The Griffin

You'll find The Griffin tucked right on Court Square, where the city's pulse actually beats. It's the kind of place where locals prop up the bar for a pint after work, where you'll catch families on a Sunday lunchtime, and where nobody's making a fuss about it—that's the whole appeal. The Greene King chain has done right by this one: decent ales on tap, straightforward pub grub that doesn't pretend to be anything fancy, and enough space inside that you're not constantly elbowing strangers. Court Square itself is buzzing with life, and the Griffin sits perfectly in that neighbourhood energy.