Warbler on the Wharf

You'll find this sprawling McMullen's boozer perched right on Campbell Wharf Marina in Newlands, where the canal boats bob about and you can pretend Milton Keynes has proper waterways. The terrace is the real draw here – grab a table overlooking the marina with a pint of their house ale and watch the narrowboats potter past. It's one of the few spots in MK where you can actually sit by water that isn't a roundabout fountain. Inside, it's classic McMullen's territory – dark wood, brass fittings, and the sort of reliable pub menu that hits the spot after a walk along the Grand Union Canal. The Sunday roasts are properly decent, and they know how to pour a pint. Sure, it's part of a chain, but when that chain knows what it's doing and you've got those marina views, who's complaining?