The Talk of the Town (JD Wetherspoon), Paignton

Looks like an old-school 'spoons, with dark furniture and decor and gloomy lighting away from the front and back windows, but the conversion from two shops (themselves converted from a pair of villas) was undertaken by a previous pub operator before its acquisition in 2010. The central bar area is raised slightly above the seating / dining areas by the front doors and along the rear section (which has a narrow patio terrace beyond). My hopes weren't raised too much by seeing Dartmoor Jail Ale alongside Ruddles, Doom Bar and Abbot on the first bank of four handpumps, but the other set featured Salcombe Lifesaver, Jurassic Gas Tank IPA, Long Man Copper Hop and Vale Gravitas which certainly exceeded my expectations, especially as they were all just £1.99.