Coachmakers Arms

You'll find yourself on Lichfield Street in the heart of Hanley, pushing through the doors of a pub that doesn't need a gimmick to pull punters in. The Coachmakers Arms is the sort of place where regulars have their own stools and the barstaff remember what you drink without asking twice. The ales rotate properly — you're getting interesting cask selections rather than the usual suspects — and the food's the kind of thing that actually tastes like someone's made it rather than reheated it from a bag. It's comfortable without being fancy, busy without being rammed, and honest in a way that feels increasingly rare on Hanley's high street.