Leeds City Centre’s oldest pub Whitelocks, serving beer since 1715, is the epitome of traditional British pubs. With a warm and cosy interior, featuring ornate tiling, solid wood furnishings and a wide range of locally brewed beers, as well as some good pub favourites like roast dinners, fish & chips and homemade pies. It’s even been featured in CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide 41 out of the 47 years it’s been published. Their sister bar, the Turks Head, is right next door with fourteen draught beer taps and a beer garden between the two pubs.

From the same team you can find White Cloth Hall, an all-day food and drink hall with four independent kitchens and a variety of drinks, Brewery Wharf Tavern, a modern pub serving sourdough pizzas and close to the Royal Armouries Museum, and Meanwood Tavern, a family friendly pub perfect for a well-deserved pint after walking the Meanwood Valley Trail.

The teams behind Whitelocks and Kirkstall Brewery have worked together to bring back iconic Leeds landmark The Victoria & Commercial. Enjoy spectacular Victorian interiors, eight handpulls and fourteen keg lines, plus British pub classics alongside inventive dishes from Head Chef Nick Robertson.

Voted Britain’s Best Pub by The Good Food Guide, The Highland Laddie is a cosy spot from the team behind Empire Café. With the aim to bring it back to a traditional boozer with exceptional food, it’s fast become one of Leeds’ top spots… walk-ins are welcome but booking ahead guarantees a seat at the best table.

The Lamb & Flag hosts one of Leeds’ best beer gardens, sitting under the majestic Leeds Minster. Find the whole range of Leeds Brewery beers behind the bar complemented with a range of draught lagers, wines and more, as well as a menu of locally sourced and freshly cooked pub favourites.

From the same team, head to other traditional pubs like Midnight Bell or the modern The Brewery Tap, located close to the Leeds Train Station.

A beautiful historic pub, The Duck and Drake sits under the old railway. A traditional Victorian Facade with marble doorways, it also hosts live music several nights a week and serves traditional pie and peas. It was also featured in the Netflix series ‘The Bank of Dave’.

A vibrant and traditional pub, The Adelphi is a testimonial to the opulence of late Victorian architecture, with an authentic, homely atmosphere for all occasions. It’s also perfect for events like intimate birthday dinners and even weddings.

The Tetley, once the headquarters of Joshua Tetley & Son and once the largest producer of cask beer in the world, is one of Leeds’ most iconic buildings and now a vibrant hub run by the Kirkstall Brewery. At the bar find not only Kirkstall Brewery beers, but Northern Monk, Leeds Brewery, Tetley’s Bitter, alongside imported beers from around the world. They also hosts events like the Great Exhibition of Prize Ales and Swaptoberfest, the UK’s first sober Oktoberfest.

Water Lane Boathouse is a prime location for a beer and waterside view, even being named among the best beer gardens in England. It has a huge variety of drinks from local brews, to low and no alcohol options, serving up a seasonally changing menu and is also dog-friendly!

From the Northern Monk team, Northern Market is close to some of the city’s best music venues like the first direct bank arena and Leeds O2 Academy, perfect for a pint before seeing your favourite acts. With ten tap lines of the freshest Northern Monk beers, as well as frozen cocktails and several food vendors, you can either sit and enjoy a chat with friends, or catch a movie at their mini cinema.

After meeting at the Leeds International Beer Festival, the duo behind Northern Monk set out to make beer that was traditionally British but fresh. They now have venues across the UK including York and Edinburgh, and at home in Leeds they have the Refectory & Chapter Hall (their original brewery) which has one of Leeds’ best beer gardens and hosts festivals and weddings, and the Northern Market in the heart of the city with 10 tap lines, a variety of food vendors and even a cinema.

Kirkstall Brewery continues the legacy of the Cistercian monks of Kirkstall Abbey and the Kirkstall Brewing Company with truly great locally brewed beers, as well as being the caretakers of some of Leeds’ traditional pubs like The Cardigan Arms, the iconic Tetley building and, more recently, The Victoria & Commercial and The City Taproom. From extra bitters, to light & pale ales, award-winning series’ and exclusive collabs with breweries from around the world, Kirkstall is for the beer-lover who likes variety.

Opening in 2007, independent Leeds Brewery are passionate about every cask ale they make, making everything by hand with the best ingredients. Find their brews on tap at most pubs in Leeds including The Brewery Tap, Lamb & Flag and Midnight Bell.

Amity Brew Co is an independent craft brewery in Bradford, with their thriving taproom and kitchen in Leeds’ Sunny Bank Mills. Inspired by the US model, their limited batches make them perfect for return visits.

Horsforth Brewery started in 2017, with a dream and a garage… now an independent brewer producing award-winning beers for venues across Yorkshire and a taproom with ten keg lines, three cask ales, and hosting events from music, beer festivals, comedy nights and even cinema screenings. If you’re heading out on a day trip to Ilkley, visit their newest venture Fuggle & Golding.

Female-owned Tartarus Beers is a microbrewery with a mythical edge. All beers are named and designed after mythical and folklore stories making them the perfect gift for history & fantasy fans. They’ve also collaborated with Women Friendly Leeds on the ‘Gaia’ brew to support the city’s Women’s Night Safe Space.

Microbrewery Wilde Child Brewing is multi-award winning and based here in Leeds. Offering a variety of dark and light beers, and a selection of vegan beers too.

In the heart of Leeds’ Climate Innovation District, Piglove Brewery make bold and fragrant beers with unusual and exotic ingredients. Just a short walk along the River Aire from the city centre, their taproom ‘Piglove by the River’ has a fantastic beer garden, a heated indoor area for colder days, and regular events from pub quizzes to tap takeovers.

Based in Armley, Anthology Brewing provide small batches of flavour-forward beer, winning awards at festivals like the Great Exhibition of Prize Ales. Find them at most pubs across Leeds, beer festivals and tap takeovers.

The Leeds International Beer Festival brings together breweries from the UK and overseas into the beautiful historic site of Kirkstall Abbey, along with local street food vendors and live music over four days every September.

The Great Exhibition of Prize Ales celebrates Leeds’ history of brewing with beer vendors, food, live music and prizes to be won, all at the iconic Tetley Brewery.

As the UK’s first hop-led beer festival, Hop City hosts over 50 producers from across the world for beer, wine, cocktails and more. Plus 2027 the festival will be celebrating 10 years with a bumper mega edition!

Curious about how some of Leeds’ most popular beers are made? Take a behind-the-scenes tour of Northern Monk’s original brewery at the Old Flax Store, where you’ll discover the brewing process, learn about the brewery’s journey from local start-up to national success, and enjoy a few tasters along the way.