The Smithfield Market Tavern

You walk into what feels like your mate's front room, if your mate had excellent taste in craft beer and enough space for a proper pool table. The mismatched furniture and worn-in atmosphere make this the kind of place where you pop in for one and somehow end up closing the place down, deep in conversation with strangers who feel like old friends. The beer selection runs serious without being snobbish - they know their hops from their malts but won't lecture you about it. When you fancy a break from drinking, the darts board actually gets used (revolutionary concept, we know), and the pool table sees proper action most nights. It's refreshingly unpretentious in a city where too many pubs are trying too hard to be something they're not.