The Stoke Arms

Head up Prince Charles Road towards Stoke Hill and you'll find The Stoke Arms doing exactly what a proper pub should: serving decent pints, hosting the sort of conversations that actually happen between locals, and never apologising for it. This is the kind of place where the bar staff remember faces, the jukebox isn't trying too hard, and nobody's worried about Instagram angles. The regulars clearly spend half their lives here, which is either the best recommendation you need or none at all—depending on whether you're after genuine community or something more polished. Either way, it works.