Penny Black

You're on Pond Hill, that slightly wonky stretch where the city centre proper starts to feel like somewhere, and Penny Black's doing what it does best: being a reliable, unpretentious local boozer. The Greene King chain stamps are all over it, sure, but there's actual character here—wood-panelled walls, decent ales on tap, and the kind of crowd that ranges from post-work collars to weekend drinkers who know their way around a pint. The food's straightforward pub fare that doesn't pretend to be anything fancy, which is exactly what you want when you're proper hungry. It's the sort of place that works equally well for a quick midweek pint or stretching an evening out with mates.