The Fat Boar

Walk into The Fat Boar and you'll clock the kind of place that takes itself seriously without being pompous about it. They're doing the gastropub thing properly—think elevated comfort food that doesn't apologise for itself, executed with the sort of attention that makes you realise why it's got over 1,200 reviews. The room's got warmth to it, the sort of space where you can hear conversations rather than shouting over a DJ, and the staff genuinely seem pleased you've shown up. You're looking at classic British cooking done right, the kind of food that makes sense on Chester Street in the middle of town.