Trent Navigation Inn

Head down Meadow Lane towards the Trent and you'll find yourself at one of the city's best-kept neighbourhood pubs. This is the kind of place where regulars prop up the bar on a Tuesday afternoon and actually know the staff, where the conversation flows as freely as the cask ales. You're right on the water here—that view of the Trent Navigation actually matters—and inside it's properly lived-in, the sort of pub that's been doing its thing for years without needing to Instagram itself. The beer selection is genuinely excellent, with rotating local and craft options that make you want to linger over a pint rather than rush through one.