Eager Poet

Head to the Eager Poet and you'll find yourself in proper neighbourhood pub territory—the kind of place where regulars actually know the bar staff and the Quiz machine still gets a going-over on a Friday night. It's tucked away on Tower Drive in Neath Hill, which means it's got that feel of somewhere locals have claimed as their own, away from the city centre hustle. The food's uncomplicated (think classic pub fare), the beer selection is what you'd expect from Greene King, and there's usually enough going on—football on the telly, a decent crowd at weekends—to make it feel properly alive without being loud about it.