Pompoko

Walk down Church Street towards the seafront and you'll find Pompoko tucked among the independent shops, all minimal interior and zero pretension. This is where you come for honest Japanese food that doesn't try to be anything it's not—the kind of place where a bowl of ramen actually costs under £10 and tastes like someone cared about it. The menu's tight and focused: tonkotsu broth that's been simmered properly, gyoza that arrive crispy-bottomed, katsu with a proper crumb. It's busy most nights but moves quickly, and the vibe is properly local rather than trying to Instagram itself to death.