Nancy Spains - Shoreditch

Walk into Nancy Spains and you've landed in the kind of pub that doesn't apologise for what it is. Curtain Road's been having a renaissance lately, and this spot's been quietly pulling crowds with its no-nonsense approach to an Irish session. The timber-clad interior feels lived-in rather than designed, all dark wood and the sort of lighting that makes everything feel a bit more intimate than it probably is. You're there for the pints, the banter, and whatever's happening at the bar — whether that's a proper Irish folk band or just the bloke next to you telling a story that's somehow both too long and brilliant.