Carpe Diem

Seize The Day! If you like alternative bars and live music, Carpe Diem is the place to be. Immediately when you enter this place you know what vibes to expect. Their alcohol selection isn’t the best but it’s cheap, their food is decent for the price, but the vegetarian options isn’t that good which is a shame, plus the communication isn’t great with the kitchen staff, as I remember asking to switch from rice to fries and it turned out to be harder than quantum molecular dynamics, and needless to say I ended up with rice still. However Carpe Diem is still one of my favourite bars to drink in the town centre, it has a certain vibe to it which I really dig. I’d recommend this place to anyone who is into alternative music and likes an alive atmosphere.

I’ve often been here for an after work drink. It’s still the same as it’s always been in my eyes although I do seem to be feeling allot older each time I go! A large space with a feel of old man pub /​student bar /​rock vibe. I haven’t been for quite some time on a weekend simply to avoid a crowd but during the week it’s pleasant enough and therefore does not attract the overwhelming mass of students looking for pool tables and cheap fodder as much as mid week.
The reason I like it here is A) the drinks are super cheap especially the wine, where a bottle is actually cheaper than two glasses which is blooming brilliant at £7! Although the wine is not the best, it’s that kind of cheap stuff that sends you slightly lunatic if more than a glass or two is drunk. B) I love the music in here, I’m a fan of rock /​indie /​heavy metal and mid week it’s a great musical atmosphere where after a long working day requires me to bob my head up and down mimicking lyrics of some great bands old and new whilst catching up on the days events in there big leather booths.
Downsides are that the place looks pretty scratty and archaic but I guess you get what you pay for right! Its definitely somewhere to just hang out for a couple of drinks after work and repeatedly say «I love this song!». For those who do not shy away from a bit of grim and for those who decline from pretentiousness. Its all about the company and the music right?!!

many moons ago, when Adam was a boy, my school chums and i would go to parties where the revellers — mean age 15 — would overdo it on white cider and fall about the place, projectile vomiting on the nice middle class home owners’ luxury carpets, which said householder would no doubt look forward to finding out about on the return from their holidays. you’d act like the complete twat a 15 year old excels at being, and then unconvincingly feign sobriety when your parents came to pick you up. until you’d bailed without warning all over their new car. if you are full of nostalgia for times like these and are going misty eyed at the thought of nights out with underage kids well on their way to getting their stomachs pumped at A+E, pop into Carpe on a Fri or Sat night and relive the dream.

I agree that Carpe is the sort of place that makes you feel old. It’s an ok place don’t get me wrong, but with all the student shenanigans going on you just think ‘damn, I was a first year 4 years ago’. I even seen a load of students throwing up outside the place. This sums up this place…
Saying that, this place attracts students like metal is attracted to a magnet. Pool, a pinball machine, cheap food, cheap drink, rock music… Everything a fresher needs to survive. Thats obviously their target customer base. You can almost guarantee if you’re with a group of students they’re gonna go for ‘the shots’. Also what is a studenty rock bar without the worst toilets ever?
Speaking of metal there are free gigs happening down here often too. The unexciting, not memorable indie bands that are dime a dozen in Leeds. They’re a cool feature though and can liven up the place.
Yes, its dirty, grotty, cheap, sticky and studenty, but it’s a fun bar thats better than those damn ‘its a Scream” bars that are all over. If you wanna live a daily rock lifestyle then go in here and go crazy. You are guaranteed to wake up not knowing where you are.

Its CaC (cheap and cheerful) sadly when bands are on (old man moment) its too loud. Its a decent early night boozer and the staff are a good crack to, although the chef looks frightfully un-​kept but the food challenges are awfully tempting.
A great place to watch all the big rugby league games too.

Well I never. I don’t think I’ve ever had to pay to gain access to Carpe before, and perhaps it’s been my timing, but since the students are back it seems £2 door tax is now occurring. To be honest, had it not been for a special send off for my friend, I’d have walked on by –but folks were out for a party, and the lure of two free «test tubes» of undefined alcoholic liquid was enough to draw them in. I partook of one of my free shots, and swiftly passed the other on. I couldn’t describe for you the taste, but it had a distinct deep golden yellow colour, which I’ll not compare to certain other liquids of a similar shade. It wasn’t altogether horrid, but I’m not one for shots, really.
The atmosphere inside was standard Carpe –fun loving, with plenty of rock tunes, pool tables, booths of drinkers. Being a Monday there weren’t many out and about, but the staff were friendly, and the bouncer was pretty hilarious. My friend wanted his name, so as to make certain Carpe made good on the promise of free shots, and he told us it was Dave the Rave. A little later, whilst I finished a cigarette, he slyly imparted the wisdom that his surname was not, in fact, «Rave». I told him that my suspicions were thus, but he did then inform me that friends of his call him «Dangerous Dave». There was quite a glint in his eye, and I believe him.
Just for that, I’m a little bit fonder of Carpe.
Come here for late night raucousness, cheap pints, a range of live music, and Dangerous Dave. Free shots, apparently, when there’s a £2 entrance fee.

Nice place if you like rock bars!
I felt welcomed and at home here, which I don’t usually at bars in Leeds! Drinks prices were pretty decent (much better than other places in the city centre!) They had offers on double sailor jerrys when I went.
Would really recommend this place. It’s not that clean and the decoration is a bit worse for wear but I liked it!

All right, I’ll admit. I’m not terribly organised about writing reviews, but I feel that since I’ve spent a large part of my time in Leeds in this particular hostelry I should really give it a review ;)
Admittedly the toilets do leave something to be desired (I’m especially saddened by the fact they’ve got rid of the glued on music articles on the gents cubicle walls. no longer can you stand mid-​piddle and read about the reviews for Jarvis Cocker’s «latest» album or the local band who once met ex-​Doctor Who Sylvester McCoy.) but I’ve got to say that this is one of the most likeable, fun bars I’ve ever been to in Leeds (or anywhere). The bar staff/​DJs are generally really friendly, the drinks prices are generally pretty low (even for a confirmed wine drinker such as myself — the lager boys and girls are definitely onto a winner here) and the atmosphere is usually great fun.
The DJ music is pretty varied (especially on Fridays — Rammstein to Pulp to Frankie Goes To Hollywood the last time I was there) and the Monday open mic nights are well worth a look and listen in terms of the range of performers and the ethos that pretty much anything goes (this Monday saw a variety of excellent acoustic acts, a vocal percussionist, a rapper and some bloke with a floppy haircut and a dodgy jacket performing high energy electro pop. no prizes for guessing who I’m plugging there*!!).
*Me, in case you weren’t sure! ;)
Yes, going in there quite often makes me feel quite old, but to be honest — aren’t we all getting older? At some point in our lives anywhere we’re used to going to will make us feel old. As long as there’s cheap (and subsequently quite often slightly manky) booze flowing freely, a convivial atmosphere and great music then we’re onto a winner.
And yes, as we all know the toilets ARE rather grotty. But who actually goes to a bar to spend the night in the toilet? ;)

I do like a trip to Carpe after work on a Friday. Despite the fact that it’s not the cleanest of places, and the toilets are absoultely horrific, I always find myself going back. It’s probably the combo of the good music and the Friday 241 cocktails entices me in!
If you don’t like dirty pubs then definitely give this a miss, otherwise it’s good for a few drinks and some decent music.

This is 1 of my favourite places to go in town to meet up with a few mates for a drink or 2 before going to somewhere like cockpit and has pretty much everything you could want from a decent bar as it has 2 pool tables, a great selection of drink (it sells Newcastle brown), serves food and has live bands play, the only real major let downs I can find is the state some people leave the toilets (I’ve seen cleaner mud) and the floor is quite sticky but sticky floors is the norm in a lot of pubs when you head bang to bands a spill a few drops of your pint.
You get a good mix of faces in and everyone is friendly and a lot of people are well known especially the door man who I have known since I was a kid and is my mates cousin and also knows 1 of my work mates very well which just goes to show how small the world is really.
On a busy night I would suggest getting 2 drinks at a time when you go to the bar as it can take a while to actually get up to the bar, the seating is very comfortable as you can’t go wrong with sofas can you?
If I remember rightly (its been a couple of month since I was in on a Tuesday) Tuesday nights after 5 are £1.30 a pint but the down side is that it tastes really flat maybe this is down to the beer being served in the wrong type of glass (normally served in a glass suitable for bitter) as the pints don’t keep a good head so as a result goes really flat fast.
The food is really nice and filling with offers such as 2 for £8 when the meals on their own normally cost between £6 and £7 is a really good offer and is certainly worth a try.

good bar, great music, when there isn’t a band playing there is still the great prices on drinks always has a great atmosphere and friendly bar staff, no complaints from me, i will definitely be coming back

The nights, the long sweaty nights, the long hot sweaty nights of debauchery fueled by rum and rock that I have lost in this bar. Can I count the days? Apparently not. I swear to God I am normally a sweet chaste girl with dreams of running a small holding, sharing kisses with my true love in front of an open fire and sighing with quiet contentment as I dream of an afterlife filled with the rewards I’ve earned with my good and decent behaviour.
And then I go to Carpe.
Yes the toilets hum with the scent of 1000 unwashed ladybits, yes the wine is terrible, the food is just that tad too ‘chewy’ and everything you sit on or touch has a weird biological stickiness to it but it’s the only decent rock bar left in Leeds… sure there are rock nights but living the God of Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawk lifestyle on a daily basis is only really going to happen here. Just push the hipsters aside and get down, you sweaty little lust monkey.
Seize the day. Pour filthy cheap rum down its throat. Suck it until it’s raw then take it home and forget its name in the morning. You know you want to.

Preaching to the choir.
I’m instantly aware as i descend the stone steps into Carpe Diem, that this is my kind of place. Wood panelled bar, dingy little sofa clad corners where you can squirrel yourself away for a pint or sit patiently for the single pool table in the corner.
However there is more to Carpe than the dream of the recluse. A fairly successful band night runs every Thursday (says he crossing his fingers he remembers that correctly). You’ll find your usual hit and miss bands but on the few occasions i’ve been i’ve found myself treated to some of Leeds best and brightest talent, bilge pump, Dexter dexterous and Biscuit Head and the Biscuit badgers (to name a few… and what a few).
And though i’ve only been the once i confess, Wednesdays pub quiz was a killer, crammed with things we all felt we really should have known.
So yes a little dark and dingy, and yes come on the odd night and you may well end up listening to thrash metal surrounded by sweaty leather clad moshers. But as an escape from the glaring sameness of the city centre bar Carpe Diem stands as a bit more character and a whole lot more fun!

As far as rock pubs go in the centre of town this one is nothing special but its fairly cheap and has bands on… which are free… hooray! If you’re more comfortable in a bit of a dingy pub than a fancy bar than this fits the bill. If you’re looking for cheap pub grub through the day I would recommend here though as its similarly priced to the other chains but much tastier and its usually fairly quiet in the daytime. In summary… it’ll do.

If you like cheap, and you like cheerful, and you liked the start of the millennium, Carpe Diem is right up (well, under) your street. If you don’t fall into those three categories, you’re out of luck.
An underground bar, Carpe Diem reminds me of somewhere I’d have gone when I’d just scraped up to legal drinking age — grungy, dark, open to live acts, very affordable.
It’s that last point that stops Carpe Diem slipping down to two stars. Sure, the beer’s very standard, there are still spiky collars on display and it obviously hasn’t been decorated since 1999, but it’s affordable.
If you want a cheap pint and don’t want to have your ears stuffed with cheese (or don’t feel tough enough to brave the Angel) and like a bit of music that falls into the all-​encompassing ‘Alternative’ bracket, get yourself down those steps to Carpe Diem.

Excellent venue for live music — probably one of the best in Leeds, with a decent selection of alcohol and 3 pool tables for good measure. Carpe Diem is the type of place that is both good for hanging out with friends during the day at a weekend and mooching down to later at night to catch the live music. Be careful though — those steps + alcohol do not mix well!

Carpe Diem, seize the day, eat drink and be merry. I agree with the reviewer who said there was a semblance of novelty in walking down the steps into the underground basement type venue that is Carpe Diem. To be honest Carpe Diem was way off my radar, and I was a little shocked to find out there was a bar type venue in this spot before I’d actually visited. As a pub it’s spacious, as a place to watch a gig it’s on the small side. So roomy or cramped depending on what time of day you venture into the place. It’s a busy little place that pulls in some good local talent, and it’s nice to see bands playing in something other than The Cockpit. It’s a little on the loud side though, take your place away from the speakers, however if you fancy a pre-​busy escapade, volumes are perfectly acceptable. Also, Carpe Diem serves food, cheap food, average prices for average tastes, and the beer prices aren’t too offensive either.

I think whenever I spy steps leading down to a bar or pub I will always hear the Cheers theme tune in my head. Carpe Diem is downstairs, but not exactly the local ‘everybody knows your name’ type. I have been to Carpe Diem several times, mainly to attend gigs my friends have been involved in, or indeed put on. You may not be into the music being played by local bands and musicians, but one thing has to be said, they do managed to pull in the punters. It is rarely quiet. There are several sections to this pub, allowing you to semi-​escape the bellowing man, howling along to ammateur guitar riffs. As a music venue, it is small, but you can guarentee you wont be performing to nobody, seeing that it seems to attact poeple from all walks due to its central location. As a pub, it is a little too loud for my own taste, which on the plus side proves its popularity, and the food, though standard is not something I would go for specially.

The underground cellar structure of this pub makes it quite a novelty. Loads of room for a drawn out comfortable game of pool, there are expansive wooden floors but less seating — when it gets busy on an events night it’s clear that the seating wasn’t designed for accommodating stage shows.
An average selection of pretty bog standard alcoholic beverages is available along with pretty cheap meal deals. If you are a little low on cash flow but feel the need to socialize this may be a good place to while away a few hours.

A loud, cavernous basement of a pub, Carpe Diem seems to attract a crowd every night of the week with its free entry gigs and drinks offers. They do a decent selection of cheap but passable pub grub too, and there are worse places in Leeds to find yourself than ensconced in one of their big leather booths with a burger and a pint of a Saturday afternoon. Come the evening, and the volume goes up several notches, with local bands of varying notoriety and talent taking to the stage to give their vocal chords a good airing. If you’re over twenty you might feel like the clientele expect you to pull out your zimmer frame any second, but if you can get past this it’s a good, cheap venue for a decent night out.