The Blacksmiths Arms

Walk through the door of The Blacksmiths Arms and you're stepping into the kind of place where regulars have their own stools and the landlord knows what you're drinking before you ask. It's tucked away on Torrington Street, away from the riverfront bustle, which means you get the real Bideford experience rather than the tourist version. The bar's got character in spades—old beams, a proper working fireplace, and the sort of atmosphere that makes you want to stay for a second pint when you'd only planned one.