North Bar

As late night bar recommendations go, I’d go anywhere, if I’ve a 2.20am train. Anywhere that serves alcohol. So I wasn’t expecting such a treat. This is no dive at all. Modern, contemporary and a gazillion ales on.
I’ve learn’t my lesson, from the likes of Kosmonaut in Manchester, to ask the prices of these highly prized specimens! Eventually we find my section of the pumps, and given it was a fair few beers in, I can’t remember what it was but it’s fair to say it would have been £3.40/£3.60 and very tasty. Not for the first time today I’ve realised that exclusively priced ale isn’t just for the likes of Manchester’s Northern Quarter.
Nice touch was the John Carpenter movie posters up on the wall — I believe there was a film festival on earlier in the month nearby!
I milled around with those that I arrived from Brudenell with, and generally it was a lively and friendly late night drinking crowd. I think they called time at 1.30, but wern’t too pushy about getting you out the door.
About 10 — 15 minutes walk from here to the train platform with the aide of Google Maps. Worth going back next time I’m in Leeds I think :)

What a gem of a place…
While hunting for a sushi place in Leeds I walked past this place… something drew me here… I think it was the slightly dark and dingy atmosphere looking in… I kept it in mind. but I thought I would get some more shopping done first…
After a trip round town, I punched in ”pubs” into my trusty Unilocal app. which led me back here… Seeing Jonny’s highly rated review further encouraged me as I know how he loves his craft beer. as do I .
The bar blew me away… so many enticing new beers/​ales that I hadn’t tried. unable to contain my excitement I sat in the corner to gather my wits. The décor was by no means. sharp or sophiticated, but student denish? with solid wooden chairs and extra sinky sofas… excellent…I also noted the numerous photo booth pictures lined on the walls…(you can use their photo booth which comes with accessories!)
Once I gathered my wits… I went to the bar… and tried to take it in for the second time… a very dashing lady asked what I would like… in which I suggested something IPAish… She kindly talked about the history about this place, while pouring me several samples… I chose one eventually and returned to my seat…
i cannot express enough what a great chill out place this is, filled with cool people. The staff all went that extra mile and were genuinely loving their job. The selection of booze is incredible. and reasonably priced too… please come to Manchester North Bar! so I can taken drunken shots in the photobooth: p

I started going to North Bar shortly after they opened 10 years ago. Great beer selection even from this American craft beer snob. The staff has always been great. I miss Matt. Even with him not there I always love the vibe in this bar.
They even let me do a Michigan beer tasting in the bar once.
No trip over is complete without a few stops here. Especially since the #36 bus stop is directly across the street. Nothing like that unnecesasary tasty rum flight to end the night.

North Bar is an institution.
Open for business for more than ten years. They started with a solid philosophy and have steadily refined their ethos ever since.
They are renowned for Beer; gallons of it. Some 15 lines of beer are available with many of them on frequent rotation. Unless you are one of the regulars there is guaranteed to be something new to try each visit. If none of these take your fancy there’s a staggering array of bottles and cans to choose from. This is easily the widest selection on offer anywhere nearby and if words like Gose or Saison make your ears prick up then pay attention.
If beer isn’t your thing, a wide selection of spirits are available. The cocktail menu is understated yet highly sophisticated. They will make you the best Bloody Mary in the country. The wine list is limited yet expertly put together. Proper coffee, teas and soft drinks are all possibilities. If you like your Tequila then you have to try it here, they serve it alongside Verdita rather than your typical salt and lemon; delicious! If you are at a loss as to what to drink, the staff are all highly informed and will be willing to assist.
There are always a couple of very reasonably priced beers – the two pumps at the left-​side of the bar in particular. The quality of both the fare as well as the service is reflected in the prices although they are comparable to similar bars in the city.
When I first went in North Bar they were serving microwaved chilli from a tin, presumably a new foray into grub. Thankfully no more. Locally produced pies are served up with peas (Friday is Pie-​day). Cheese and meat boards are lovingly prepared. Cakes are placed temptingly on the end of the bar and there are the usual bar snacks should you just want a nibble.
If you want a laid back afternoon or a mid-​week catch up with a friend then the music is perfect for this. Everything on the playlist is well curated. A good mix from Ambient to Funk, Hip-​Hop, Jazz and others – definitely laid back! In the week you can enjoy a conversation without having to raise your voice. When the weekend rolls around they pull out the turntables and have local DJs stirring the night.
You will find people from all walks of life; such is the balanced ambience. There are a raft of die-​hard regulars and it attracts the crowds from the nearby Opera North on a regular basis. Their mascot is a drunken Belgian – sneaking a cheeky drink. This sums up the atmosphere perfectly. Welcoming and unpretentious. It is obvious they have put a lot of thought and care into their services.
Table service is available, there is a lovely sofa to sink into at the back of the bar should you wish to escape from it all. North Bar is bike-​friendly, dog-​friendly and generally accommodating. They have a traditional photo-​booth (albeit gutted and digitised). The walls are given over to artists and all works are on sale. You can save yourself the cost of a paper by coming in, having a cheeky third and browsing the news while you sup!
To summarise: Extensive beers, great cocktails and food. Chilled atmosphere and super friendly staff. No other bar attracts as diverse a crowd as North.

A very modern bar. And while when I say modern I usually mean that as an insult, I was overjoyed to have found this place. They have four ales and a fair few craft options beyond that. Lots of interesting stuff so making a choice was hard. Luckily First Chop FCB was a very nice golden beer and so well re-​payed my faith in selecting it.
Very popular place attracting a really mixed crowd.

I came here on a day trip to Leeds. I had been doing the sight seeing thing and wanted a good beer. When I learned that they had a good selection of Belgian beers I decided to try it out. It is a moderately sized, clean and casual bar. Tables and of course seats at the bar. The staff were helpful and friendly. I had intended to just stay for a couple pints but enjoyed my beer and one of their grilled toasties (made with artisan bread) and the my time that I stayed a bit longer than I expected. I would definitely recommend this place for those who like good beers (they have an extensive bottle selection of beer from several countries) and friendly staff.

Manchester isn’t exactly some sleepy backwater when it comes to fine craft beer, but I would like to trade a few of our latest «paint by numbers» NQ bars for North Bar coming to town.
The truth is that I’ve been and done this random Leeds beer trip a few times now but this was the first time I’ve made it up to North, mainly due to it being summer in the past when we could sit outside in other bars and strong beer making the time go super super quick when on an all day beer tour!
First off North is smaller than I was imagining, more long than broad but they do a great job with the space. Every chair was taken up with a total mix of people of all ages and from all walks of life. I always remember Hunter S Thompson and his famous quote: «Good people, drink good beer» — you can just guarantee that this place is going to have a good vibe simply by the amount of good beer they had on sale!
We were in the middle of their Belgian beer fest so most of their 15’ish taps were taken over by Flemish-​Franco specials and I sometimes need to be in the right mood to enjoy this type of beer. One pint of Schneider Weiss style beer down and then it was on to try something completely different — the amazing Magic Rock collaboration with Norwegian brewery Lervig. This was pure beer happiness in a glass — my friend and myself enjoying every sip of the unfortunately quick finishing bottle!
I have to say that the staff were so friendly, so knowledgable and really went the extra mile at all times. Letting me charge up my phone behind the bar, up for a chat about good beer and hunting around the cellar to bring up the Magic Rock just so as we could try this really new arrival — unfortunately this is service I can only dream of in some Manchester bars where the staff think they’re so cool for working in the venue so there’s no need to bother with anything extra like customer service (this is something which is creeping in and something a few of us have been talking about recently)
Overall, I can’t wait to go back to North — it was obvious we enjoyed it so much as it was the only place we stayed for 2 drinks on our whole trip.

I’d first like to say that after my first visit to North Bar I wanted to go back in time to see my 2001 self, slap me across the face and tell me to get my arse down here quick sharp. I was thoroughly disappointed that I’d never known this place even existed whilst I was at Leeds Uni for four years (showing my age now…).
Our first stop on what resulted in a mini bar crawl of Leeds’ beer haunts, on passing through their doors I immediately fell in love. Though I was informed it had recently had a refurb, so couldn’t comment on what had changed, the interior is slick, wood-​filled heaven with a 60s/​70s vibe to it.
There’s plenty of really decent beers to choose from (including some from The Kernel brewery — 9% IPA Double Citra anyone?!). They have cocktails and tequila on offer too amongst the full bar’s offerings.
Oh, and a passport photo booth. It only needs a big box of fancy dress costumes and you’re truly set for the night.
I’ve got my fingers crossed that our upcoming Unilocal Manchester Craft Beer Club’s visit to Leeds in April will have this place firmly on the list ;)

Went in here on our staff night out, and yes it is safe to say a little pricey but it is all for good cause because everything they have in there is not your norm.
You will not find a Carlsberg or Strongbow here! I couldn’t even get any peach schnapps, although they had many other things to choose from so I was safe for something to drink. A lot of foreign and imported beers and spirits and the bar staff will always be able to help you select something good to drink.
I think the best part (amused us all) was the photobooth. It’s a classic 4 picture photobooth and you get a colour print and a black and white print for 3 quid. Definitely a novelty.
I would definitely go back here whether it for a few drinks, or on a night out and would love to take my friends who aren’t from Leeds here. It is great to get away from places like Weatherspoons which is full of the typically expected and usually very drunk students!

I can’t believe I only gave this place ****. It’s an essential place for beer lovers and great to chat to the bar staff about what you are drinking.
The selection of bottled and draught beers is better than ever, and if you fancy a shot of some unusual rum or such like this is the place. Plus you get some solid opinions from the staff! I asked for a glass of Doorly’s rum after a bit of banter with the guy behind the bar. He looked at me and said ‘I can’t believe you chose that — it’s by distance not the best rum on that shelf’ and we then had a debate about rums and rum styles which led to him suggesting a 2^nd rum to taste against my selection, and that produced even more debate. Nice people in here, and very knowledgeable about the booze they sell. It’s also great to have a swift beer or whatever if you are early for your bus!
Oh — and last time I was in there they were playing music by Clinic. Very impressive!
Now probably my favourite bar in Leeds. Five stars all the way!

Ok imagine a long café but with a bar offering a great selection of foriegn and craft ales. Whenever I am in Leeds this is a must. Its probably like no other bar I have ever been in, it has a bit of a beatnick feel about it. In other times it would have has lots of strange branded cigarettes being smoked :)

Great place to hang out and a wide selection of brews to choose from, including a surprising number from breweries out here in San Francisco. In retrospect, it can end up being a bit pricey, but I was still jet lagged and thinking in dollars, so I thought I was getting a great deal …
All things aside, it’s a welcome alternative to a lot of the other places in town that are packed with drunken knuckleheads (chavs?) during the weekend, and as long as I have to come to Leeds for work every few months, this will definitely be on my list of places to stop by.

North Bar, somewhere I’ve frequented for the past 5 or so years but never come to review it up until now. So what is it. A Belgium styled ale house with a multitude of ales and spirits. Situated on New Briggate this ale house offers more than most establishments in Leeds.
As you enter via the door on the left, making sure you pull the door as you enter and push as you leave (I’ve made a fool of myself many a time), you are greeted with a long space with the bar off to the left half way down the room. Toilets are located through a door at the of the bar.
The seating is a mix of old tables and chairs with a series of repainted (for the 10^th time) benches along the right hand side of the room. The furniture could do with a little refresh and a tweak to liven up the feel. This could be said for the overall interior décor. Chipped paint, worn flooring and a ceiling covered in old hangings, fixings and blue tac show this place has seen better days.
What they do lack in décor they do make up in art. Adorning the 2 walls closest to the entrance are pieces of work from a local artist, the current one being Kelly Boyle. Kelly uses bright colours and vivid images to create a spectacular piece of work. Her best pieces are those she does with just biro pens (amazing to see). Norths dedication to supporting local artists is something I doth my cap to, everyone needs a little help now and again, and this place in all its business is a brilliant art space to hang those pieces of work.
Enough of the Laurence Llewelyn-​Bowen impression and onto the beer. So let me tell you about beer (or maybe not Mellisa Cole — one for the beer geeks). Nestled inside the well chilled combes (known as fridges to everyone else) lay a series of interesting and highly tempting beers from around the globe. Starting close to home we are whisked from Cumbria/​London via Denmark/​Germany/​Belgium to the grand U. S of A.
Complimenting this array of beauties are a delectable and highly drinkable range of kegged beers. Strengths vary and sizes to match but all beers are available in thirds, halves and full pints (ABV dependent). As I write I am sipping on an amazing 10% Imperial Dunkel from Nogne O.
The cask side is limited to 4 lines with one taken up by their own produced ale.
Food is available in the form of Platters and hot drinks are on offer for those that want a quick caffeine fix.
There’s something that gets me every time I come in here, just a little something but it’s something that counts. On the top right behind the bar are two rows of beer mugs all hung on a separate peg. Each peg has a different name above. Their regulars are well looked after here. It’s always the little things.
So while there are an amazing number of advantages to this establishment I do have to say this is not the cheapest either. I personally don’t mind paying for quality beer but when compared to other places selling exactly the same product you can see what I mean. A good example is this.
De Molen Hel & Verdomenis: Friends of Ham £7.50
(Imperial Stout 10%) North Bar £12.50
That’s an entire £5 dearer than somewhere just as ‘trendy’. How can this be justified?
To sum up, North Bar is an amazing bar with some amazing beers and an amazing platoon of clued up staff but be warned, make sure you re-​mortgage your house beforehand.

This place is great. Fantastic range of beers and great tunes! (although a little loud)
Was a little emotional by the time we got here last night and the darkness hid the blubbing! Sorry row and matt!

Best place of booze in Leeds bar none… well if by booze you mean beer (and some decent spirits). This is probably the only place I can think of where the idea of sitting at the bar Barney from the Simpsons style seems like the best way to spend an entire day… a good mix of clientele ranging from regulars checking out the lastest bottles/​cask to more discerning shoppers and theatre goers catching a quick drink keep the place ticking over. It just feels like the kind of place things happen and everyone is having a good time, this friendly attitude rubs off on you after only a few minutes in there… everything about the set up it perfectly pitched to make this happen. Great staff too, always know what they’re talking about and making friendly chat while you wait for your beers to settle, chuck in the odd bit of table service when it isn’t too busy and the next thing you know you’re half p*ssed.
The only word of warning — with it’s bare wooden floor and walls the noise can bounce around a lot (makes it easier to clean up the beer spills I guess) so it’s a loud place, something to remember if you’re going on a date or taking some elderly family!

I visit North Bar quite frequently, as it is pretty much everything a like in a bar. They have an excellent variety of beers, I have never been anywhere with more choice, and the staff are generally exceptionally knowledgeable about their beers, and always happy to recommend any beers, and offer tastes of their draft selection. I recently had a Baby Tiger, which was delicious beer with aromas of mango and passionfruit. It was very strong at 8% so only had a half!
Not only are North Bar good for beers, but also for their selection of spirits, particularly their large selection of whiskeys.
The atmosphere is great in North Bar, with a good clientele of people who are happy to chat to each other and with the bar staff too. There are plenty of places to sit, and it’s good for groups of friends. It’s nice and relaxed during the day for an afternoon drink, or some coffee and cake, as well as being great in the evening, and can be quite cosy on a cold night when the windows are all steamed up.
The is a great vibe throughout Upper Briggate, with North Bar, Wax Bar and Sela Bar all being favourite bars of mine.

A fantastic little bar tucked away on a busy Leeds street, North Bar has found itself a niche in catering not only to lovers of unique and interesting beers and ales, but also fans of bars where the music is less mainstream and the pace a little slower.
North Bar could easily be pinned down as a ‘hipster bar’ but it’s not — the guys and girls who go there enjoy the quiet atmosphere (during the day at least!) and the dazzling array of fine ales and beers on show. Unless you’re a fervent non-​beer drinker and dislike the kind of ‘sit down, have a chat’ bars, there’s something in North Bar for everyone who walks through the door.

I’ve read a lot about North Bar so I took the chance to call in for a coffee whilst at a loose end.
It wasn’t particularly busy and service was swift. My large latte was reasonably priced but a bit on the bitter side although drinkable (coffee can be like that and it can sometimes be as arbitary as who operates the machine).
It might have been the time of my visit which was between workers going home and the leisure crowd arriving but it didn’t feel like there was any atmosphere just an anoying level of background noise.

OK, so it may be a bit bizarre to update over a non-​alcoholic drink, but North Bar wins again. With Bottomless Coffee. Oh yes, that’s the good stuff right there. It mightn’t be a specialist brew, but for two pounds you can refill to your hearts content, pop out and back in again and still get more coffee, all the while enjoying the usage of their free wifi. There’s even a table next to some power points in which you can plug your laptop in. Amazing.
Whilst the likes of Brooklyn lager will cost you practically a fiver, which is a little more than I like to pay, they still offer a fantastic selection of drinks and the space itself is both large and inviting. The art on the walls is regularly renewed, offering the best in local artistry, and the staff are always full of cheer and chat. I can only hope that the newly opened Meanwood sister bar offers such delights as these! Want to escape the noise of the city? Check in for a coffee. You’ll be warmly welcomed.
In all, there’s not much more can be said that hasn’t already been penned, but if you’re into your beers, music and banter you must give this place a visit.

It’s really no surprise that North Bar was voted by the Observer Food Monthly as the ‘Best place to drink in the UK’. They’re not wrong.
North Bar covers every single base. If you like your beer, well they’ve had over a 1000 on tap since opening twelve years ago. Not forgetting the 100 000 various bottled beers. Got beer then, have they? Check.
Don’t like beer? Well how about one of cider, rum, whisky, bourbon, brandy, wine. They’ve got them all. And not only have they got them all, they’ve got the best of them all.
Teetotal? Well, then, how about a coffee in the one of the funkiest interiors the Leeds bar scene has to offer? There’s new art installed seeminly every month, with exhibitions from different local talent.
Music? If it’s good, it gets played.
NOT BEEN HERE? GO. NOW.