The Ava Winebar

You walk into Ava on Main Street and it feels like someone finally got it right in Bangor. The kind of place where the staff actually know their Rieslings from their Albariños, but won't make you feel like an eejit if you don't. It's intimate without being cramped, buzzy without being rammed, and the sort of spot where you'll bump into someone you know nursing a glass of something interesting. The wine list is genuinely thoughtful—they've clearly put work into sourcing stuff beyond the usual suspects, and the food (charcuterie, small plates, proper bits) doesn't overshadow what you're drinking. At around ££, it's not going to break the bank, but you're paying for quality here, not Instagram aesthetics.