The Blacksmith and The Toffeemaker

The obscure name is borrowed from a ditty by oddball 70s songster, Jake Thackray. What that has to do with this ‘don't-call-me-a-gastropub' near City University, it's hard to say, but if it's a shared sense of quaintly old-fashioned Britishness, then the B&T's first-time landlords have got it about right. Spare, Festival of Britain stylings, including felt rugs and vintage sideboards, point up the deliberately retro theme, though the old ‘tile and terracotta' backdrop keeps it nicely pubby. Choose your food from a blackboard of old-stagers (burgers, salmon fishcakes, macaroni cheese, lamb hotpot) or from a deli counter packed with jars of rillettes, pickles and pies. To drink, the pub proudly offers artisan British gins and real ales, while entertainment includes live bands, DJs and pub quizzes.