The Keys Bar

You'll find yourself wedged between the cobbled charm of Market Street and the kind of crowd that's genuinely here for a good time, not Instagram credibility. The Keys Bar has that lived-in feel: wooden beams, sticky floors that tell stories, and the sort of bartenders who remember what you drink by your third visit. It's where you'll overhear philosophy students debating Kant next to gap-year kids and locals who've been coming here since before the university expanded. Expect proper pints, competitive pricing, and enough beer choices to keep things interesting without the pretension of some of the shinier spots round town.