The Vaults, Southsea

Walk down Albert Road in Southsea and you'll spot The Vaults tucked beneath street level—literally underground in converted Victorian cellars, which explains the name. It's got that lived-in pub feeling you actually want: exposed brick, dim lighting, the kind of place where regulars prop up the bar and know the staff by name. The drinks list takes itself seriously without being a nightmare to navigate, mixing proper cask ales with cocktails that taste like someone who knows what they're doing made them. Food's solid too, proper pub fare that won't embarrass itself. It's the sort of spot you stumble into for a quick one and somehow three hours have gone.