Come for the pints, stay for some of the best pub food in and around Leeds.
A great gastropub gives you the best of both worlds – the laidback atmosphere and well-kept beer of a proper pub, backed up by cooking worth making a special trip for. From ambitious seasonal menus and magnificant Sunday roasts to pies, steaks and superior bar snacks, these Leeds gastropubs deliver on both fronts.
The Highland Laddie
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The Highland Laddie might look like an unassuming old-school boozer, but its food has earned national attention. Rescued and reopened by the team behind Empire Cafe, it was named Britain’s number-one pub in The Good Food Guide’s 100 Best Pubs 2025 – a title it lives up to without losing the warmth and character of a neighbourhood local.
The menu gives familiar pub classics a more imaginative edge, with seasonal plates lining up next to excellent bar snacks. Whether it’s oysters displayed on ice on the bar, homemade sausage rolls or devilled eggs, a quick pint can easily turn into something more substantial. They’ve got the tools to back it up too – in the kitchen you’ll find a custom eight-foot open-fire grill built into a historic Victorian fireplace. Serious stuff.
Address: The Highland Laddie, 38 Cavendish Street, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS3 1LY.
Find out: highlandladdie.com
The Victoria & Commercial
Credit: Kirkstall Brewery
One of Leeds’ most historic pubs is back, and with Kirkstall Brewery and the Whitelock’s team behind the wheel, it’s delivering on all fronts. Step inside and you’ll find stained glass, dark mahogany and shining brass fittings, while behind the bar there are eight handpulls and 14 keg lines to please even the most discerning of beer drinkers.
Former Whitelock’s chef Nick Robertson leads the kitchen, where inventive dishes sit alongside British pub classics, substantial sarnies and traditional Sunday roasts. Whether you stop for a bar snack (the sage & onion scotch egg is a delight) or take a table in the Albert’s Room for the full works, this is Leeds pub dining at its very best.
Address: The Victoria & Commercial, 28 Great George Street, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 3DL.
Find out more: thevictorialeeds.co.uk
Midnight Bell
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Leeds Brewery’s oldest flagship pub The Midnight Bell is the definition of classic gastropub. The perfect fusion of contemporary and traditional, expect oak beams and ancient brickwork alongside high wide windows.
We all know the beer selection is bound to be top notch, but how about the food? Hearty steak & ale pie, wild mushroom risotto, Swaledale sausages and creamy mash are all worthy contenders, but it’s the burgers that are the real star of the show. The Yorkshire Dales burger is topped with cheese, relish, lettuce, tomato and is served with a side of hand-cut chips – phwoar.
Address: The Midnight Bell, 101 Water Lane, Holbeck, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS11 5QN.
Find out more: midnightbell.co.uk
Lamb and Flag
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Located in a renovated 19th-century building, Lamb and Flag has bags of gastropub charm. Dark wood tones, exposed brickwork and an inviting beer garden all add up to a wonderful spot to enjoy a pint and a bite.
Speaking of food, to complement the full range of Leeds Brewery beers and draught lagers is a delectable menu of locally sourced grub. Classic dishes include battered haddock, chicken stuffed with brie and wrapped in bacon, and a comforting spiced vegetable pie. If you’re popping in for a quick lunch, you can choose from a selection of sandwiches and flatbreads, while Sunday visitors will be spoiled with a comforting roast.
Address: Lamb and Flag, 1 Church Row, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS2 7HD.
Find out more: lambandflagleeds.co.uk
The Brunswick
In the city centre and looking for good chow with a pint? The Brunswick may just be the ticket. The brightly coloured exterior invites you in but the menu of home-cooked food and wide range of beers is what keeps you here.
This well-loved Leeds gastropub is spread over two floors, so there’s oodles of room to pile on in and get cosy. The Brunswick burger packs in beef, cheese, jalapeño relish and confit garlic aioli, while the crispy chilli & honey chicken burger is a flavour sensation of fried chicken, crispy honey chilli oil and homemade slaw. Stop by on a Sunday for their iconic roast – there’s a choice of mains with creamy mash and ooey-gooey cheesy leeks on the side.
Address: The Brunswick, 82 North Street, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS2 7PN.
Find out more: thebrunswick.co.uk
The Beck & Call
Credit: Mark Newton
Nestled in the suburb of Meanwood, The Beck & Call is one of the coolest gastropubs in Leeds. Each of its rooms – there are many of them – has its own personality, from the terrarium-like dining room to the cosy tap room.
Craft beer, wine and cocktails – it’s all here. But the swanky decor begs you to stay for a sit-down meal. Take your pick of a range of seasonal delights spanning all manner of traditional British fare. The beetroot & goat’s cheese salad is a light bite you’ll want more of, while the Beck & Call burger and the chicken, bacon & leek pie call for a pint on the side. Whatever you do, don’t forget about that mean Sunday roast too.
Address: Beck & Call, Stainbeck Road, Chapel Allerton, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS7 2NP.
Find out more: thebeckandcall.co.uk
The Shibden Mill Inn
In the lovely Shibden Valley, you’ll find 17th-century stalwart The Shibden Mill Inn. With roaring fires inside and the pretty Red Beck stream outside, it’s quite the setting – and the food and drink offering only takes it to the next level.
You can tuck into dishes like king prawn & nduja stuffed pasta, guinea fowl with butternut squash and quince black pudding, and crispy battered haddock with handcut chips. Things get better with their steak offering – 10oz salt-aged sirloin, plated with truffle parmesan broccoli, charred shallots, chips and of course, peppercorn sauce. Wash it down with a local ale or a glass from their curated wine list.
Address: The Shibden Mill Inn, Shibden Mill Fold, Shibden, Halifax, West Yorkshire, HX3 7UL.
Find out more: shibdenmillinn.com
The Penny Bun
With a strong focus on sustainable and responsibly sourced food, the kitchen at The Penny Bun is a celebration of Yorkshire flavours. Nestled between Ilkley and Denton Moor, it’s a contemporary pub with rooms available – just in case you need to retire for a lie down after your feast.
Settle down in the chic restaurant interiors and order draught beers, wines or classic cocktails as you peruse the refined menu. Choose from dishes such as gnocchi with roasted garden beetroots and Harrogate blue cheese, or slow-braised Estate pie, crafted from Tamworth pork, red deer, texel lamb and white park beef. The dessert menu will refresh your palate after all that indulgence, with the likes of lemon curd parfait and ice cream. If you can, stop by on a Sunday for a roast you won’t forget.
Address: The Penny Bun, West Lane, Askwith, Otley, West Yorkshire, LS21 2JQ.
Find out more: pennybunilkley.co.uk
The Timble Inn
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Nestled in the Washburn Valley less than an hour north of Leeds city centre, The Timble Inn is a gastropub worth travelling for. Low wooden beams, roaring fires and beautifully restored interiors give it all the cosy character you’d hope for from a Yorkshire village pub, while the double-Rosette restaurant more than delivers on the food front.
The menu celebrates seasonal produce with elevated takes on comforting classics. Kick things off with pan-fried Shetland scallops and belly pork, before moving onto a generous trio of lamb. Desserts are just as indulgent, with the treacle sponge and crème anglaise a standout favourite. If you decide to sample the wine list – created in partnership with local suppliers Bon Coeur Fine Wines, House of Townend and Bibendum – you can always book a room for the night.
Address: North Lane, Timble, Otley, West Yorkshire, LS21 2NN.
Find out more: thetimbleinn.co.uk
The Punch Bowl Inn
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Dating back to the 17th century, The Punch Bowl Inn is an award-winning gastropub full of old-country character. Exposed beams, roaring fires and six different rooms for you to take a pew in – it’s a heck of a lovely setting for a bite to eat.
Their menu ticks a lot of boxes too. Homemade steak & ale pie, beer battered haddock with triple cooked chips and roasted butternut squash ravioli – the list of mighty mains goes on. And like any good pub, the steaks come cooked just how you like with confit tomato, a flat cap mushroom, and your choice of sides and sauce, including peppercorn, mushroom or blue cheese. It’s pub food taken to a whole new level in the stunning North Yorkshire countryside.
Address: The Punch Bowl Inn, Marton Cum Grafton, North Yorkshire, YO51 9QY.
Find out more: thepunchbowlmartoncumgrafton.com
The Angel at Hetton
The Angel at Hetton may be the country’s original gastropub, dating back to the 15th century, blessed with hundreds of years of dining and drinking history. Earning a Michelin star and four AA Rosettes, food is at the forefront of everything The Angel does. In fact, the restaurant ranked fourth in the Top 50 Gastropubs in 2022.
Tucked away in the small hamlet of Hetton near Skipton, you can taste the best of the Yorkshire Dales throughout all four seasons. There’s exquisite lunch and dinner tasting menus, along with a phenomenal Sunday lunch offering that takes you from chalk stream trout through roasted 50-day aged côte de boeuf before finishing on a Mayan red chocolate and glazed cherry dessert. Sure enough, the Dales isn’t the only beautiful thing you’ll find here.
Address: The Angel at Hetton, Back Lane, Hetton, Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 6LT.
Find out more: angelhetton.co.uk
