Nancy Spains - Manchester

You'll find this properly lived-in boozer tucked down Hilton Street, and it's exactly the sort of place that makes the Northern Quarter special. The walls are plastered with gig posters and random art, there's a piano that gets proper use, and the whole place has that perfectly imperfect vibe that can't be manufactured. The cocktails are surprisingly good for what looks like a student dive - they know their way around a proper Old Fashioned and their house specials pack a punch. It's the kind of place where you pop in for one pint and suddenly it's 2am and you're singing along to someone's acoustic set. The crowd's a brilliant mix of NQ regulars, students, and music heads who appreciate a bar that doesn't take itself too seriously but absolutely nails the fundamentals.