Oban
It's a pleasure to see this four-square 18th-century pub open again after some years closed, with its solid walls, flagstone floor and roof beams in the…
Must-see nightlife in The United Kingdom
Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields
The bar is named after the pre-existing signs on the two shops whose space it now occupies, a nonchalance that typifies Shoreditch chic. The street-level…
Aberdeen
A long-standing feature of the Aberdeen pub scene, the Blue Lamp is a favourite student hang-out – a cosy drinking den with good beer and craic (lively…
Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields
This low-lit, basement bar with good-value cocktails is relaxed and intimate, overseen by dapper-looking staff in white shirts and colourful suspenders…
Canterbury
Canterbury’s brewpub pumps out award-winning craft beers in the industrial setting of a former foundry where New York's first streetlights were made. It…
Cumbria & the Lakes
This brick-walled bar is a popular haunt for Carlisle's hipster drinkers, with craft beers and a bargain cocktail menu (with fun concoctions to try such…
Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields
This 1950s-themed basement cocktail bar in Holborn is the self-declared home of ping pong, reputedly located in the exact spot the sport was invented. At…
Sheffield
This old-fashioned independent boozer is in a handy spot around the corner from Kelham Island Museum and serves Kelham Island Brewery beers and ales made…
Glasgow
Rock, industrial, electronic and powerpop grace the stage and the turntables at this unpretentious central venue. It doesn't take itself too seriously,…
Notting Hill & West London
With just the right mix of shiny gastropub, rough-and-ready local appeal, good Grand Union Canal location (with waterside terrace) and a really strong…
York
Licensed since 1644, this is York's oldest pub – a warren of small rooms and a small beer garden, with a half-dozen real ales on tap. It was used as a…
Edinburgh
The plush banquettes and sleek, polished tables in this sharply styled bar are just the place to pose with a passionfruit bellini or a glass of Pol Roger…
The West End
This Soho favourite attracts a cross-section of the good, the bad and the beautiful. Fairly attitude-free, it's perfect for pre-club drinks or just an…
The Midlands & the Marches
Moored on the River Trent overlooking Newark Castle, this former grain barge, which once plied the waters between Hull and Gainsborough, is an idyllic…
Canterbury
Owned by an Anglo-Peruvian couple, this highly aromatic cafe imports, roasts, grinds and sells its unsurpassed beans and blends. There’s local art on the…
Canterbury
A classic English pub with a garden’s worth of hops hanging from its timber frame, Thomas Becket attracts many a modern-day pilgrim to its ales…
Stirling
The burgeoning Brewdog empire has come to Stirling, with a cool bar done out in designer-distressed timber offering no fewer than 16 taps dispensing craft…
Nottingham
A fine place for a pint, the Malt Cross occupies a stately old Victorian music hall, where past performers included Charlie Chaplin. It's now a community…
Manchester
One of Spinningfields' most popular bars is this elegant spot, with a gorgeous back bar of weathered cabinets lined with test tubes, that serves…
Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields
With its lively vibe, Kick is a fab place to watch big football games. The flag-adorned ground floor features four foosball tables, downstairs has leather…
The Midlands & the Marches
The muted charcoal facade doesn't give much away but inside this low-key, independent bar has knock-out cocktails, including a Spicy Malvern (aka a green…
Bath
There's a distinct air of a French bistro in this intimate, friendly wine bar where the aromas of flavour-packed dishes fill the air and regiments of…
Scotland
This snug boozer in an 18th-century house serves a decent range of spirits, craft beers and cask ales in a low-beamed space sporting wooden booths,…
Belfast
The 'Eg' is a local institution, and widely reckoned to be the best of Belfast's many student pubs. It serves good-value food, and hosts numerous events:…
The Lake District
Coniston's main meeting spot, the old Black Bull offers a warren of rooms and a popular outside terrace. The pub grub's good (mains £8 to £18), but it's…
Derry (Londonderry)
Housed in a wooden-beamed, 19th-century building brightened with fairy lights, the Taphouse is a cosy place to sample an excellent selection of local and…
Brighton & Hove
Eclectic hang-out with shabby-chic furnishings, huge antique ceiling fans, a bar stocked with unusual tipples and a quirky basement snug. Live acoustic…
Leeds
This small, atmospheric basement club, set in a forest of Victorian cast-iron pillars with brick-vaulted ceilings, throbs to a different beat every night,…
South Cornwall
Wine, charcuterie, cheese and cocktails take centre stage at this uber-trendy hang-out on the 1st floor above Hand Bar. Junk shop furniture and patches of…
Edinburgh
This cosy bar has more of a lounge atmosphere (sofas at the back) than a traditional Edinburgh pub, but the counter reveals that it is dedicated to real…
Brighton & Hove
Brighton’s best-known and best-loved club is a disarmingly unpretentious den, where DJ Fatboy Slim pioneered the Big Beat Boutique and still occasionally…
Belfast
A stylish modern bar with retro decor and lots of bare brick and dark wood (check out the Belfast sinks in the loo), Union Street attracts a mixed gay and…
Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields
Stripped back to bare bricks and smartened up with potted plants and industrial light fixtures, this corner pub serves an interesting selection of wine,…
Glasgow
It's mostly rock, alternative and metal with a touch of Goth and post-punk at this long-standing indie venue. There are two dance floors: upstairs is…
South Cornwall
Another local's tip, a cosy split-level pub that also serves decent grub and one of the best Sunday roasts in town. The main room has the air of a ship's…
Notting Hill & West London
Don’t come here for the selection of beer or ales or the expensive nosh; this place, hard by the Grand Union Canal in Little Venice, is all about location…
Stratford-upon-Avon
Also called the 'Black Swan', this enchanting riverside alehouse is the only pub in England to be licensed under two names. It's a favourite thespian…
Edinburgh
Always busy with students and regulars, the Southsider is a big, old-fashioned, slightly rough-around-the-edges pub that pulls in people from further…
Liverpool
This converted theatre is home to one of Liverpool's most beloved clubs, despite going through several name and management changes. It still hosts some…
Guernsey
Come here for a sundowner – the upstairs cocktail bar has an excellent view of the harbour – and watch the resident mixologists at work. Local DJs do sets…
