Eight locals we know you’ll love
Published 11 November 2026

What was once a sticky-carpeted old boozer has been re-imagined. Henry Tucker has taken over from his late father and, with his wife Hannah, has created a stylish space, adding a contemporary conservatory dining room to the cosy bar and ‘snug’ with its wood-fired stove. Yet it remains a ‘locals’ local’. The vibe is warm and laid-back: bring your dog, wear your shorts. You're less than a mile from the Yorkshire Coast, something chef George Husband celebrates with dishes such as a seafood chowder, fabulous torched mackerel in spiced butter with apple and fennel, or sweet Whitby crabmeat on toasted house-made sourdough. Meat eaters, meanwhile, could plump for a generous bavette steak with very good chips and a garlicky peppercorn sauce. Desserts sound simple, and what could be more straightforward than bread and butter pudding? Here it comes with a brûlée crust sitting in a custard flecked with vanilla – ‘dessert of the year for me’. Fancy a light lunch? How about native oysters with Bloody Mary granita and a glass of Albariño, or ham hock croquettes with a cracking pint of Theakston XB?

Expect the unexpected. Rarely does this well-worn phrase ring truer than at this historic Victorian pub in an obscure part of Eccles. The small, red-brick tavern has a significant claim to fame in the annals of industrial heritage: built in 1828 and ranked as the oldest passenger railway boozer in the world, it has been sympathetically preserved in all its Grade II-listed glory. That might be reason enough to visit, but it doesn’t prepare the first-time visitor for the culture shock inside. Under Hong Kong ownership, and with an authentic Japanese izakaya-style menu, the result could be an aesthetic car crash – a cultural pile-up that does no favour to either tradition. Instead, the Queens Arms is as packed with Asian diners and Chinese tourists as any eatery in Manchester’s Chinatown – even on a dull Monday lunchtime. And the unlikely combination has been a great success, as much for the novelty as the excellent quality of the cooking and speedy service (as many repeat customers testify). The menu is short but expertly executed: best-selling dishes include pork cutlet katsu, a teriyaki ox-tongue rice bowl, eel rice bowl and teppanyaki mixed vegetable udon. The tempura batter on our visit was outstanding – meltingly light, fresh and crisp. Somehow, the whole thing fits together: etched ‘snug’ windows,  comfortable padded booth seating, tiled fireplaces, wooden bar fittings and Victorian knick-knacks. One room still functions as a local drinking den with a dartboard – so you can practice your throws with a glass of cold Sapporo on draught.  

George Talbot has been pouring fresh energy into this roadside local in the village of Brinkley, near Newmarket, since taking it on in May 2024. Settle into the spacious dining room – or the large garden, weather permitting – for an excellent-value meal that might open with a pork belly roll or chunky wild rabbit terrine served with sultana chutney and cracking little milk-bread toasts. After that, pub classics lead the way – fish and chips, a cheeseburger, sticky toffee pudding and fruit crumbles – but dotted among the predictable are dishes that nod to a kitchen with ambition. A wedge of charred hispi cabbage with savoury butter bean purée and a scattering of crisp chickpeas is a beautifully balanced, satisfying vegan option, while meat-lovers might go for a pork ribeye with balsamic-roasted peaches. Look out for the ‘wine of the month’ offer, a small pour of something fabulous from the cellars. And save a pat for Sybil, the pub’s black Labrador, who keeps a docile eye on things. Overall, we're confident that this place will only improve with time.

Tucked away in the sleepy hamlet of Lower Chicksgrove, this ancient, thatched inn is sunken under the weight of time. A watering hole since the 14th century (when animals drank from the stream running through the bar), the Compasses is now a local and regional destination in the capable hands of Jane and Ben Maschler. When the door creaks open for business, the place springs into life with families and friends of all ages crowding in for a merry time. Take a seat in the atmospheric bar with its inglenook fireplace and cosseting dark wood booths, or venture out to the garden to enjoy the pleasing vista over the fields. Appealingly fresh and simple food is served each day, with Chicksgrove beef and local organic veg lifting the offer beyond run-of-the-mill. A fudgy-centred black pudding Scotch egg and a pint of real ale is as satisfying as a slap-up meal of perfectly roasted plaice with beurre noisette followed by sticky apricot and date pudding. Comfortably furnished bedrooms above the pub and in the adjoining Plum Cottage complete a picture of warm hospitality.

Launched by Tom Conran in 1995, the Cow wears its age well. Regulars agree that the old girl’s still got it – and it doesn’t feel artificially designed to be ‘authentic’. If it’s distressed in parts, that's funky old age. Much of the atmosphere is, of course, down to the customers: a jazzy mix of punters who like a decent pint and a plate of good grub in a great boozer. A large Irish flag sets an expectation of good old 'Oirish' tropes. Thankfully, any pastiche fits in unassumingly with the pub's signature oysters and stout. In the rear snug, dishes are chalked on a hanging board. The vibe is raffish and relaxed, and the rhythm is easy: no pretension, nothing faddish or super-fancy, simply a clear focus and excellent ingredients. The menu has a timeless, aristocratic domesticity: stay downstairs for capacious, fill-your-boots portions of bangers and mash, seafood platters and daily specials such as grilled lemon sole on the bone with peppery watercress; head upstairs to the intimate restaurant for suave dishes including roasted venison fillet with pommes purée, pickled girolles and kale. For afters, banoffee pie is an evergreen, as is the excellent Guinness ice cream. 

It may not have received the flashiest of makeovers, but the group behind Edinburgh venues Nauticus and Dogstar has injected some much-needed character into what was previously a forgettable space in Leith – formerly home to a string of failed hospitality concepts. With beer taps at the bar, darts and Sky Sports on the TV, there’s no mistaking this is a proper pub, though chef Pier Berretta makes great use of his talents in a menu built around tender and golden rotisserie chicken. Available as a half (for two) or whole (for four), the organic, herb-fed birds come with ratte potatoes (rich with char and fat from the bottom of the rotisserie) plus a sharply dressed green salad, a luxurious gravy and creamy, herbal ranch sauce. Starters and dishes from the grill veer between pubby (Scottish 'square' sausage, fried egg and fries) and polished bistro (heritage tomatoes with citrussy bagna cauda). Cocktails and draught beers are a better bet than the wine list, which we found lacking in sparkle. Expect friendly and competent service.

Put the otherworldly sprawl of the oil refinery behind you and there’s plenty of beauty in this corner of Pembrokeshire. Indeed, The Old Point House, now in the hands of lawyer-turned-farmer and chef Michelle Evans, looks out across East Angle Bay (and can be cut off by road during spring tides). Michelle made her name serving compelling but unpretentious seasonal cooking in an old cow barn at Paternoster Farm (RIP). Things are cosier here (low ceilings, whitewashed stone walls, sputtering candles on burnished dark wood tables), while the main draw is the no-choice set menu served at weekends. Chalked up on the blackboard, it’s a uniformly delicious showcase of the best local ingredients, including meat from Michelle’s own farm. A peppy ceviche of Pembrokeshire sea bass might open proceedings, followed by paper-thin slices of rare beef topped with earthy kale Caesar salad. The crab butter accompanying the sourdough is a show-stealer, but so are the humble Angle new potatoes, butter-slicked, creamy and packed with flavour. Desserts, including homemade ice creams, are an additional extra to the set menu. The wine list leans into low-intervention and organic bottles, including a fun run of pét-nat. There's also an indoor bar (and a garden bar during the summer) serving a selection of snacks (no booking required). 

Remodelled with a sense of style, the Woolpack is currently in tip-top condition, basking in a new lease of life under the long-term guidance of James Waterhouse. He ensures this flint-stone hostelry set in a pretty hamlet in the Candover Valley lives up to its title as an inn, dispensing local real ales and pub hospitality, while also putting on a stylish show for customers in search of food. In the kitchen, head chef Luke Stradling works to a concise modern British repertoire with confident results and more than a touch of artistic intent. A few crowd-pleasers – fish and chips, burgers – are never off the menu, but just about everything else changes with the seasons. Hits have included a beautifully composed crispy lamb belly topped with garden-grown courgette and basil, and exquisitely presented Cornish cod with creamy, herb oil-flecked sauce and confit potatoes, brilliantly enlivened by tangy, crunchy hits of apple. Cocktails prime you for the decently priced, mostly European wine list. There are also eight Nina Campbell-designed bedrooms, plus a terrace and garden for sunny days.