Once the nights turn dark, there's not much better than tucking away in the corner of a cosy pub with a good pint and a bowl of chips.
Thankfully, Leeds is blessed with many. Roaring fires add extra comfort, as do old-fashioned characteristics like low-slung wooden beams and wood panelling, whilst big windows serve to let in a bit of light on the darker days.
It's fair to say we're pretty spoilt for choice when it comes to cosy pubs in Leeds. To help you pick where to go, we've put together some of our favourites below.
Keep reading to discover more.
Whitelock's Ale House
Turk's Head Yard, Leeds LS1 6HB
Image: Whitelock's Ale House
One of the oldest pubs in Leeds, Whitelock's is easy to miss - tucked away down a side alley off the main high street. A former marketman's pub, inside you'll find historic features like an old wooden bar and stained glass windows as well as good selection of beers, ales and traditional British dishes.
This laid back spot in Leeds offers classic modern European dishes, alongside regular live music and cinema nights. Food-wise, think lemon and thyme chicken wings, braised beef cheek and hearty stews. As for the drinks, there's a solid wine and cocktail menu as well as a good selection of beers on draught.
The Lamb and Flag
1 Church Row, Leeds City Centre, LS2 7HD
Image: The Lamb and Flag
Housed in a renovated 19th-century building, The Lamb and Flag boast a locally-sourced menu and a strong selection of local ales. A stone's throw from Leeds Minster, there are two bars - one upstairs and one down. Between them, you'll find ten different hand pulls pouring some of the best beer in Leeds.
With cosy alcoves and roaring open fire, The Cross Keys is an excellent place to while away a few dark winter hours. It also has an interesting connection to Leeds' history as the place that engineer Matthew Murray developed the first locomotive. One of the city's last true freehouses, it is at the heart of its community and a popular choice for locals.
This Georgian-style pub in Chapel Allerton is the epitome of country-chic, with blazing open-fires interiors, a large garden, an excellent Sunday roast menu, and more. Its award-winning food menu is not to be missed, covering everything from hearty sandwiches to posh mains, with a decent wine list and some lovely casks on the bar.
Out at Tadcaster, the Rockingham Arms blends modern with traditional. Built back in the 18th Century as a traditional country inn, it still retains many of its features today - giving it a charming, old-world appeal. Its menu, however, introduces some more contemporary themes - with dishes like greek-style super bowls, Morrocan vegetable tagine, and slow-roasted belly pork.
The Timble Inn
North Lane, Timble, Otley LS21 2NN
Image: The TImble Inn
Out in Otley, this charming inn has a beautiful bar, restaurant and b&b rooms upstairs for those who want to make a proper night of it. Close to the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, it makes a perfect post-walk stop off if you're looking to warm up with a nice drink and some traditional food.
Feature image - Whitelock's Ale House
Eats
Get Baked’s viral ‘Bertha’ cake has a sister on the way – and she sounds just as cheeky
She's big, she's green and she's ready to ruin your figure.
A lot of you will have seen the viral ‘Bertha’ cake by Leeds born beloved sweet treat specialists Get Baked.
They recently opened another site in Manchester's Northern Quarter, where queues literally formed round the block of hungry punters wanting to get their hands on the infamous sugary treats.
And now it's going to happen all over again, as they've recently unveiled their newest flavour which is sure to go down a storm.
We’ll give you a hint: it’s a current food and drink trend that’s about as big as Bertha herself – it’s not matcha, it’s not hot honey (duh), and it’s not Guinness…
Images: Get Baked
Yes—scratch that; HELL YES!Get Baked is set to welcome Bertha’s equally beautiful twin sister, and she’s officially a pistachio girlie.
Having started out life simply as ‘Bruce’, after taking inspiration from the iconic scene from Matilda, this thing has become a phenomenon in its own right, and who doesn’t like more flavours of a good thing?
Probably one of the biggest foodie crazes going at the minute, thanks to the popularity of pistachio cream, cookies, lattes and the similar social media sensation that is the ‘Dubai Pistachio Bar' people are rather fittingly going nuts for this particular flavour of almost absolutely anything.
With that in mind, the Leeds-born bakery and dessert shop – founded by Rich Myers over in Headingley back in 2011 – have shown no hesitation in hopping on the bandwagon and creating a new twist on their own viral menu item.
Teasing the full details in a post on their Instagram this week, they wrote: “What’s big, green, and is going to destroy your life in a couple of weeks’ time? Pistachio Bertha. Strictly limited to 5,000 slices. Coming oh so soon. GB.”
In case you were wondering just how mad those with a sweet tooth could possibly go for a slice of cake, just look at the recent queues when they finally launched in Manchester city centre:
Speaking on the grand opening here on our turf and his partner Amy’s hometown, Myers said simply: “Manchester, what a launch. Thanks for much for the warm welcome. Stay baked.”
The Swine That Dines announces the official opening date of its brand new restaurant
Clementine Hall
Much-loved Leeds Bistro The Swine Bistro, formerly known as The Swine That Dines, has moved to a bigger space in Headingley.
Although it’s gone through a few name changes over the years since launching as The Greedy Pig cafe in 2012, this independent spot has long been a firm favourite for Leeds locals for some time now.
Run by chef couple Jo and Stu Myers, they’ve been operating out of North Street where it’s all about cooking seasonal produce simply and with an added ‘little bit of sunshine’.
But now Swine Bistro has moved up over to Headingley, taking up a unit previously occupied by Jam hairdressers on Otley Road.
Image: Supplied
And the time has finally come for them to open their doors, as they announce their first service will take place on Friday 4 April with bookings open from today, Thursday 20 March.
The Myers will be welcoming head chef Kirsty Cheetham, who won Observer Food Monthly’s Best Sunday Lunch award in 2018 and 2022 when she ran The Queen o’t owd Thatch in South Milford, Leeds.
The expanded space in the restaurant has allowed the team to curate a bigger wine list which will include natural wines from Wayward Wines and Latitude Wines as well as local beers from Ilkley Brewery and Horsforth Brewery.
Image: Supplied
The team remains passionate about locally sourced ingredients and has partnered with a variety of Yorkshire suppliers including R&J Yorkshire for its fresh meat, Tarbetts fishmonger, cheese from George & Joseph cheesemongers and beans from micro roaster, Chipp Coffee Co.
Jo Myers, co-owner of the Swine Bistro said: “It’s taken a huge amount of time and effort to realise our dream to revamp what was previously a hairdresser into a fully functioning kitchen and restaurant. It’s been a wild ride but we’re excited, and slightly nervous, to finally open our doors.
“We love the vibe in Headingley and the time out has allowed us to have fun with our menu as well as take part in lots of essential taste testing of ingredients and drinks from our brilliant local suppliers. We can’t wait to welcome guests into our new restaurant!”
The Hoot -
3rd October 2023 
