Carlisle Castle Bistro, Newtown

Tucked down the backstreets of Newtown, the Carlisle Castle isn't known to many, but is dear to the hearts of locals, who appreciate its low-key unadorned charm ahead of the trendier pubs on the main drag. The enormous marble bar in the front, transported from Italy in the early 1900s, is quietly impressive, but the overall mood is unashamedly casual with patrons largely made up of students,