The Shed Bar

Tucked away in one of the busiest areas of Leeds city centre, underneath the railway arches and next door to the recently demised Cockpit music venue in Heatons Court, The Shed hides in plain sight. It is oriented on indie music – a fact that is obvious from the moment you step inside. The walls are adorned with posters and vinyl records of the likes of Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix, giving it a bar-meets-record-store style.

Critically, though, there’s no hint of pretension or exclusivity about the place. Instead, it simply focuses on what it does well: providing a pleasingly unpredictable variety of music and drink. You’re likely to hear weird and wonderful things from all decades and genres studded among the usual 90s and 00s guitar-based fare, and this eclectic character will appeal to those who love using their MP3 player shuffle buttons. The long half-cylinder that forms The Shed’s structure means it can get extremely loud as the sound builds and reverberates (usually later in the evening).

Its proximity to the railway station means it’s great for post-work bevvies, and, with different drinks offers on every day of the week during the 5pm to 8pm happy hour, including two-for-one cocktails, the bill will probably be smaller than you imagine. The range of beer and lager available includes everything from Japanese imported options to traditional English ales. Overall, The Shed has the feel of a down-to-earth backstreet bar that’s a great place to either start or end a night out.