In terms of category, Santiago's is a cocktail bar, but I couldn't find the appropriate…read moredescription. Another trendier Leeds bar, in the same vein as North Bar, Mojo, any Call Lane bar etc. I think Santiago's has a bit more to it than many. Mainly due to the fact that they have live music, and cluttered yet trendy-cool posters and pictures littering the walls. Another haunt you can add to your tequila swigging, Mojito sucking list, Santiago's gets incredibly busy, particularly at the weekend. With the friendly barmen, and the occasional promotional offer (I got myself a pack of Sailor Jerry cards this weekend), it is a friendlier place than some of the others labelled above, that evidently sees quite a few regulars. The upstairs room is available for hire for private shindigs.

This place is bad ass. Or, at least it was on Saturday, since that was the evening of their Bad Ass…read moreDirt Ass Trailer Trash Party. My word, it's been a while Santiago, but you never let me down. I don't often end up drunk as a lord, much as it may seem otherwise, but Saturday heralded a night of such excess that there are parts missing. Fortunately, those parts occurred whilst en route homeward, so I was safely away from endangering myself about town. (And hopefully, not shaming myself in Santiago, although my dancing was likely so wild some may have been offended. I was really going for it.) That's what you get for drinking Talisker alongside lager pints. Wowzers. Firstly, these guys know how to roll out a party. There were several live bands playing as part of the event, and although the travesty is that I only knew one of them (and haven't since discovered the names of the others), each and every one was fantastic. There's nothing like a soulful singer blasting it out, to be followed by some seriously bluesy action to make a proper night of it right there. The bluesy action? Those guys are called The S.S.S.S.S. and they're second to none when it comes to all out fun. Dan Beesley-legend. Add into the mix awesome bar staff, face painting, and friendly as you like folk to complete the party. An extra boon is that the toilets (the ladies' at least) are super clean. An important note -it's cash only. Thinking about it, although I don't come in often enough to be classed as a regular, I've not had a bad night in here. Get yourself down and catch some of Leeds' best live music, amongst reprobates similar to myself, for an all out drinking session. Love it!

This is more of a brief update than anything else, but it's worth a mention since things have…read morechanged a little since my initial visit! Finally, it seems that Leeds has caught up with a hot trend in the U.S., wait for it... yes. We have our very own tiki bar awesomeness in the city. I was really excited to hear that this was the plan and couldn't resist checking it out some weeks ago. My first tiki bar visit was in New York last year and my grasp on this concept is that they are Hawaiian themed bars, complete with coconut shell cocktails, random skull objects, a bit of a 'cool dive' atmosphere and a large helping of straw to line the ceiling. That, minus the skulls, is what you'll find upstairs at the Call Lane Social. The décor was so fresh you could smell the straw as you entered, and as far as trending goes, this is it. It was packed - absolutely body-to-body, wall-to-wall. So it's certainly popular! This would usually mar my experience; I'm much more of a sit and natter over some decent drinks type-girl, but the atmosphere and life about the bar was very catching. Since there were no seats you either beat them, or join them, and so I duly danced away. Tons of fun! I didn't get a chance to sample the cocktails but next time, yes, next time I'll go all the way. From the downstairs speakeasy vibe, to the upstairs tiki mayhem, this bar is one to watch. Even the staff are seriously cool. Enjoy!

Tiki bar? No, more like dive bar wants to go tiki but don't let that put you off…read more After necking a few drinks elsewhere, I'm not actually sure how we got here but we did and it was a continuation of our good times. Upstairs is the music you never heard of (aka eclectic - this is not for the hipsters either) downstairs classic commercial tunes pumping up the vibe. The drinks were okay. The service was fine. The toilets were minging. Anyway, this place gets quite busy - as normal on a weekend night in the centre of town. It was all good while we were here because for the third time we observed that Milk does a body good but just how much are the men in Leeds drinking? Woo to the hoo!! This place is good fun in a line of bar crawls.

I first came to Mojo years ago and I'm happy to report that the years have been kind, possibly…read morekinder to Mojo than myself, as the place has retained all the charm and fun that it ever had. At the far end of the bar there is an art work describing 'Mojo' and throughout the decor of the bar gives off the essence of cool, without being arrogant. I've always found the staff to be vibrant and friendly and they're certainly expert in their knowledge of the drinks they serve. Be it cocktails or a continental beer they can advise you well, depending on your palette. The music is cool, with a great mix of inoffensive indie and electro. You can dance, albeit be it at your own risk, since the bar is small and often tightly packed! Drinks might be a little more on the expensive side, and they don't serve anything on tap (at least they never used to), but that has the bonus side-effect of enticing a good crowd into the bar. Coctktails and interesting beers are on the menu so you're spoiled for choice! So, prop up the bar, grab a window stool or nab a comfy seat at the back, either way you'll be certain to have a good time.

Mojo is one of those unique gems that you either stumble upon, or are dragged to by someone else…read morewho has stumbled upon it. Hidden down a side street near Gatecrasher, Mojo is a tiny little bar that does everything it can to be different from anywhere else in Leeds - and it succeeds in this aspect. A wide selection of continental beers are on offer - you can choose your own, or simply leave it to the barman to decide by asking simply for a beer. They also offer spirits and wines with a similarly global feel, and play some absolutely quality tunes, old and new, spread across eclectic genres such as soul, indie and rock. Mojo isn't cheap, but it's something different from what the rest of Leeds has to offer, so I'd definitely recommend it if you've got the dosh.

I stayed at the Indigo Hotel right next door to the Spread Eagle for a week and during this time I…read moreusually started and ended my nights of drunken debotchory at the Spread Eagle. It's a wonderful dive bar with a very diverse crowd of regulars. I had such a great time drinking here and carrying on conversations with everyone I met; quite the cheeky crowd it is. And a couple of the nights I visited they had some really good bands. Definitely worth checking out and relaxing. Just be cool.

Myself and my gf went here as 1 we loved the name and 2 it was right next door to our hotel…read more * Drinks prices excellent! * DJ was spinning some awesome tunes on the Sunday night we first went in * Bar staff very friendly * Nice big beer garden out the back Great little place and will defo be back!

Just stumbled upon this place, was greeted to amazing service by a young lady who was just so…read moreaccommodating! Came to this restaurant with a vegetarian friend who doesn't usually get to eat at BBQ restaurants, but the menu had a wide selection of alternatives. Meals were impeccable, would 10/10 eat again. The decor was fun and different, made me feel like I was eating at a diner in the deep depths of the South of USA. Will be back :)

Being American born and bred, and having been to all of the barbecue Meccas of the American South…read moreand Midwest, I can state that this is authentic Q. The flavor and smokiness of the meats was spot on, and passed the "no sauce" test easily. All meats had a good smoke rinThe ribs were my favorite, followed by the chicken. The breast was tender and juicy, no dry at all. The brisket was satisfactory, good flavor, but I like it a bit fattier than what was put out. That's a very tough cut to get perfect, but it was perfectly edible as is. The sauces were god; complimented the meats well. This misses one star for the slaw. It is a Carolina style sweet & sour, but it wasn't quite sweet & sour enough. I applied some NC vinegar based bbq sauce, which improved it a lot. The staff was efficient and very pleasant, and provided great information about the food and restaurant. I'd come back, and will state for the record that this is true American style Smoked BBQ.

Big Hands is an essential watering hole before a Gig or even if you just happen to be in the…read morevicinity. It has a really nice relaxed atmosphere even when it is crammed full of sweaty Metal Heads (as it usually is for the type of Gigs I go to). If I lived near by then it would be my local so that I could go in and play a game of guess who is playing a gig by the punters attire and general appearance. If you happen to pop in to play this game (Soon to be screened on BBC1). and see me in there, then be assurred that there is about to be Metal of the highest quality going down \m/

I have a confession to make in that I've been living in Manchester for 7 years now and had never…read moreactually been to Big Hands until last Friday. Basically it was one of those places where people would say "yeah big hands is great" "oh you know what it's like" - and I'd just nod and smile thinking damn I'll get there one day! Ok so it is pretty out on a limb being up by MRI hospital and surprisingly close to the Manchester Academy music venues, making it pretty popular I guess before gigs. Again I'm not really sure why it wasn't on my horizon before this but basically I would always go to Kro across the road before gigs at the Academy. The bar looks tiny from outside but is surprisingly spacious throughout and has a lot more room in the back. It has a real 'neighbourhood bar' feel about it and the staff were pretty friendly, plus they were playing great music at a volume that you could actually chat over even though it was about 12.30am. A good selection of craft beer and some good beers on tap, it was great to also see the Okells beer from the Isle of Man represented in the bottle fridges.

My family still haven't got over the fact that I chose to celebrate my birthday one year at The…read moreTemple. They would have understood if I'd chosen a restaurant or a nightclub with a dancefloor but a bar that used to be a public toilet? That threw them completely. To digress, The Temple used to be a public toilet many moons ago. In the nineties however, it was converted into Manchester's smallest bar. Accessed via a blink-or-miss-it stairwell off Oxford Street, it's a bustling place with an intimate atmosphere and shabby chic interior. There's a tiny bar with great bottled beers and spirits, a cool jukebox with lots of Mancunian rock and roll, a cluster of seats for about 20 people and standing room for about 20 more. Suffice to say, nights here to be fun and messy - which is why I chose it as the perfect birthday venue!

The place is called Temple, it is a bar which used to be a public toilet, it is underground and…read morelooks very grungy and dark inside and of course serves alcohol ---- I love the whole concept (Note: I was born and raised in a Hindu family and Temple is a place of worship for Hindu's). I would love to bring one of those conservative Hindu priests here just to see his reaction (would be comedy gold). I am a big fan of its sister bar Big Hands and that is one of the reason I decided to visit Temple (obviously the name intrigued me too). They play funky rock music, have a good selection of beers and good enough seating arrangements (don't expect to get a seat post 8 pm on any day). Yes the bar is quite crammed and small but that kind of has its own appeal according to me -- It definitely keeps you warm on a chilly winter night! The beers are reasonably priced, though some may say its expensive for the kind of space it has, but I guess being ghetto and grungy is upmarket these days (explains the price). The crowd is usually quite nice, mostly working professionals around oxford road, you might find the masters and Phd students hanging out here too but definitely not a place where 18 year old's are screaming and shouting! Verdict: You should definitely go there for the novelty of the concept!

Great pub, upstairs from bottle shop. Friendly staff, maybe best atmosphere in all of York! Don't…read moremiss this gem!

This place was a little hard to find. Look for the liquor store on the ground floor that says…read more"trembling madness" on the window. Pub is upstairs. Pub was fairly cool. Saw some reviews saying something about a Harry Potter vibe, but I didn't get that at all. It has some cool elements, but definitely did not live up to those expectations. Had a nice beer selection on tap. And prices were quite reasonable. Ended up picking up a few interesting beers on my way out.

Place with a decent atmosphere, and it looked quite nice too. Enjoyed the distinction between the…read moretwo public pars, being the shallow end and the deep end. Music was alright. Abbeydale Moonshine was the only beer option, but if you only have one, this is a pretty decent one! Used to be owned by Nick Banks of Pulp.

Kicked out after working at the establishment for seven years and being close friends with all of…read morethe regulars / most long-serving members of staff for briefly touching a bottle of Baileys that my mate was pouring. Thoroughly disgusted at my poor treatment at a venue I have been loyal to and never had any problems at before. Door staff were as bewildered as I was. If you want to visit a fairly managed pub, I'd steer well clear.

FAB has to be my favourite bar in Manchester. It may seem a little grungy on first inspection the…read morebar is actually very good. The prices are exceptional for Manchester and I have rarely seen it over crowded so there is no 30 minute wait at the bar for a drink. They have a number of specialist and national beers on tap as well as in bottles and bottles of alcopops and shots of spirits. The DJ area is pure genius ... The bridge of the original starship enterprise with Gerard the Dalek protecting it from the side. In the left corner there is a tardis that lights up and the ceiling is full of models from sci if shows like battle star galactica and Star Trek. Near the toilets there is a number of arcade machines and there are arcade tables near the tardis where you can play classic games such as pacman and donkey kong for a small fee. To top it all off there is also a pinball machine present. The bar snacks range from sweets to nuts and crisps and they also provide a simple, classic, student type menu. Through out the week there are various theme night such as games nights but there are a number of board games available at any time and these games can easily be played. The decor is brilliant for fans of science fiction shows and there are a number of posters and signed pictures around the place and there is a glass cabinet of merchandise ranging from classic Star Wars and superman collectables. Next to this here is a table which is a scene from an alien landing and a comfortable booth. Located near china town I always have to visit this bar when I stay over in Manchester. Thereupon are also tv screens located all around that will play classic cartoons, movies and tv shows.

I used to go to the Fab Cafe in Leeds when it first opened and was crazy about the place. 80's film…read moreand TV memorabilia lined the walls and dangled from the ceiling, they stocked an array of 80's confectionery behind the bar (think Dib Dabs, Sherbert Fountains, Space Raiders and even Pot Noodles), tables with the BUILT-IN PACMAN arcade game, decent music and cheap drinks. What was NOT to love? Well, fast-forward 10 years and you suddenly realise that walking into a sticky-floored bar and being greeted by the smell of piss doesn't quite have the same allure anymore. Don't get me wrong, I still think the Fab chain is, well, fab, I just think that the next time I go to the one in Manchester, it'll have to be at the end of the night when I'm pie-eyed and youngsters, smells, dirty toilets and crap dancing don't bother me. Going back to the toilets though - have you read the graffiti on the doors/walls in there? Some of it is hilarious, poetic even! You could be in there for hours just reading. Anyway, I think Fab Manchester deserves a second chance as we went in there quite early on in the evening and I guess it doesn't really come to life until a bit later. I will say that I was a tad disappointed in the state of it though and reckon they could do with putting some money into giving it a revamp, or even just a good scrub. Crikey, I think I'm turning into a snob.