The Albion

While the unusually deft revamp of this run-down city boozer has gone for the standard gastropub look – lots of wood, leather armchairs in front of the log fire, an open-to-view kitchen – the food is anything but predictable. Classic techniques are mixed with innovation & the result is season-driven, finely tuned cooking with strong, clear flavours. Eat in the bar, or ascend the tucked-away wooden stairs to the intimate dining room – the same menu is served throughout. At lunch, choose from familiar tapas (chorizo, salt cod fritters) or opt for the carte, which might promise anything from albacore with rosemary salt & heirloom tomatoes to steak, ox cheek & chips for two. With decent prices, Saturday brunch, a snappy wine list & a suntrap terrace – plus a warm welcome for drinkers as well as diners – this is a proper local with far-reaching appeal.