The Carnival Inn

Walk into The Carnival Inn and you're stepping into a real piece of Bridgwater's drinking culture. This isn't trying to be anything other than what it is: a solid local boozer where you can nurse a £1.99 pint and actually afford to stay more than an hour. The building's got proper bones—it's listed, which means there's some genuine character lurking beneath the Spoons standardisation. You'll find yourself rubbing shoulders with everyone from market traders to students, which is exactly how a town centre pub should feel. The food's predictable (Wetherspoon menu, innit), but that's not really why you're here.