The White Swan

You'll find yourself in one of those proper pubs that actually feels like a pub—none of that gastropub dressing up. The White Swan sits on Upper Dagnall Street with the kind of worn-in charm that comes from years of regulars propping up the bar, chatting away without feeling the need to document their pint on Instagram. The crowd's genuinely mixed: you'll spot suit-wearing types from the cathedral quarter mixing with locals who've been coming here for decades. It's the kind of place where you can sink into the background with a decent ale or plonk yourself at the bar and get drawn into whatever's being debated that evening. Food's straightforward and proper—nothing fancy, just the sort of thing that makes sense with a drink.