The Alma

You head down Old York Road and find yourself in the kind of neighbourhood pub that's become rarer than it should be. The Alma has the warmth of a place that's genuinely loved by the people around it—not because it's trying too hard, but because it actually gets the fundamentals right. The kitchen takes pub classics seriously, turning out the sort of food that makes you wonder why more places don't bother. The bar staff know what they're doing with both classic cocktails and proper pints, and there's a real buzz without it ever feeling contrived or overcrowded.