Big Six Inn, Halifax

Walk into the Big Six and you're stepping into the kind of place that's been holding up the corner of Halifax's drinking culture for years. The crowds here aren't performing—they're just getting on with it, nursing pints and actually talking to each other. You'll notice the care taken with what's on tap, the sort of thoughtful curation that suggests someone behind the bar knows their stuff. It's the type of pub where you can tell the difference between people who've walked past on Horsfall Street once and people who've never left.