The George pub

If you’re after a proper local that actually feels like one, The George delivers. The food is genuinely good — proper home-cooked stuff, not reheated pub grub — and the staff are the kind who remember your face after your second visit. Dogs are welcome, which always says something decent about a place. Whether you’re after a quiet pint or a sit-down meal, the atmosphere never feels forced or try-hard. Milton Keynes has no shortage of chain pubs, so finding somewhere like this is worth hanging onto.