Where to drink in Call Lane, and what each bar is good for

Call Lane is a short cobbled strip in the city centre, and you can walk the whole thing in a couple of minutes. That is the point. Pick the right door and your night sorts itself out. Here is what each bar is good for, based on what Leeds List, Yorkshire Food Guide and others say about them.

For cocktails in a basement: Jake's Bar

Jake's Bar, 29 Call Lane. Head down the stairs to a small basement bar that Leeds List calls a cornerstone of Leeds nightlife for nearly two decades. Yorkshire Food Guide says it has been serving cocktails for 15 years. The bar makes its own syrups, bitters and liqueurs, and it has the only working copper pot still in Leeds, nicknamed Tabitha.

Order: the Teq Your Pick, a mix of tequila, mezcal, Cocchi, black pepper and coriander. It is small and fills up quickly, so do not expect to wander in at peak time and find a table.

For a big group and dancing: Call Lane Social and Tiki Hideaway

Call Lane Social and Tiki Hideaway, 38 Call Lane. Tripadvisor's listing says it has been a Call Lane bar since 2010, with cocktails and music from five decades. Discover Leeds describes two floors: a rock theme downstairs and tiki decor upstairs. The Tiki Hideaway upstairs is styled on 1950s Polynesian lines.

Leeds List picks it for big group nights and dancing until the early hours. If you have a birthday crowd with mixed tastes, this is the one that copes.

For a cocktail with the dog: Roland's

Roland's, Call Lane. Leeds List names it the best for cocktails on the street. Photos on that guide show a dog at the bar, so it may be worth asking if you are bringing yours.

For something a bit secret: Behind Closed Doors

Behind Closed Doors, Call Lane. This speakeasy took over the space that used to be the Wire nightclub, according to the Yorkshire Evening Post, with an adult, retro take on dating as its theme. Leeds List calls it the best hidden spot on the street. If Wire was your Saturday, note that the old club is gone and this is what stands in its place.

For beer towers and lederhosen: Barbara's Bier Haus

Barbara's Bier Haus, Call Lane. It sits in the former Revolución de Cuba site, which The Hoot reported had closed for good after almost a decade. The Yorkshire Evening Post describes an alpine, après-ski style party bar with beer towers and bottomless brunch. It was announced as the seventh Barbara's in the UK, with lederhosen-clad bartenders, shot skis, themed DJs, pizzas and bratwursts promised.

This is a loud, group-first bar. Go with a crowd that wants to sing along, not a first date.

For a quiet drink and a bite

Leeds List recommends Northern Guitars on Call Lane for a quiet drink and Power, Corruption & Lies for food. Both are worth checking if the other bars sound too lively.

Before you go

Opening hours change, and some of these bars run late into the night, so check the bar's own page or social channels before you set out. For a bit more of the street's character, the Leeds List guide to Call Lane and Welcome to Leeds are good starting points.

If you want a bluesy upstairs bar close by, Smokestack is at 159a Lower Briggate, a short walk away rather than on Call Lane itself.