The Alb

The Alb in Shrewsbury is a lively pub that covers a lot of bases at once: food, drinks, live music, a beer garden and even hotel rooms. Dogs are welcome inside, so nobody needs to do the pavement-waiting shuffle while the group settles in for a pint.

It has more of a social, upbeat feel than a hushed old-man-and-newspaper pub, so it suits the kind of outing that might begin with one drink and end with a much bigger evening than originally planned. The setup sounds broad enough to handle anything from daytime drinks to livelier nights out, while still keeping that dependable "let's just head to the pub" appeal.

Strong option for atmosphere, flexibility and a Shrewsbury stop with plenty going on. This is the sort of place that works for groups, catch-ups and anyone who likes their pub stop with a bit of buzz around it.