please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
After a visit to the nearby Horse & Trumpet (not listed on here), we moved onto the North Bar, a much more modern affair. Although it was actually celebrating its 20th birthday. Supposedly it had a special birthday beer range. But these were all bottled and when we made a choice from their beer of the week board, it was not available. Cask ales were North Prototype, Kirkstall Pale Ale & Black Band Porter & Springhead Roaring Meg & Left Lion. Some of the craft beers were quite interesting. We went for a Lervig Sippin' Into Darkness Chocolate Martini Imperial Stout at 12%. Although it was an eye-watering £15 a pint. There was no real cider. Still a decent bar that I would go back to.
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A rather strange but very likeable bar serving some interesting beers. Amazing atmosphere on a Saturday night with a DJ playing vinyl the like of which I'd never heard before.
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The last pub of the evening in Leeds and it was probably the best of the night…though The Templar run’s it a very close 2nd.
I came here just after 11pm and the place was already very busy. Lots of couples and mixed groups, the bar staff and punters are all very trendy.
Great range of ales, my choice was a pint of Magic Rock’s High Wire @ 5.5%...perfect served and extremely drinkable.
This is a bar and not a pub, the lights are really cool & there’s some very interesting photos hanging on the walls. Also the photo booth towards the back is great fun and was mainly being used by the staff on Saturday night which was my quick fire 2nd visit…again it did not disappoint and from a choice of new ales on the taps I had Acorn Brewery’s Sticklebract @ 5.0%, again it was perfect.
Yet another top place for a good drink in Leeds.
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Definitely eclectic! A little shop-like bar with a range of cask and "craft" ales. Note the old photo booth and the list of beers they have had printed on the wall.
Younger persons bar but I didn't feel out of place even though I am well past it!
I managed not to give in to the very tempting carrot and orange cake on offer!!
Stays open late.
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Visited on 6 Feb. Early signs were good - a pleasant, eclectic crowd and an impressive, if expensive, selection of beer. I was told I could only have half a pint of Dark Star Critical Mass (which at 7.8% I thought was fair enough at the time). At around 8.30 the place almost emptied and then seemed to become rather cliquey, with the young barman overindulging a small group of regulars, one of whom was served a pint of Magic Rock Cannonball (only, I think, 0.4% less than the Critical Mass) without question even though he was already quite obviously three sheets to the wind. I left and let them get on with it.
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Welcomes old codgers in suits like me as well as the new craft beer cognoscenti, which isn't always something I can say about East London. Staff were very friendly helpful, although a botched attempt to pour a Flying Dog Porter meant my £4.50 half was pour value, if tasty. A local strong IPA was even better in taste, and half the price. Very comfortable place to read a book, even in early evening Leeds.
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Lovely warm welcome. An enthusiastic manageress who certainly knows her beer. House beer from Kirkstall Brewery, and three other handpumps. Some fabulous bottled beer, including some from The Kernel Brewery in London. Worth locating.
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I like everything about this place, except the decor....had the Kernel IBA, cost me a fortune....
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great selection of real ales and bottled beers from around the world 1st class bar staff. the only downside is the prices, if you plan on spending the entire evening here take a lot of money with you.
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Not only a great selection of well kept beers and bottles from abroad but staff who are happy to shoot the breeze and get your order at your table if they're not rushed off their feet. Highly recommended.
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A place that I always feel slightly unwelcome in when I first arrive, but within ten minutes feel like I've lived there all my life.
It's unique, in Leeds certainly, and indescribable.
The beers, well, you get the idea below.
A place that doesn't judge its customers by appearances and should therefeore not itself be judged merely on its looks.
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Widest selection of beer in Leeds. Pricey though with some of the stronger brews going over �5. Always find it hard to decide between the draughts when in here so usually end up plumping for one of the Trappist bottles. A classy start or end to a crawl down or up Briggate.
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Leeds's third university ! It only possesses one faculty, viz. the Faculty of Beer. As you will agree if you go there, this is the only faculty it needs. Highly educated and experienced staff, dedicated with a selfless conscientiousness to the pouring, quaffing & serving of beer, have decanted their very soul essences into serving err... beer. And in case you're wondering - no, I'm not one of them ! Happy to sample the products though. My one quibble is the sticky floor. After a couple of strong Flemish ones I usually start hallucinating about having turned into a fly and think I'm walking on the ceiling. And no, I'm not a student either ! If you can actually remember leaving you haven't had enough yet... Go back !
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Good bar, similar in style to a bar you'd find in Holland or Belgium, certainly nothing like a traditional British pub. However, 4 good quality reals ales were on when I visited along with an excellent selection of foreign beers on draft and bottle, mainly Belgium. Only downside are the prices, about �3 a pint for real ale and �5+ per pint in the main for the foreign beers. I tried the "Belgium platter" which is 5 x third of a pint samplers for �11, nice but the prices are more what you'd expect in the tourist traps in London such as the Lowlander in Covent Garden than a bar in Leeds!
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Interesting place with a fascinating range of beer. My only niggle is that all the draught beers were rocket fuel strength and not for lunchtime consumption.
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what a great bar this is the clientele, is mainly a student, bohemian crowd, great atmosphere wonderful selection of foreign beers, plus around 4 well kept real ales, i was lucky enough to come across, a bottle of, goose island, mild winter, from my favourite american craft brewer, based in chicago, absolutely top notch, take a well filled wallet when you do come here though, because it certainly doesnt do cheap.
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Great selection of beers from around the world (including Yorkshire).
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The North is one of my first ports of call when I visit Leeds. Extensive range of bottled beers from Europe and the States, and a very pleasing line-up on draught - I had an excellent Durham stout one particular evening. It's also one of the few venues which serves pints in dimpled jars wihout one even needing to request the receptacle.
The only downside from my visit at the end of October was to discover that the DJ named Paul ?? no longer appears there - it was this bloke and venue who got me seriously into the Hammond organist Jimmy Smith!
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Pretentious.
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Not a bad boozer-full of ex stuuuudents and their ex stuuuuudent Mrs..... Usually open late - even when you've had enough of the city centre Wethers...and quote close to the more potent kebab shops.....
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My favourite pub/bar in Leeds. A stunning collection of bottled beers (though they never have my favourite of Hoegardden Forbidden Fruit :( ). you do need to be careful though as some of them are very expensive, and some of them unfeasibly strong. It's relaxed, unpretentious and it's open beyond 11 on a weekend at least. It is a joy to have a place you know is open, is free to get in and has good beer at that time
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Late review from November on our first visit to Leeds pubs. The Outlaw and Mordue beers were fine in this pub with its long bar.Didn't feel like a proper pub and as we were the only ones in, there was no atmosphere. We did not have time for food, but the menu looked good.
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A good place in that it draws on the urban modernity of the kinds of bars you get in London, Berlin and New York, but steadfastly avoids pretentiousness and is thus quite homespun. Whisper it, but this bar would not be out of place across the Pennines in the Manchester of a few years ago before the Corporate people got their hands on the urban planning blueprints for the city.
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I must admit the food choice, though limited, is top whack !! Beer not bad either !!!
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It looks more like a shop front as you approach the pub. It certainly is narrow but has a modern feel to it. I was quite surprised with the vast array of beer available here. Three real ales were available together with many of the continents most well known beers also on draught. I opted for the Chocolate Marble Stout which was great. Great to see all the real ales were automatically served in traditional handled beer jugs. It is strange when you think you are heading the only way the toilets could be, it feels like you are heading down the cellar. All the staff was friendly and helpful. The food on offer on Saturday lunch time seemed to be either cheese and bread or meat and bread. One of our group opted for the cheese and it did look rather nice.
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I love this place - my favourite city centre bar (it's not really a pub). It's long and narrow with a bar down one side and tables down the other. The beer selection is the best in Leeds, with very good cask ales, and w massive selection of good word beers. The trappist beers are recommended but they will leave you with a sore head and a bit of a light pocket!
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I agree with many of the views here. Definitely my favourite bar in the whole of Leeds. Its exterior is rather understated yet chic at the same time. Upon entering, one is like a child in a sweet shop, simply due to its vast array of draught beers unavailable anywhere else in Leeds. Couple that with the choice of bottled imported lagers, and decision time is made that much more difficult. I would recommend this pub to everyone and anyone. Well done North Bar! Keep it up!
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I'm always interested to go to this bar.
They don't sell guinness though, which is annoying, but the alternatives are perfectly acceptable.
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A cracking little bar. Always busy in the evening but usually somewhere to sit. Great handpull and bottled beers. Friendly staff but clearly not employed for their ale knowledge. Good music, simple decor, chatty atmosphere. The loo's need a sprucing up though. Go to get away from televised anything and enjoy!
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Cramped, but worth it. Super selection and unpretentious surroundings. Nice.
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Very good selection of international bottled beers (mainly Belgian and German), nice athmosphere most nights - Fridays and Saturdays can get a bit noisy though.
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A narrow, one-roomed, city centre bar close to the Grand Theatre. Low ceilinged and quite plain, the understated decor contrasts markedly with the well stocked and attractive counter area.Intimate and friendly, it has an almost arty, bohemian feel.
Three real ales on my visit: Wentworth'Peacock', Wylam 'Haugh' and Outlaw 'Chinook'. I tried the 'Peacock' and the 'Chinook'. Both were fresh tasting and well pulled, but unfortunately a little too cold. However, as they were cellared with eleven different draught continental beers, it's maybe expecting too much of such a small place.
Bar staff were friendly and welcoming, if not quite product savvy. (On asking for a pale beer was served the mid-brown Wentworth rather than the Outlaw.A few brownie points lost there I'm afraid).
Loved the atmosphere though and will definitely return again.
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THE place in Leeds to taste beers of the world, whether bottled or draft. Also does some good local indie ales from breweries such as Roosters. Consistently good quality music, beer and company.
brisk - 12 Nov 2007 17:39 |
A very special place for people who know that great beer does not have to come out of a handpull! Some great bottled and draught beers (many of which I can't pronounce - but they taste good)
Well done to the landlords for being so bold.
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If you define a pub as a place you go to meet friends and drink alcoholic drinks in their company, which I think I do, then the North Bar is probably the best bar in Leeds. The quality of the beers, and the massive range on offer, is so extensive it may seem a little daunting at first. No worries - the staff are friendly and will suggest a few beers to try. Like any place that imports the majority of it's stock the cost is fairly high, but in all honesty you'll be paying no more than 40-50p more for a fantastic pint as opposed to the chemical fizz that's on offer everywhere these days. Hard to find fault with the place, does get busy, but that's about it. A brilliant pub.
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Always packed, but if you love good foreign bottled beers, this is the one bar you should visit when in Leeds.
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Non-descript on the outside but a real gem on the inside. A fantastic selection of bottled world beers and, whenever I've gone in there, staff who seem to know a bit about them.
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This place broke the mould when it opened a few years ago. Others have followed in its wake by offering modern surroundings and a range of international bottled and draft beers. However I think the sheer size of North Bar's beer menu takes some beating. The local artwork adds to the ambience and the music is always cool. Still sets the standard.
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This place is a little gold mine of drinks, love the 11% stuff.
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I went to this bar for the first time last Friday night, despite Leeds having been my local city for some four years. I have to admit that I haven't really taken any notice of the bar during the day time as it doesn't really stand out like other in the city (the likes of FAB and Mojo's come to immedeate mind). I was pleasently suprised I had expected it to have been some place full of townies all getting drunk on 2 for 1 bottles - NOT A CHANCE OF THAT IN HERE! - The music was the old time Jazz that is all so very cool, especially when the majority of people in the bar seem to be very cool and polite people who are not hell bent on getting leathered for the sake of it.
The drinks were another suprise both in Price but more importantly in QUALITY! There are a number of different beer taps to choose from each sporting an equalling excitng oportunity to try new types of Beer ie. Flavoured lagers, Bitters (Served in those amazing
old tankards that all our grandfathers used to drink out of down the local). On top of this there is if I remember correctly a good selection of bottles behind the bar with the obligitory fashionable spirits to wash it all down. But before you get too excited, you should know that to stay in this place for the evening and have a good nights drinking at the same time could cost you somewhat. A pint of the bitter was �2.50 and a pint of the flavoured stuff �2.00 for a half. Overall the place is VERY cool, I much prefer it to the overhyped and even more overpriced Mojo's who will
skin you �2.50+ for a simple bottle of piss poor BECKS. I am definatly going back (when i have saved my pennies for a few weeks) and this time hopefully I will be able to stay there for more than just a couple.
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I agree with 'used to be a regular'. this used to be cool because it wasnt a seedy pub nor a ubercool bar. it was somewhere in between. since t'olden days it has been overrun by punters going there because its somewhere you're supposed to go. shame. still at least the landlord has a nice house!
Ade '97 - 12 Nov 2004 11:23 |
The Bar seems now to be staffed by under-trained minimum wage staff. Shame. They have no idea of customer service, drinks measures or the differerence between a lime and a lemon. Sucks.
used to be a regular - 8 Oct 2004 01:50 |
Art from local artists on the walls, good eclectic yet not too imposing music played behind the bar, excellent selection of quality beers at decent prices and food which ranges from olives to pie and peas (�1.50!), just a great, great place. Wish there were more like North Bar!
Edd Almond - 17 Sep 2004 11:50 |
the most chilled out and easy going pub in leeds!
plus the best selection of european beer.
what more could you ask for?!
faye - 7 Sep 2004 16:45 |
Quite simply the best selection of european beers and lagers in Leeds.
A long, narrow bar with a definite continental feel, great food, ever changing art on the walls and a ecclectyic mix of people make North a definite stop off if you're on a pubcrawl around the city centre.
Ade - 14 May 2004 14:27 |
