The White Star Tavern, Southampton

You'll find this corner pub doing exactly what Southampton needs more of – proper hospitality without the pretension. The dining room feels like someone's taken a traditional British pub and given it just enough polish to make you want to linger over your pint rather than neck it and scarper. The menu reads like they've actually thought about what goes well with a decent ale – think elevated comfort food that doesn't try too hard to be fancy. The kitchen knows its way around a Sunday roast, and the bar staff pour pints like they give a damn. It's become the sort of place where you can bring your parents for lunch or settle in for a proper session with mates, which is rarer than it should be in the city centre.