Metropole Bar

You're walking past the seafront chaos, maybe heading towards the pier, and you duck into Metropole for something that actually tastes good. It's the kind of place where the bartenders know what they're doing without being smug about it—they'll make you something proper or pour you a decent beer without the theatrical faffing about. The room has that lived-in feel you get on Kings Road, unpretentious and genuinely local, the sort of bar where regulars prop up the counter and tourists who stumble in usually end up staying longer than planned. No craft-beer-list-as-a-novel nonsense here, just solid drinks and a space where you can actually have a conversation.