Y Vaults

You're walking down Bangor's High Street and you duck into Y Vaults—and suddenly you're in this characterful basement space with those arched stone vaults that give the place its name. It's got that lived-in feel you want from a proper pub, the kind where regulars know the bar staff and there's actual conversation happening rather than everyone staring at their phones. The drinks list takes itself seriously without being pretentious about it, and the atmosphere shifts depending on when you visit—quiet enough for a pint and a think on a Tuesday afternoon, buzzing with energy come Friday night. It's the sort of place that makes you remember why pubs mattered in the first place.