Bridge Inn

You know exactly what you're getting when you push through those doors on Bridge Street, and sometimes that's precisely what you want. The Bridge Inn delivers the full Wetherspoons experience with zero pretence - sticky carpets, hearty breakfasts that'll sort you right out, and that particular brand of controlled chaos that only comes with cheap pints and eclectic clientele. The location's brilliant for a quick one after wandering around the cathedral or before catching something at the Theatre Royal. Yes, it's got all the Spoons hallmarks - laminated menus thick as novels and décor that screams early 2000s refurb - but the beer's cold, the curry club's decent, and you'll witness more local drama in one evening than most soaps manage in a month. It's not trying to be anything other than what it is.