The Lamb & Flag, Church Row: what to order and when to go

First, a correction for anyone searching for it by street. The Lamb & Flag is not on Call Lane. It sits at 1 Church Row, beside Leeds Minster, just off Kirkgate and between Kirkgate and The Calls. The City Centre end of the river is close, but this is its own little corner.

What it is

A Leeds Brewery pub in a 19th-century brick building on a corner site overlooked by the Minster. According to CAMRA, it closed for a long period before being tastefully restored. It reopened in 2015, so treat that as the pub's age, not the building's. Inside you get exposed brickwork, big windows and wooden beams in the roof space. The Yorkshire Evening Post calls the layout higgledy-piggledy and bigger than it first looks, buzzing without feeling rowdy.

There is a courtyard beer garden, a separate upstairs bar with a balcony, and a downstairs snug with its own private terrace. Discover Leeds lists it as dog-friendly.

The ghost story

Mary Bateman, the so-called Yorkshire Witch, is said to have lived here. She was a con artist and later a murderer, infamous for the Prophet Hen of Leeds hoax in 1806. The Yorkshire Post says the pub is where she is said to have once lived, and Examiner Live places her in a house off Church Row that is now the pub. Treat it as local legend, and a decent excuse for a second pint.

What to drink

The full range of Leeds Brewery beers is behind the bar, alongside lagers, wines, spirits and soft drinks. CAMRA lists cask Leeds Best at 4.3% ABV, a session bitter. Guest beers rotate, and past write-ups have named Kirkstall Brewery and Ilkley beers, so ask what is on. The Yorkshire Evening Post reviewer has also had mulled wine here in colder months, so ask if it is on.

What to eat

• Leeds Best beer-battered haddock with hand-cut chips and tartare sauce. Discover Leeds calls it a signature dish.
• Sunday roast with large Yorkshire puddings. The Leeds List says the selection changes regularly, with meat from the Yorkshire Dales Meat Company, and roast belly pork or topside of beef usually on offer.
• Swaledale sausages and mash, or a buttermilk fried chicken burger, both named on the dinner menu by the Yorkshire Post.

Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options are listed on Tripadvisor. A spinach and falafel burger with beer-battered onion rings has been reviewed in the past, but menus change, so check the current one.

When to go

Sunday lunch is the big draw. One Tripadvisor reviewer found it buzzing at 1.30pm, so book. Evenings and weekends get busy too, and some reviews mention slow food at peak times. Book for weekends and allow time. A grey November afternoon suits the pub best, with the beer garden saved for warm days. It is also handy for the bus station and Leeds market.

Opening hours

• Tuesday to Thursday: 12pm to 11pm
• Friday: 12pm to midnight
• Saturday: 11am to midnight
• Sunday and Monday: 12pm to 10pm

Food is served Monday to Saturday from 12pm to 9pm, and Sunday from 12pm to 7pm. Other listings disagree slightly, so check before you go.

Prices and booking

SquareMeal gives an average of under £30 a head. Tripadvisor shows a mid price band, and one recent reviewer called the food not badly priced. Menus, including the Sunday and lunch menus, are linked from the pub's own website. Reservations are taken by phone on 0113 243 1255 or by email at info@lambandflagleeds.co.uk.

For after

Leeds Minster is right next door. Discover Leeds describes it as a gothic church with stained glass, and it makes an easy walk off the lunch. For more drinks, the same guide points to riverside bars on the Aire, including Aire Bar and SALT Calls Landing, a short stroll down towards The Calls. Check opening before you set off.

Details: official site, CAMRA, Discover Leeds.