Where to drink in Leeds city centre, and what each place is good for
Six city centre drinking spots, from a 1715 yard pub to a rooftop and a cocktail club, and what to do in each.
By Only Leeds Editorial
The city centre is the easy answer to a night out in Leeds, but it helps to know which door suits which mood. Here are six places, each with a different job, and where to find them.
Whitelock's Ale House: for a proper old pub
Where: Turk's Head Yard, off Briggate.
CAMRA dates Whitelock's to 1715, with an interior largely unchanged since 1895: mirrors, polished metal, woodwork, stained glass and tiling. Historic England lists it Grade II*. The Yorkshire Post says it first opened as the Turk's Head, named after the yard it sits in, and the pub you drink in now is essentially late Victorian, from the makeover the Whitelock family gave it after buying it in 1880.
Order real ale or craft beer, much of it from Yorkshire breweries. Yorkshire Food Guide reckons it may serve the best Guinness in Leeds. Home-cooked food is served seven days a week, and Tripadvisor reviewers mention the Yorkshire crab. The yard has 20-plus tables, most covered and heated. Hours differ between listings, so check before a late visit.
At the top of the yard, The Turk's Head has 14 draught craft beers and classic cocktails, in what was Whitelock's old top-bar function room.
North Bar: for beer nerds
Where: 24 New Briggate.
North Bar opened in June 1997, when its founders say the city centre was a "bar desert". They began with Fosters and Kronenbourg and gradually moved to Belgian and global beers. It won the Observer Food Monthly 2006 award for best place to drink in Britain. Its own site is known for Bloody Marys and an encyclopaedic beer cellar, and Leeds List calls it the biggest craft beer offering in the city. Pies, pie and peas and hot dogs are on the food list. It is walk-in only, so just turn up.
Headrow House: for the roof
Where: 19a The Headrow, Bramleys Yard.
Four floors of a former textile mill, with two roof terraces and a beer hall that pours unpasteurised Pilsner from tank to glass. DJs, club nights and gigs run regularly. Ox Club is on site for grilled meat, and the casual menu runs to loaded kebabs and "stuff on chips". It is priced at ££. The roof fills quickly when the sun is out, so go early, and check it is open before you climb the stairs, as one reviewer found it shut on a sunny day.
The Lost & Found Leeds Club: for cocktails
Where: 3 Albion Place.
A botanical, science-led cocktail menu in a Victorian building, with sections called Lost, Found, Classics and Spritz. DesignMyNight points to The Victoria Society, made with Bombay Bramble gin, blackcurrant liqueur, cherry, lemon and cranberry. Discover Leeds puts an average cocktail at about £10 and recommends booking. The listed Lost Hours deal runs 12 to 9pm Monday to Friday and Sunday, with £5 pints of Amstel and two cocktails for £12, though deals change. It also does bottomless brunch and afternoon tea.
The Scarbrough Hotel: for a pint by the station
Where: Bishopgate Street, beside the stepped entrance to Leeds station.
Known as "The Taps", this is the pub for the gap before a train. The Yorkshire Evening Post says the building was rebuilt in 1765, and Henry Scarbrough took it over in 1823 when it was the King's Arms. The tiled frontage dates from 1922. Expect rotating cask ales, gins and whisky, and pies that won gold at the British Pie Awards. There is a pavement terrace. It is a Nicholson's pub, so part of a chain, and Grade II listed.
The Brunswick: for Sunday roast and an indie feel
Where: 82 North Street, on the northern edge of the centre.
Open since 2015, it has nine keg lines, six cask lines, 50-plus beers in the fridges, seasonal cocktails and a large alcohol-free list. The Yorkshire Post rates the Sunday roast and says to book ahead, and also praises the burgers and fried chicken. OpenTable shows £25 and under with food. Opening hours vary between sources, so check first.
Which one when
- Heritage pint: Whitelock's, Turk's Head Yard.
- Craft beer: North Bar, New Briggate.
- Sun and a roof: Headrow House, The Headrow.
- Cocktails: Lost & Found, Albion Place.
- Before a train: The Scarbrough, Bishopgate Street.
- Roast and a long afternoon: The Brunswick, North Street.
Older guides still list The Maven on Call Lane, but it closed, so skip it. Details for the places above are drawn from CAMRA, North Bar's own site, DesignMyNight and Discover Leeds.
