Hands down my favourite pub in Leeds. Friendly staff and customers, good beer, fun events and -…read moremost importantly - dogs! I will always go out of my way to visit the Chemic if I fancy a relaxing evening. The entertainment they put on too is top notch - local acts and some from further away, including folk music and open mic nights where anyone can join in. It's also next door to the best chip shop in Leeds (which is veggie friendly!), and you can take your chips in to enjoy with a pint. If you're looking for a lovely place to have a nice evening, you couldn't go far wrong with the Chemic.

This is a tough review…read more Not because I'm unsure if I like the pub or not but simply because I fear that my review might attract people to the place and I love it just the way it is. The Chemic Tavern is in the Woodhouse area of Leeds. Woodhouse is not known for it's excellent pubs and neither is neighbouring Hyde Park. They both mainly consist of student pubs with no soul and flat Carlsberg. Not good. The good people at The Chemic Tavern have managed to remove themselves from these other kinds of pubs and have created something bloody lovely. First things first - the beer. They always have a great selection of ales on. Timothy Taylor's Landlord is always there and then usually two or three others. You then have a selection of decent lagers, wines and cocktails - all reasonably priced and well maintained. It's just nice to walk in to a pub, stroll over to the bar, look at the options and not think to yourself 'ahh bugger. .' but instead think 'ooh, what shall I have first?'. The staff are legendary. It seems all to often nowadays that being polite and having a friendly chat with your customers is a bit too difficult for a lot of places. Not with The Chemic. On every visit I have been made to feel like a returning friend and I love that. You instantly feel welcome and relaxed. It appears The Chemic only hire nice, chatty people. This is a very clever move - albeit a very obvious one. The music is always good too. There's no jukebox but you will often hear Motown, Blues and good Indie tunes. They have live music nights there as well, come to think of it. Ska nights, Irish nights and other things will go on in the back room that also features a darts board and an array of board games (if you fancy a geeky night down the pub, playing Trivial Pursuits). The other really nice thing about the place is that everyone who drinks in there appears to be very happy. I think this is because they're all aware that it's the best pub in miles. The Chemic appears to only attract people (and lots of them at the weekend) who are there to have a nice, enjoyable drink (or six) with their mates. I could go on and on but I fear it would just end up sounding like that I was considering proposing marriage to the pub. Which is obviously a ridiculous idea. . . isn't it? Yes, of course it is. How would I fit The Chemic in a church for a start? So I will end this review by adding that the pub has an amazing fish and chip shop (Arkwright's) next door and you're allowed to buy food from there and eat it inside the pub. Good stuff. So if you haven't been here before and you like proper pubs, I urge you to check this place out. Not too many of you, mind. .

If you want a little bit of that New York glitz and glamour in Leeds I think I've found your venue…read more By some great fortune I discovered that Epernay were putting on a free Champagne tasting the other night and so, having not been along before, I popped along with a friend to sample the delights of their fizz. Oh my goodness. It must be some kind of crime that I've not visited this heavenly venue before. As you enter through the glass doors to the indoor-outdoor courtyard great glass windows depicting waxen champagne bottles, candles and rustically beautiful décor promise of the decadence to pop forth. As my friend and I wandered in we were greeted warmly and immediately offered to discard our coats and replace them with a glass of the Henriot Brut. (Forgive me if I've misnamed this, we tried several!) The staff were all incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about their fayre, which only made the bubbles seem sweeter, and we took a seat to chat and indulge in some high class Champagne. In all I think we sampled about three from the Henriot range, including a 100% Chardonnay number and a rosé, all of which were sweet, palatable and incredibly moreish. I'm told they have a range that changes monthly, I believe, which you can purchase by the glass. This is excellent as it's not every day that you can afford to go a whole bottle, whereas a treat of a glass or two is rather more affordable. Mind you, when the bubbles go to your head you'd be sorely tempted to sip some more as the range is simply delightful. We chose to stay for one more night-cap after the event and decided it would rude not to try out some of the champagne cocktails. I'm not much of a cocktail drinker, nor a champagne drinker, but this was no problem as the staff were simply fantastic at suggesting which ones to try. The passion each of them has for their craft is evident and a million miles away from your standard bar. Having several staff suggest the London 1875 and the Elderbubble we went for those. As they were being crafted we had a wonderful chat with the staff, again cementing the quality of the service as friendly, welcoming and efficient. At £6.50 per drink it's certainly not somewhere I can envisage affording all night long (Lionel Richie, now playing in my mind!) but for a few seriously special drinks it seems there is no other venue. Now, for the cocktails. Oh my goodness me. Trying to articulate the delicious flavour is going to be a feat - all I can say is that they infuse the Beefeater gin on site with Earl Grey tea (one of the staff's concoctions I'm told) and it was utterly delicious. The delicacy of the Elderbubble was equally as delightful, both being sweet, soft and subtle on the palate. Both are a drink that you will want to indulge in again and again and again. I'm certain 'll be back, I just need some kind of excuse - perhaps my birthday can come once a month rather than once a year. Quite simply a true delight in Leeds and if you've not yet been I urge you to visit. You'll find all the decadence, delight and divinity of a fantastic Champagne bar, with not a sniff of the pretense. Glorious!

I associate Epernay with achievement, as it is frequently the venue I have visited to commemorate a…read morespecial occasion. Whether it has been a personal triumph or educational success, Epernay has provided a fantastic celebratory atmosphere. Whilst I am not a connoisseur of champagne, I do appreciate sampling its different varieties and learning the individual characteristics of each. I commend the bar staff at Epernay for offering their expertise on numerous occasions without patronising me, in what can be an industry steeped in pretentiousness. With champagne from more than 21 houses, the amount of varieties is staggering. Epernay have decorated the venue to be fairly understated, yet stunningly beautiful. The exposed brickwork and contemporary furniture contrast magnificently with the more traditional appearance of dripping candles in champagne bottles. A covered balcony in the attractively developed Electric Press building, provides the atmosphere of drinking al fresco, without having to rely on the temperament of the British weather. This charming little haven offers a selection of antipasti style nibbles, their flavoursome olives are a regular favourite. I do find the venue a little unpalatable on evenings during the weekend, with significantly more punters out to impress, but I think that is the reality in many city centre bars. I will always consider Epernay to be a superior venue to celebrate, congratulate and generally appreciate good champagne.

Don't get me wrong - I feel privileged heading into Leeds city centre, knowing that there's more…read morebars worthy of my thirst than I count using not only fingers, but toes too. Ran by the same people behind popular-with-the-cooler-than-sin Faversham, A Nation of Shopkeepers was always going to be a haunt for the young, hip and trendy. However, don't let that stop you from popping in if you were young, hip and trendy decades ago... 'Cause good hearty traditional grub, I know, is appreciated by all. It's the little things too; like getting a 7-inch vinyl with your order number on it and the enthusiasm of the staff serving up your sizeable portions, as well as those pouring your choice of a plethora of fine beers, ales and of course, soft drinks. A very tasty Fentimans' 'curiosity cola' for me, please. Decked out in vinyl, stickers and weird but wonderful illustration - there's a funky, relaxed atmosphere to the place by day. There's a spacious courtyard too and even though summer seems to have passed us by, there's big umbrellas to shelter from any unsuspecting downpours. At night, the freshest disc jockeys in town - and from across the country - come out to play at nights such as Kill The Rhythm (Fridays, fidget/electro/house, free) and No Bones (Saturdays, think indier than the New Musical Express, £3). There are also regular gigs from new bands you might just have heard of - and if not, will have soon when Radio One's Jo Whiley gets her mitts on them. And we haven't even mentioned Johnny Casual's weekly music quiz yet (Tuesdays, £2 per team). He won't be happy...

A fair while ago now, my girlfriend and I attended a Drink 'n' Draw in this here establishment when…read moreI was fairly new to Leeds. The people attending were something of an insular lot, but after a few doodles later on sheets of huge paper sprawled out over the tables, one guy sat next to us. He didn't put pen to paper however, he simply observed my scrawling, ordered a burger, scarfed it, and after no more than two shared anecdotes either way later, he made his contented exit stage left. Years later I can understand why that mysterious burger consuming nomad was drawn to Nation merely to refuel; the burgers are just that darn tasty and potentially the best in Leeds. The fries are double cooked so you get that intense "oh this can't be good" salty but delicious flavouring and the burger patties are all well seasoned. Their sizes range from a good hearty meal to humongous hostage taking situations where you'll be too heavy and sluggish to escape the proprietors clutches for hours. Sneaky really. Not that I mind whiling away an afternoon in this eclectic indie hangout now that its been fully refurbed and exposed yellow foam no longer stares back at you from the comfy sofas. The back area has almost a rustic indie diner feel to it now with matching dark wood furniture and plenty of eye catching objet d'art and occasionally projector based entertainment. Nation is honestly my default go to Leeds bar of a night out, perhaps because it was one of my first, but also because they stock my favourite standard bourbon and the ever so slightly too-cool-for-school staff make a great change from the norm. Plenty of live music events keep the venue lively, and a huge beer garden outside makes it a great place to bring a large troupe of friends to and not be without seating. I'm probably a lifer really at this stage as long as they keep it in good nick this time around. Who knows how many more solo burger devouring pilgrims will arrive if they do.

Small, intimate venue The Verve stands in one of Leeds most populated side streets. Directly…read moreopposite rock venue "Rio's", The Verve is a hangout for indie/rock and alternative music lovers and cocktail drinkers! The Verve hosts live music on both weeknights and weekend and supports local acts in particular! No big names will be seen here however if you want to listen to some fresh music while having a relaxing beverage this is your place. The average age of the customers in the Verve is a little older and a little more laid back than age of the customers in the nightclubs in the city center. The drinks menu is vast with a huge variety of shooters, cocktails and other yummy long drinks!! Cocktails range from 4.00-7.00 depending on how hard your days been and how much alcohol you require! The Verve is nothing flash and not particularly diverse, however makes a quirky change for the clubbing scene and works as a classy bar in a more laid-back scene with some excellent local live music acts.

Tiny little bar Verve belongs on this street full of quirky, individual watering holes that focus…read moreon beer and music and not much else. Rather like Mojo, with which it shares a street, Verve is frequented by those in the know about good bars - the sort of people who classify a good night as listening to an acoustic musician sing their heart out in a cosy little bar, rather than a sweaty rave in a club packed with thousands of students. Everything about Verve is intimate and perfectly sized - the few tables, the bar (where you can always get served a cocktail quickly), even the toilets - but it doesn't have quite as much character as some of the other bars in this area. The music acts on show can also be a bit hit and miss in my experience, but the atmosphere is always top drawer and it makes a good stop off-point on a weekend night if you're in the vicinity.

I just loved Banyan. The atmosphere, the wide range of food options from healthy veggie to meaty…read moreand delicious. Service was delightful - warm, attentive & funny. I went twice while in Leeds on business because the healthy options were just what I needed at day's end. A great option in City Centere for all types of tastes & palates.

Yep, loved this place. Great food, good atmosphere.read more

To me, all the pubs between Hyde Park and town are somewhat of a let down, which is bizarre as this…read moreis the exact area where the university is located. The four or five pubs on this stretch of road are all a little bit confused - they are old man pubs full of students but with a very local feel. This should work well really, but for some reason, it doesn't. The Eldon is perhaps the best example of this - right opposite the uni and near a few colleges, it is always bustling during term time, and the fact that it's on the Otley Run means that even at non-term time weekends, there's usually a lively atmosphere. It can be a bit too full on sometimes, especially if there's a football match on, but, on the upside, it is darn cheap and it is a real pub. Probably better to stop off here on the way into down rather than to finish up here, though.

It's alright is The Eldon, that seems to be a typical response to, whaddya think of The Eldon? It's…read morealright it is. Hmmmm. I can't quite decide if The Eldon tries too hard or doesn't try enough. It is a bit student central, as Rowena said it's not far at all from the main Leeds campus, and many of the students tend to pour into here of a dinner and evening time. Which is pretty odd, because minus the student blood, there's a lot of old timer regulars propping up the bar and generally killing time, discussing how unfair everything is and sucking air through their teeth. It's definitely cheap and cheerful, and would have probably appealed to my 18 year old self, with the £1.50 nights, open mic nights and quiz nights when the prize is beer, cheapo pub grub and gathering for the big screen viewing of the footy matches, but now, it's a bit not to my liking, for all of the reasons above, it appeals to the fresh out of college crowd, which is fine, and also irritating when the place gets a bit alcohol fuelled lary. It's alright for a post work day pint, it's alright for food and cheap beer, it's alright for lots of things, but it doesn't go beyond that for me.

Being a veteran and lover of the Christmas german market beer hall that graces Millenium Square…read moreevery year, I was caught in two minds about going to Bierkeller. My first thought was YESSS!!!! It'll be like the amazing nights I get to have every Christmas, but I can have them any time I want! But then I stopped and thought - would this ruin the novelty of singing along to many an anthem played by the wonderful Manny and his oompah band? Would it actually take some of the joy out of one of my highlights of the year? I chose to give it a go eventually, and have now been twice. I've taken in the experience after work on a weeknight when it's a little quieter, and also on a full on weekend evening when you get the full experience. The weekday evening came first, and left me wanting. The drinks are expensive - around £8 for the cheapest stein I think they were, and I had to wait for my drink for way too long considering there were only a couple of people in the queue, and the bar staff weren't very nice when I eventually did get served. They weren't rude or anything, but there were no smiles and didn't seem to care how long it took for anyone to get their drinks. Fortunately the place itself looks wonderful - almost like a proper beer hall but smaller. This saved it from being a bit of a nightmare first trip! Anyway, after being really quite unimpressed I nearly gave up on the place for good, but decided I should try it out at the weekend before I do. Fortunately, this was MUCH more like it! First of all, the staff were far more on the ball, and seemed to be enjoying themselves a little more. The drinks were no better, but the novelty of the stein was still there. But most importantly, the atmosphere was completely changed. Once this place gets packed out, everyone is clearly up for a big silly night of singing and glass clinking (although the latter is discouraged!). Once the oompah band came out I was back to loving the experience again. So, if you were to head into the Bierkeller at any other time than a Friday or Saturday night, I'd knock a star off my score. BUT if you do go on a Friday or Saturday, add one on. Once the atmosphere kicks in it's a joy to be there, but bear in mind you'll probably have to book seats in advance as we did.

I had heard good things about this place, so one rainy afternoon I popped in with a couple of…read morefriends for the full German experience. It was mid-afternoon so I knew it was unlikely that we'd see the full musical show or get the full atmosphere, so we were just expecting a pleasant pub experience. What we had didn't come close. The venue itself looks like a lot of fun - long wooden benches, ceiling beams, brick archways, It's theatrical rather than authentic, but I think it works - I'm pretty sure it's designed to poke a little bit of fun at itself. And I can imagine it's a memorable experience to glug a tankard or two, cosily squeezed between your friends in a corner. We sat down where we could fit on a bench, shimmied off our soaking raincoats and muscled in between two guys who'd clearly been there a while (indicated by the empties around them) and a few girls who were surrounded by shopping bags. Being underneath the Sports Bar, I imagined it being a little male-orientated so it was nice to see some post-shopping ladies grabbing a beverage next to us! However, then I laid eyes on the waiting staff. All the men were dressed smartly in black shirts and black trousers and they were all a wide range of ages. All the female waiting staff, however, were basically teenage girls trundling around in poor-quality skimpy leaves-nothing-to-the-imagination leiderhosen. Talk about your double standards! And I know it probably sounds prudish - buxom barmaids are quite the stereotype and I appreciate it can be seen as "part of the experience", but it was just plain tacky. Really tacky. More than anything, not a single waitress could muster a smile the entire time we were there. They just mooched about by one corner of the bar looking fed up and miserable. ...which then leads on to the terrible service! We couldn't actually get anyone's attention to come up and serve us for a start. We tried to make eye contact, we waved, we shouted when the waitresses passed us, but each time they had their eyes down and strode right past us. Eventually we did manage to order drinks and food and we found that being able to pay for a round of drinks at the table is a really nice touch. And the menu itself was exactly what you'd expect, bursting with bratwurst and schnitzels and pretzels. However, the food really wasn't anything special. I had fries and a frankfurter and they arrived lukewarm and pretty average. For average pub food prices, I knew it wasn't going to be gourmet, but I expected more for my money. The place was only half full and it was late afternoon, so it wasn't like they were struggling to get orders out to a busy restaurant. Overall, I would never go back there. It's tacky, the beer is overpriced, the service is appalling and there are too many wonderful bars/pubs/more-appealing rainy street corners in Leeds to bother going back to the Leeds Bierkeller.

Another great stop off on our day trip to Leeds was The White Swan - very central, good quality…read morefood and the beers were great value, while offering loads of variety in the process! The Swan was sandwiched in between a few early pints in other bars to get us in the swing of things, while also keeping an eye on the clock to make sure we could get to a pub showing the Grand National later in the day - so in all honesty we didn't have more than an hour to hang around and smell the roses! What we did get from this warm and welcoming Leeds Brewery boozer was a flight of 3 thirds for £3.30 from any local breweries (6 to select from I think) and these were a great and good value way to enjoy a few beers and not get too tanked up! I also had a butchers sausage sandwich with home made chips which really hit the spot and was great value for sub-£5 A great suggestion from my friend and a place that although I probably wouldn't want to spend all afternoon in, was a great little find and somewhere I'll be hitting next time I'm in town!

Great little bar here in the city centre! Chilled out venue with friendly staff, and plenty of…read morechoice. Good place for an afternoon pint & a catch up with mates, but not a place to go if you're looking for a party as it's a bit too chilled for that...

The booze in this somewhat dingy Hyde Park off-license is hardly 'budget'. Single cans are around a…read more£1 each, which seems slightly extortionate to say the least (The Hyde Park pub across the road will give you the same beer, but cold, in a glass, and accompanied by a place to sit and drink it for about a quid more). The whole business seems to be a rip-off of national chain Bargain Booze, which actually does usual offer various deals on different types of alcohol. Because of its prime location in student-ville, and the fact that is a stone's throw from Hyde Park itself (a popular drinking location in summer), Budget Booze seems to think it can charge what it wants. Tut tut.

To me, a name like "Budget Booze" steers me away instantly. However it seems many people do not…read moreshare my opinion as it is often very busy when I drive past. Especially on a Friday evening! Bargain Booze are onto a winner with the location so close to Hyde Park, the city center and student housing! With students wanting alcohol, alcohol and more alcohol on a small budget, whoever owns the business has the right idea! I would dodge going here, as it sounds slightly dodge itself to me! However on a look around I was tempted by my favourite bottle of blossom hill on a deal of 2 for £7, which is a whole £3 cheaper than the supermarket! Judging on that, the prices are budget! However I would suggest you stick to larger brand names when buying your booze to avoid and even worse headache the morning after!

I came here for drinks with my boyfriend because it was suggested by his friends (and we love…read morecocktails cos who doesn't!) and we wanted to try something new. Took us a while to find it actually! But when we got there it was worth it!! They have so many drinks on offer and they make them sooo well. The staff are friendly and it has a great atmosphere (tip: they have board games in the corner, such a great idea! Drunk connect 4 went down a treat!) My favourite cocktail was something to do with strawberries (it was the last one I had... Can you tell?!) the lychee mojito was insane as well! It's a kitschy, edgy and cosy place all at the same time and we had an amazing evening. Plus the cocktails are relatively inexpensive! Winners all round :)

From the owner: The East Village specialises in high end drinks in a relaxed atmosphere. Transporting you straight…read moreacross the pond to the Lower East Side of Manhattan.