BEESES

You'll drive past this place thinking it's just another suburban pub, but walk through to the back and suddenly you're on a proper riverside terrace overlooking the Avon. The Sunday roasts here are genuinely excellent – proper Yorkshire puddings and beef that hasn't been sitting under a heat lamp since Tuesday. The beer selection leans heavily towards local brewers, which feels right for a place that's managed to keep its soul despite the inevitable gentrification creeping through this part of town. Come summer, you'll struggle to get a table outside without booking ahead. The crowd skews older than your average Stokes Croft haunt, but that's part of the charm – proper conversation over pints rather than everyone staring at their phones. It's the kind of place your parents would approve of, but you'd actually choose to go there yourself.