Leeds the way

In partnership with Visit Leeds.

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Ferment team

Saturday 25 July 2026

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This article is from

Yorkshire

issue 133

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With stunning architecture, a thriving independent food and drink scene, easy access to the countryside and great transport links, Leeds is a prime city-break destination. For beer lovers though, it has an extra layer of appeal, with a deep-rooted beer and brewing scene comprising some of the country’s most beloved breweries and bars.

To really get under the skin of the city’s legendary beer scene, a pint at Whitelock's isn't a bad place to start. Pouring since 1715, in a narrow yard off Briggate, Whitelock’s is an archetype of polished copper, etched mirrors and button-back banquettes, with a vibrant, diverse and friendly crowd. That unforced welcome is the thread running through a city that genuinely deserves a full weekend to appreciate.

An afternoon on foot

Leeds is compact enough that its entire drinking history is essentially strollable. From Whitelock's, wander between the city’s great Victorian survivors: the tiled splendour of the Adelphi, the Duck & Drake, the Lamb & Flag. Keep going a few streets, and you’ll jump a century, meeting Kirkstall Brewery and Northern Monk, where you can tour the brewery or sample a few brews on cask and keg across town, the rooftop terrace and taproom at Headrow House, and City Taproom for anyone wanting to work through the region's brewing output in one sitting (good luck).

PHOTO © Mark Newton

The focused beer tourist will, of course, lean on a little local knowledge rather than simply meandering. Fortunately Leeds has a thriving ecosystem of brilliant beer guides and food experts, including Leeds Heritage Beer Tours by award-winning tour guide Mike Hampshire, It's the Beer Talking tours from journalist Simon Jenkins and Leeds Food Tours which offer guided or self-guided tasting tours around the city.

Fill yer boots

You'll eat well here, and you won't always need a reservation to do so. Kirkgate Market – one of the largest covered markets in Europe – hides a bevy of superb street food stalls beneath its Victorian ironwork, and the city's modern openings carry real ambition: Bundobust's Gujarati small plates and craft beer pairing has made it an institution, while the likes of Domo, Shears Yard and Ox Club make the case for sticking around for dinner. In between, the arcades and side streets actively reward flaneur-ish wandering; independent shops, street art, and cafés and bars like Wapentake and Northern Guitars double as the city's living room. If you've any evening left, the Brudenell Social Club is one of the country's most loved music venues; a working men's club turned site of indie pilgrimage.

The morning after

Trust us: you’ll want to turn that day trip into a second night. Leeds sits on the doorstep of some of England's finest landscape, and you can reach it by local train. Half an hour out, Ilkley Moor rises straight from the edge of town, with the gritstone ridge of Otley Chevin nearby for views back across the valley. Ilkley itself is the perfect spot for post-walk refuelling, from a Friends of Ham outpost to the obligatory Fat Rascal at Betty’s Tearoom. Buses run onward into the Yorkshire Dales proper, to the ruins of Bolton Abbey and riverside villages where the pubs have flagstone floors and fires lit by October. The North York Moors sit within reach in the other direction. Few cities in Britain offer such a vibrant choice of bars, restaurants and city experiences, where you can enjoy a rooftop drink one evening and stand on open heather before lunch the next day.

PHOTO: Ilkley Moor © Visit Bradford

Pick your moment

Any weekend works, but September 2026 brings a compelling reason to pull the trigger. The International Festival of Beers takes over the grounds of Kirkstall Abbey, pouring beers from around the world against the backdrop of a 12th-century Cistercian ruin. And each year in May, Northern Monk host 'Hop City' and Kirkstall Brewery present 'The Great Exhibition of Prize Ales'. Getting there is a doddle, since the city sits at the centre of the country's rail map: just over two hours from London or Newcastle, an hour from Manchester, a shade over three from Edinburgh.

Leeds is the city that keeps on giving – you're guaranteed to discover something new every time you visit. All the ingredients are here: the pubs, the breweries, the food, the moors and that's not to mention the international sports, live music, theatres and galleries. Book that city-break staycation and make a weekend of it.

Plan your visit at visitleeds.co.uk, or follow @VisitLeeds on Instagram and TikTok

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