are seeking permission to open a bar in their back passageway.

The bar itself has something of a clinical feel but it will be very easy to keep clean and the welcome from everyone was incredibly warm.

The whole place flashes with multi-coloured lights, so much so it reminded of occasions when I’ve borrowed my wife’s Mini. There are even coloured lights shining through all the clear shelves holding the drinks.

This lighting theme continues right through to the multi- gender toilets, but I have to say certain colours don’t give you a lot of light to see what you’re doing. In fact, while they’re impeccably clean and well presented, a bit like facilities in a modern caravan, the toilets are a bit on the tight side and while lights in driers are de rigueur these days, even the tap lights up in blue as the water flows.

Back in the bar my attention turned to the beermat under my pint. How refreshing this age-old custom has been retained. The barman reckons it’s because one owner is a Yank and they love beermats. Like many other spaces in the bar, the mats were also used to self-promote. One message promoted the new friendly bar staff, so you have to presume they didn’t think the previous staff were very pleasant.

In my humble opinion Infinity Bar is already a massive improvement on what went before and I wish it every success.

One tip, you’ll need to stop using the fire extinguisher as a wedge for the front door if you want to make sure H&S is properly catered for ahead of licensing applications.