EAST
Sculthorpe Mill, Fakenham
A pretty heritage pub and watermill on the River Wensum with extensive beer garden, cosy rooms with exposed beams, local brews and spirits (including a better than average no-lo offering), and superior bar snacks.
Lynn Rd, NR21 9QG; 01328 633001
The Fat Cat, Norwich
They do more than beer (there’s a strong cider selection), but with more than 30 real ales alone it’s definitely the focus at this Camra award-winning pub. And if you get hungry, the friendly team are happy for you to order in food to have with your pint.
49 West End St, NR2 4NA; 07807 579517
Parker’s Tavern, Cambridge
A plush bar, where house cocktails have a link to Cambridge – a gin and rhubarb concoction pays tribute to Wittgenstein; the strawberry Secret of Life celebrates the Cavendish laboratory, where the double helix was discovered.
52-42 Regent St, CB2 1AD; 01223 606266
LONDON
The Lowback, Canary Wharf
This waterside bar and its marble floor and velvet booths brings a touch of glamour to the otherwise bland financial district. It’s a Hawksmoor bar, so you know the drinks are going to be considered and balanced, and the food worth staying past happy hour for (4-7pm, Tue-Thu).
1 Water St, E14 5GX; 020 3988 0520
The Jolly Gardeners, Vauxhall
This old pub was taken over by five friends on a mission to create a community hub for south Londoners. Expect strong representation from local breweries, a barbecue at the weekend, a “Lambeth mess” dessert, a sunny garden, and a modern interior that still offers cosy heritage-pub vibes.
49-51 Black Prince Rd, SE11 6AB; 020 7967 7327
Scarfes Bar, Holborn
Luxury drawing room meets live jazz. Caricaturist Gerald Scarfe’s art is on the walls, and on the tables are seriously intriguing cocktails – the Let it Bee with Bruichladdich whisky, Italicus herbal liqueur, bee pollen, acorn and pineapple soda, or the Happy Mistake of tequila, rhubarb, clarified white chocolate and palo cortado sherry.
Rosewood London, 252 High Holborn WC1V 7EN; 020 3747 8670
MIDLANDS
The Forge Inn, Glenfield, Leicester
At this independent village pub, local ales are served in traditional dimpled glassware, and there’s coffee and cake for friends who want to catch up in the sunny garden, or a cosy corner when the weather turns.
Main St, LE3 8DG; 0116 287 1702
Kilder, Birmingham
Head to this renovated arch in Digbeth where they take good beer (and natural wine and cider) seriously, but not too seriously – good tunes and good vibes are equally important.
5 Shaw’s Passage, B5 5JG; 0121 643 2546
The Feather Star, Wirksworth, Matlock
The Red Lion is now home to former neighbouring micro-pub the Feather Star. The move means it has increased its drinks range – pulling five local ales, plus five ciders and 13 craft beers – and can improve its eco-credentials. It still has secondhand and reissued vinyl for sale, and housemates Umami provide the snacks from a globe-trotting menu.
The Red Lion Hotel, Market Pl, DE4 4ET; 07931 424117
NORTH
BoBo, Liverpool
Fun tasting notes (“friend of ham and cheese”, “criminally drinkable”), seasonal wines, sangria brunch, a rum menu, pasteis de nata all day – all part of the fun at this wine bar in the Spanish and Portuguese style.
46 Castle St, L2 7LA; 0151 640 0551
Bench, Sheffield
Blurring the lines between bar, bistro and shop, Bench welcomes customers on the terrace for a classic aperitif, or lets them choose a bottle of natural wine for £5 corkage. Snacks such coronation chicken skewers encourage them to linger longer.
7b Nether Edge Rd, S7 1RU
Public, Sheffield
This tiny space was once a public toilet but is now one of the most highly regarded bars in the country, and the overall winner of this category in 2018. It offers low-key glamour, a vinyl soundtrack, and a current menu where a classic cocktail has an opposing house twist – pick between a bright, citrus Tequila Sunrise or a dark, coffee Midnight in Mexico.
23-55 Surrey St, S1 2LG
NORTHERN IRELAND
Dundrum Inn, Dundrum
This pub has two mottos for its approach – “great drinks, great people” and “cold beer, warm welcome” – making it as popular with tourists visiting the Mourne Mountains, as locals looking for a casual pint.
143 Main St, BT33 0LX; 028 4375 1211
Sunflower, Belfast
Even on a winter’s day, you’ll find punters in the popular beer garden at Sunflower, perhaps enjoying a woodfired pizza with their pint, or browsing at the monthly flea market. Inside, there’s live music every night, from jazz to folk and open mic.
65 Union St, BT1 2JG; 028 9023 2474
The American Bar, Belfast
The pub dates back to 1860, but now instead of dockers you’re more likely to find people listening to the varied programme of live music, seeing a theatre show, or enjoying a locally made brew.
65 Dock St, BT15 1LF; 028 9074 3964
SCOTLAND
Hey Palu, Edinburgh
The name is a greeting followed by a term of endearment; the vibe is relaxed and modern Italian; the classics are available; the specialities are amari and vermouths.
49 Bread St, EH3 9AH; 07869 710695
Teuchters Landing, Leith, Edinburgh
On the water, this all-day pub has made its home in a former ferry waiting room. If you like whisky, you’re on to a winner here, with 90 single malts, plus a double-handful of international blends, and there’s a good selection of Scottish beers, too.
1c Dock Pl, EH6 6LU; 0131 554 7427
The Dome, Edinburgh
Go grand in this ornate old bank building. For a seasonal cocktail or pint in style, it’s hard to beat the Front Bar – all warm wood panelling and glittering crystal chandelier.
14 George St, EH2 2PF; 0131 624 8624
SOUTH
Victoria Bar, Brighton
Relax in style in the plush bar of the landmark Grand Hotel, perhaps with a glass of Sussex fizz or a bespoke blend by local tea experts Bluebird.
The Grand Brighton, 97-99 Kings Rd, BN1 2FW; 01273 224300
The Keep, Wallingford
They reckon it’s the largest offie in Oxfordshire, but it’s also a casual bar, where you can enjoy an Albino Flamingo, the shop’s own craft gin.
1a Castle St, OX10 8DL; 07840 376626
The Alice, Oxford
The bar area of this pretty and bright all-day restaurant offers drinks themed around Oxford’s famous residents and sites – try an Ashmolean Highball (prosecco, rum, passionfruit) or a Mock Turtle (nothing mock about it, with gin and green chartreuse).
The Randolph Hotel, Beaumont St, OX1 2LN; 01865 256400
WALES
Bar 44, Cardiff
The walls are wood-panelled and the bar lined with Iberian tiles, so it seems fitting to order a sherry – the menu has many styles across a three-page list, not to mention vermut, Spanish wines and plenty of tapas.
15-23 Westgate St, CF10 1DD; 0333 344 4049
Tap & Tân, Tenby
A collaboration between Tenby Brewing Co and Feast Pembrokeshire to showcase the best of what each offers – interesting beers and live-fire cooking with a local focus.
Food Quarter, The Mews, Upper Frog St, SA70 7JD; 01834 844068
The Warren, Carmarthen
Everything at this restaurant is carefully sourced, including the drinks, so organic options are marked on the menu, the coffee is from local roasters Coaltown, which has B Corp status, and a priority is given to local producers.
1 Mansel St, Carmarthen SA31 1PX; 01267 236079
WEST
Dark Bear, Bridport
Expect things to get dark and stormy at this cocktail bar, not in atmosphere – this is a rum affair, with more than 200 types on offer.
The Bridge House Hotel, 115 East St, Bridport DT6 3LB; 01308 423371
Lilac, Lyme Regis
The cellar may be 400 years old but the outlook is modern, with eco-ethics front and centre, a good range of interesting no-lo options, and the best local libations on offer.
57-58 Broad St, DT7 3QF; 07733 132523
Deya Brewing Company, Cheltenham
One brewery, two taprooms. In the main site, you can order fresh ales on draft or in cans; head round the corner and things get a little funkier with the wild ferments – beer, wine and cider. On weekends, sustenance is provided by rotating food trucks.
Unit 27, Lansdown Industrial Estate, Gloucester Rd, GL51 8PL; 01242 269189
