Highlander

You'll find yourself on Church Street in the city centre, pushing through doors that lead into something genuinely buzzing. The Highlander isn't trying to be anything other than what it is—a proper live music venue where locals actually want to spend their Friday night, not some contrived Instagram set-piece. The bar staff know what they're doing, the sound system doesn't rattle your fillings, and you'll catch everyone from folk acts to touring bands that actually deserve a decent room. It's the kind of place where you bump into half the city and somehow always leave later than planned.