Fox & Crown

Head out towards Skegby and you'll find the Fox & Crown doing what it does best—being the kind of pub where regulars outnumber tourists and that's precisely the point. It's the sort of place you wander into for a midweek pint and end up staying three hours, chatting to whoever's at the bar about the Stags' latest result or complaining about the weather in that distinctly Mansfield way. The food's unpretentious but decent, the kind of stuff that pairs well with a real ale, and they're not precious about it. Greene King runs it competently without trying too hard, which means you get consistent standards and a proper community vibe rather than corporate theatre.