Pubs in Leeds

Ian Jones, Food and Drink Editor

The great British pub might be taking a battering at the moment, with countless closing down each month, but the pub scene in Leeds is still going strong. Whether you like the classic spit and sawdust vibe, or your tastes run a little more modernist, there’s a public house for everyone here.

Leeds is a large, gregarious city, bustling with friendly people. Its brewing tradition goes back a long way: the famous Tetley brewing company was founded in the early nineteenth century and before that, a system of mysterious monasteries turned out beer by the barrel. The brewer’s cart, sloshing with golden amber and pulled by a doughty old carthorse, was a common sight in the Leeds streets of yesteryear, of a piece with the flat cap and the whippet dog.

Today you’ll find a diverse city. Locals and students live here, as do the young and the old, and there are pubs for all comers. Looking for somewhere you can sit by the fire on a cold winter’s evening? Leeds has got it. Looking for a vibrant beer-and-or-cider garden in high summer? Leeds has got that too. And if you’re looking for precision-crafted beers made with love by artistes, you’re in the right city.

Pubs like The Brunswick offer fashionable real ale and craft beer on tap, in a hip environment. Meanwhile, the Grove Inn and Whitelock’s Ale House provide the classic pub atmosphere, and the Refectory is a pub on a grand scale, connected directly to the brewery, where drinkers sit in rows sampling the fine ales by Northern Monk. Whichever destination you choose, you can count on a warm welcome and great company.

Here are our top five favourite pubs in Leeds, curated from a quality shortlist and extensively road-tested by our team. If you like your waterhole less traditional, check out our favourite bars in Leeds.

Our top picks

The Brunswick

The Brunswick, 82 North St, Leeds, LS2 7PN - Visit now

A refreshing little way outside the city centre, The Brunswick offers great food, shabby chic decor and a whole range of real ales and craft beers on tap and in cans and bottles. A great place to relax and drink something new.

The Brunswick Leeds
The Brunswick Leeds

The Grove Inn

The Grove Inn, Back Row, , Leeds, Yorkshire, LS11 5PL - Visit now

When looking for some of the best folk music to be found in the north and a hearty local pint, the Grove Inn is the perfect pub.

Image by Carmel Smickersgill

Northern Monk Refectory LDS

Northern Monk Refectory LDS, The Old Flax Store, Marshalls Mill, Leeds, LS11 9YJ - Visit now

Northern Monk brewery opens its doors to guests at The Refectory, where a whole range of their beers are available to try. You’ll be drinking alongside the brewers in a unique, brick and wood industrial setting.

Whitelock’s Ale House

Whitelock’s Ale House, Turks Head Yard, Leeds, Yorkshire, LS1 6HB - Visit now

It doesn’t get more old school than Whitelock’s Ale house – it’s the oldest pub in Leeds, dating all the way back to 1715. Here you’ll find real ale and great-quality locally-sourced pub grub, complete with stained glass windows and wooden bar for that true 18th century feel.

Whitelock’s Ale House Leeds
Whitelock’s Ale House Leeds

Head of Steam

Head of Steam, 12 Mill Hill, Leeds, LS1 5DQ - Visit now

The Head Of Steam pub chain is one of the prides of the North, and their Leeds location is one of the best. Based in Mill Hill, one of the oldest parts of the city, here you’ll find a jaw-dropping range of ales, from local faves to imports from as far afield as California.

Head of Steam Leeds
Head of Steam Leeds

Where to go in Leeds

Further North
Leeds
Bar or Pub
Further North

Kind of like your front room, but with better beers and no television, Further North was one of the first microbars to open in Leeds and remains a staple today.

Wax Bar
Leeds
Bar or Pub
Wax Bar and JukeJoint

A tiny, funky dive bar known for its great vinyl collection, Wax Bar pours cocktails and frosty beers until late into the night.

House of Fu Leeds
City Centre
Restaurant
House of Fu Leeds

A Japanese-inspired restaurant speciaising in ramen and handmade dumplings, with a karaoke cocktail bar and lounge upstairs.

Leeds
Bar or Pub
The Chemic Tavern

Historic real ale pub situated in the heart of the Woodhouse residential area, just over a mile north of Leeds City Centre.

Leeds
Bar or Pub
Beck and Call

Beck and Call is a family friendly local pub with a vibrant culture of quizzes, workshops and excellent food, nestled in North Leeds.

The Tetley Bar and Kitchen
Leeds
Restaurant
The Tetley Bar and Kitchen

The Tetley Bar and Kitchen is a British restaurant based in the heart of Leeds, where all proceeds go towards supporting the venue’s artistic programme.

A Nation of Shopkeepers
Leeds
Restaurant
A Nation Of Shopkeepers

Situated in the heart of Leeds, A Nation of Shopkeepers is a laid back bar, restaurant and events venue boasting a stunning, fully-contained outside courtyard.

Leeds
Bar or Pub
Power, Corruption and Lies

Forward-thinking restaurant and cocktail bar on Leeds’ bustling Call Lane. Named after the equally-excellent New Order album, but you knew that already, right?

Manchester
Bar or Pub
Northern Monk Refectory

Formerly known as Kosmonaut, this bar reopened on in 2018 as Leeds brewer Northern Monk’s first North-West venue. Expect real ale with a variety of cask and keg lines.

Leeds
Bar or Pub
Blind Tyger

Blind Tyger is a snug gem of a cocktail den tucked into Cross Belgrave street. It’s perfect for a quiet but sophisticated cocktail.

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