The Duck and Drake, Leeds

Nice to see a pub formerly owned by the real ale TFC pub group back to it's best. A real mecca for real ale and live music fans alike. On the live music front they have a jam night on a Tuesday, new band night on a Wednesday and live bands every Thursday, Friday, Saturday (usually around 21:00) and Sunday (usually around 18:00) all performing on a purpose built stage area with lighting. The bar staff are efficient, polite and on the whole very good looking and serve an ever changing list of around 8 real ales. Yes the prices do keep creeping up (but it is still cheaper than it's near neighbour the Palace) and yes sometimes the music is a tad too loud but this is definitely one of the pubs you must visit before you die!!

13 Sep 2010 19:44

Palace, Leeds

After being a regular for many years the sheer length of the wait everytime I needed to get to the bar finally took its toll last December and I haven't been back since nor shall I. The food went from fantastic homemade fayre to microwave meals by numbers and they cannot even get that right - I cannot remember the amount of meals I have seen returned........... A large selection of real ales yes but not served particularly well and priced at the very top end of the scale (nearing �3). With a landlord that is hardly ever present and a distinct change in clientele since the student flats and particularly the budget etap hotel was errected over the road in my view a pub best avioded - especially if you knew this in it's heyday.

13 Sep 2010 19:37

The Brewery Tap, Leeds

Overly trendy addition to Leeds Brewery's growing number of pubs. Neither appeals to the camra real ale crowd or the trendy city drinker but is worth a visit too and from Leeds City Railway Station. Was a bit bemused the other week to see a dj strutting his stuff on a small table beside the bar..............

13 Sep 2010 19:30