The Hesketh Arms

A long-established Churchtown pub with serious local staying power, The Hesketh Arms in Southport has been drawing people in for over 200 years and dogs are welcome in the bar area. The setting and style make it a strong fit for slower meals, Sunday lunch energy and drinks in surroundings that feel rooted rather than trend-chasing, and nobody needs to do the pavement-waiting shuffle when the bar welcomes both ends of the lead.

It has the sort of dependable comfort that suits Southport well, especially when the day calls for a proper pub rather than a bar pretending to be one. The historic-country-pub feel leans into hearty meals, classic pub warmth and the kind of atmosphere that makes a simple lunch or evening drink feel like the plan was solid all along. Open Monday to Friday from 11:30am and from 9am at weekends, with free on-site parking that's useful when Churchtown village spaces fill up.

Expect relaxed settle-in energy, the sort of place where a dog on a lead looks like they belong beside the fire, and the kind of pub that's been doing this long enough to make everyone feel welcome.