Upstairs Bar at Royal Pier

You climb up to this one expecting tourist tat, then realise you've stumbled onto something genuinely decent. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame Cardigan Bay like someone's hung an oil painting across the whole wall—on clear days you can see right across the water. The crowd's a proper mix: locals nursing pints, couples nursing something stronger, the occasional stag do that wandered over from the town centre. It's got that comfortable, lived-in feel of a place that doesn't need to try too hard because the location does half the work. Drinks are reasonably priced for what you're getting, and unlike a lot of seafront spots, it doesn't feel like you're being fleeced just for the view.