North Bar

North Bar in Upper Briggate describes itself as ‘one of the original pioneers of the Leeds bar boom’. It serves an upmarket range of imported craft beers, and is a good place to escape the monotony of the regular pub scene and same old industrially brewed lagers.

It’s a winning formula to which North Bar has had to make very few alterations down the years. A former winner of the Observer Food Monthly Best Place To Drink In Britain award, it offers a feast for people who like to enjoy art and music as they sip their drinks. 

The range that North Bar offers is something to behold, with a constantly changing selection of nearly 130 beers, keeping it ahead of the curve even in an increasingly crowded marketplace. For instance, it was the first in the UK to bring in Brooklyn Lager and Erdinger on draught. The staff are thoroughly knowledgeable, and are always keen to recommend something unexpected. Beer isn’t the only thing on offer, though – North Bar does an impressive range of rum and whisky, an extensive wine selection, and all manner of weird and wonderful soft drinks.

Unfortunately, its cramped environs mean that it’s often very hard to get a seat. There’s also no food on offer, but, in all honesty, that would almost certainly impair its ability to do what it does best. In fact they have set up their own brewery to expand on just that.