The Pilgrim

You'll find yourself squeezed into one of Liverpool's most genuinely loved boozers, where the kitchen takes pub food as seriously as the bar takes its rotating taps. The menu reads like someone finally listened to what people actually want from a gastropub - think elevated comfort food that doesn't try too hard to impress, just delivers proper flavour. The crowd here knows what they're about: locals nursing pints after work, couples sharing plates before a night out, and groups of mates who've made this their regular. It's the kind of place where you pop in for one drink and somehow end up closing the place down, partly because the beer selection keeps surprising you, but mostly because you genuinely don't want to leave.