The bold, brash Slug & Lettuce chain is the antithesis of the ‘best kept secret’ or ‘this little place I know’. It’s a bright and accessible pub empire with branches on high streets everywhere – including some so cleverly located they’re worth bearing in mind for that reason alone. Those on a tight budget will appreciate special offers including main meals from £6.99 and ‘2-4-1’ cocktails all day, while penny-pinching drinkers should put a date in the diary for Wednesday’s ‘wine times’ when selected bottles can be purchased for just £12. Menus cover all bases, with a list of categories longer than some pubs’ full menus – curries, pastas, burgers, tostadas, wraps and more besides. The same goes for the drinks list, which panders to the current vogue for flavoured ciders, Pinot Grigio, strawberry mojitos and Goldschläger shots ‘depth-charged into Red Bull’.