What's your West Indian Centre like? I only know mine on the basis of Sub Dub - a monthly dubstep…read morenight, held there because it's big, friendly and - probably - rather cheap to rent for an evening of bass-based fun. You get me? It's not just Sub Dub which is hosted by the WIC. The likes of Riff Raff and the notorious night Cabbage have all called the West Indian Centre home before. I'm not sure what it is about the place that makes it so special, it just is. The way the bass vibrates your rib cage like it does no where else. Going here for a night out is a different experience but one you'll always remember, that I've no doubt. It's as close to an old school rave as you'll get, trust me. Of course, by day, this is a community centre. If you're after a review of that, then isn't it.

The West Indian Community Centre has got to be the coolest community centre in the land because as…read morefar as I know it is place for indoor raving at the weekends. The first few years I lived in Leeds I never knew where it was, arriving and departing in a taxi and being transported somewhere that was not in either Headingley or the city centre. One Summer someone suggested we walked to SubDub as the night remained light for longer. And then I realised it was more than a small warehouse and lay in the West Indian community of Chapel Town - hence the Dub night we religiously flocked to once a month. Back in the day it was much less than a tenner to get in and at some point in the evening there was a bit of elbow room to dance. These days it costs a lot more but still the Irration Steppas boys boom their dub beats out. Be sure to take your earplugs as last time I went I had a ringing in my ears for days. This venue has plenty of other nights - psychedelic trance, drum-n-bass, hard house - that are usually on once a month or a few times a year. I'd rather go here than any club in town on a weekend. The vibe is an alternative one and sometimes they sell curry and chips in the venue!

I have been trying to think of a way to put this without sounding too harsh, but it is just not…read morepossible. Oracle actually makes me feel sick and scrunch up my face in disbelief. It is a bar / restaurant / night club on the waterfront of the river that unfortunately, like so many other bars and clubs, is a cattle market parading around falsely as a sophisticated night out. On a busy night, it is like drowning in a pond of glow stick fluid while bright orange practically naked women pout at you like delirious tropical fish from all angles (see photo of 'sexy santas'). Meanwhile the lazily produced monotonous drones of music repeatedly flick you in the face like an annoying little brother, provoking a tiresome and frustrating headache. Oblivious to any of this, it oozes with pretense, and goes about it's not-even-tactful patriarchal ways as grinning goofy men swagger around trying to look cool and control what's hopefully hidden in their trousers. The only valid reason for going here would be for comedy value, if you can stomach it.

So, Oracle has reopened during the day and I for one was very happy about this…read more If ever anyone would ask me where to go for a burger in Leeds i would have previously not hesitated in recommending this place. The menu however has now changed! And I'm not happy. The speciality here used the be their almighty burgers and the selection was fab,it has been cut down now to a very minimal selection on the menu. :-( My friend and I went for lunch last week and I was surprised to see 2/3 tables of people in there- all eating. As it's down Brewery Wharf it's pretty tucked away so some days I have been in and no other customers have been in the place. This makes the bar space a cavernous and very cold place. The bar is nice and airy, very light with the floor to ceiling windows and features lots of 'bling' style decor touches. Anyway, back to lunch. We were greeted cheerily and seated wherever we wanted. She explained the 'burger lunch special' only featured skinny fries and not wedges or sweet potatoes as says on the usual menu. Other than that its a very good deal. We ordered and sat back to people watch. There seems to be more staff here than is necessary and no-one doing too much. The manager was doing paperwork in one of the booths and another male member of staff seemed to be doing very little except stomping around flexing his muscles. May suit the evening ambiance of this place but not at lunchtime love- I'm waiting to eat! The food came quite quickly and as we had sat opposite the kitchen hatch we saw it was all freshly prepared. We'd ordered the BBQ Ranch burger, the chicken bacon & avocado burger and some cheesy garlic bread. The garlic bread was lovely- very soft ciabatta and cheesy cheese- not overly garlicky so very nice. The burgers were well presented and the portion of fries were HUGE! My chicken burger was minced chicken- a strange consistency really and the guacamole didn't really do much for it. Overall it was OK but I left about a third of it. The ranch burger was nicer, large fresh onion rings and a sweet BBQ sauce provided with it were a great addition. The fries were nice and crisp and overall it was a pleasant lunch. A couple of things let this place down- The dodgy background music The excess of staff doing little to nothing The coldness in the place I wouldn't say I'd now rave about the burgers there but it's going to be one of them places to keep in the back of my mind if I want a filling burger lunch.

There are much better clubs than Oceana in Leeds, but, unfortunately, there are few that are…read morebigger, or busier, than this sprawling establishment on the corner of the Merrion Centre. Sprawling was the only word I could think of to describe Oceana Leeds; there must be dozens of rooms in this place, all decorated differently - dancefloors, boudoirs, ski lodges - but rather than endearing you to the club, this just annoys you as you spend half your night on the move, or trying to find friends you've lost in the labyrinth. They do have a student night where some drinks are ridiculously priced (80p), but this gets overcrowded, meaning that the mazy interior becomes even more hazardous. The real gripe most people have with this place, however, is the way it can up its prices with no notice for one random evening. For example, on Easter bank holiday Monday, the entry fee went up to £9, and you struggled to find drinks cheaper than £3.50, which, for Leeds, is a bit shocking.

Ok, so essentially Oceana, in theory, when all rooms are open for the offering, provides the client…read morewith seven themed rooms, separate spaces, clubbing/bar experiences. Due to size and central location this was my buddy's reason for organising his birthday bash up here. Granted, it's definitely got size on it's side, it's easy to get to, there's plenty of dance space, and once inside and all gathered together in collective buddy solidarity, there's an actual properly DJ for you to get your groove thing on. Or down. Or jiggy with. That sounds wrong. I got change from a tenner for paying to get in, and compared to some of the places I've been to in Manchester, for a large city centre club, I didn't find that too unreasonable. Some of my Yorkshire counterparts tended to disagree, but c'est la vie right? Also, if you can grab a flyer off one of the promotions people, and you get there before 10pm, entry's fiver. So I didn't think it was too bad at all. Inside it's absolutely massive, and depending on what night you go in, you can have access to up to seven different spaces. Oceana seems to have taken some influence from the bigger clubs in Ibiza like Pacha, that have separate themed spaces for patrons to dive into and enjoy, rooms I remember were the Ski Lodge, the New York Disco, the Venetian Ballroom, and Secret Garden. Drinks weren't too hard on the wallet either, a nice bogof incentive before the night hit the midnight hour. Once you do hit the midnight hour you've got three hours of partying left, as kickout time is decent 3am. Good times were had by all, not marvellous, but not hideous either.

Ah Delaneys. This bar is honest to god as mad as toast…read more A little piece of Ireland squirrelled away in the back streets of Beirut. You may have spotted the front door that isn't a door (on Harehills Road) if you take the 50, 50a or 49 from town to Harehills/Seacroft but the real magic starts around the corner. At the ACTUAL door. Where like the finest of the super exclusive London clubs you have to ring a buzzer and be scrutinised via CCTV before the owner (Irish Elvis, or Elvish as I like to call him) will stand down the Aliens style sentry guns and let you in. A word of advice, if you have even one vaguely female person in your cohort then entry is pretty much guaranteed. Once inside and up the rickety stairs you will come to a plain brown fire door, where either Elvish himself, or more likely anyone standing by the fruit machine, will let you in. Aaaaaaaaand that's where the comparison with an exclusive London club ends. In fact it doesn't just end. It expires combustively. You have to have the laisse-faire attitude of an alley cat to want to drink in Delaneys, and perhaps that's why I like it. There's lurid flashing neon signs, tanned old Harehills battleaxes in white lycra and sovereigns, pool tables, gambling, a totally bonkers 'UV seating area' which makes your skin purple and your teeth yellow....for no apparent reason, sports on tv, live Irish violinists, those funny straight armed dancers who seem to have a thousand legs, proper Guinness, improper language and once you've passed that CCTV entry system you are pretty much one of the family. I wont lie, there are some really quite rough sorts in Delaneys of a night, but just smile without showing your teeth and go sit in the window to watch the crazy world of Harehills ignite below, whilst you drink inexplicable wine and slowly adopt an Ulster accent. It's clean, well looked after and up to you if you want to talk to everyone or no-one at all. Delaneys is a world apart, 30 years out of date and odd as a box of frogs but it's great fun. Elvish is massive and takes no crap off anyone, I may have found the way some regulars LOOK intimidating but I've never seen any trouble there- who in their right mind would take on a 6ft high 7ft wide drunk Irish landlord in his own gaff with rusty farming implements hanging above the bar? No-one, that's who. Elvish for Yorkshire Police Commissioner!! Cast your votes now!!! Give Delaneys a try if you are ever on Harehills Lane/Road, it's open all day and seemingly all night. Bonkers bars like this are an increasing niche in cosmopolitan Leeds and I strongly recommend you man up your inner David Attenborough and go see some local wildlife before it goes extinct.

Delaneys can only be described as a delight…read more My colleagues Wayne & Howard like to recollect their favourite quote, 'You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy' when frequenting the establishment... ...but I believe the surroundings are not in comparison to a bar in an outer galaxy but more of a quite lounge down a snicket in Dublin during the 80's. The prices are represenatitive of the loving embracement of the locals and their death stares...which cease when you buy them a drink...after a free drink they are willing to share their false teeth & comedy hats with a pony tail. You have not truely lived until this experience has been fulfilled. Enjoy.

Last night the hub in chapel allerton re-opened after a re-furb as the pit. I went along to the VIP…read morenight to check it out. The change is amazing, it has the 'tardis effect'. The area at the back of the bar is great, a huge open space with booths and loads of seating. The staff (as i have found with all Arc Inspiration bars) were friendly and efficient. The food menu is much the same as the Leeds pit, a good range of burgers, ribs, pulled pork etc. The cocktails are 2 for £7 monday-friday from 5-9pm, try the lemon cheesecake!

I DO like this place. A small quirky bar on the furthest…read moreoutskirts of the Chap A bars. Great array of beers, ales and cider on tap and some lovely wines (that the friend I was with did a mini wine tasting on!!) Plus massive bonus...It allows dogs in. (Although at a weekend you'd find it hard to shoehorn your dog in!)

We live opposite this bar. Actually, properly, literally, opposite. Which is why I expect we shall…read morebe in here a lot. Also, it sells cherry beer, which is lush. And it's cosy, and friendly and one of those places with mismatched furniture and cool people. There are about a squillion lampshades hanging from the ceiling too, just in case you don't think it's cool or unique enough. You. Will. Love. It. Although your wallet might not. Update I've now started an official quest to get through all the beers on the menu : )

I had a wonderful time at this club. A mixed crowd of all. The music was amazing. It has a lot of…read morewood so the sound was actually great. They don't serve food as far as I know. The night I was there it had DJ's, but I believe they have live music too on other nights. The area is filled with other great spots and restaurants. So you could grab a bite elsewhere and then head here to dance the night away.

Have you got the funk? If you're a smooth mover, then get your dancing shoes on and prepare to…read morestrut your stuff... If you can find a small haven of space on a Saturday night, that is. Yes, HiFi -it's one of my favourite places to bust out my best grooves. (I'm not suggesting they're good, but I'm sure they're a spectacle.) I'd not been back for some time, so when the opportunity arose this weekend, I couldn't turn it down. As I was arriving, some of my friends had left, and in some respects I can see why. It was absolutely heaving, and of course the music was incredibly loud, as standard. It's difficult, as I was certainly getting the rage whilst trying to make my way to the toilets, or the bar -it's one thing for a venue to be heaving (this is fine, and can elevate the fun), but it's entirely another when you're battered and shoved beyond belief. Perhaps it was because it was so late, and so folk were drunk, but there were rather a lot of pushy people and manners had almost entirely left the building. It costs nothing to say 'excuse me'! Anyway, rant over. That being said, once I managed to wade to the bar, things got a lot better. The chap who served me was lovely and friendly, and beer in hand, I managed to find a spot with my comrades where we could dance with abandon. Top tip - the steps by the stage seemed to be the most spacious throughout the evening! And that brings me to the music. It's always utterly fantastic - for all the funk, soul and reggae that you could want, this is the place to come. I've not danced for a solid few hours in quite a while, and can absolutely say that it was fantastic, and in spite of the crowds I'm hoping to come back again soon. Drinks wise, I didn't really check out all the options, but there's a fairly decent range to suit most tastes. Price wise it was £4 in at about 1am, perhaps more earlier on, and the drinks are standard -expect to pay about £3+ per drink. I agree with Ben, the door staff are quite the jobsworths, though this keeps out the riff raff, for which I'm grateful! (And, they are friendly, don't get me wrong.) The toilets were in a bit of a poor state, but having been in much worse, it's not all that bad. Essentially, the biggest draw is of course the fantastic DJs, live music and comedy at their other regular events, friendly staff and having a right old dance. Highly recommended for a proper night of fun. Just be patient with the crowds!

I was in England for a wedding and went to this place with some cousins. The customer service was…read moregreat. I loved the music that was playing and asked for a cd and the dj was kind enough to burn me a copy! Wanted to send a good review and looks like I'm the first one! Go here, the service, ambiance and sheesha were all great! :)

My favourite music venue in Leeds. Need I say more? As a hopefully esteemed Yelp scout, I guess I…read moreshould. The Brudenell is a small, intimate venue that has played host to some of the city, county and country's greatest bands. It was where Leeds favourites The Cribs chose to host Cribsmas, a special three-gig event where they played each of their albums in full with b-sides forming the encore. The support acts - Kaiser Chiefs, Franz Ferdinand and Kate Nash - sum up the attraction and character that the Headingley venue boasts. A number of bands - including the Kaisers - have lent their support to the Brudenell, which very nearly closed a few years ago. Thankfully it didn't and it remains one of the most charismatic concert halls that Leeds has to offer, hosting breaking acts including the likes of Girls (go listen) and Johnny Flynn (same again) in the next couple of months. For full listings, go to brudenellsocialclub.co.uk. In the meantime, just pop in for a pint. They always taste nice at the Brudenell.

The best sound system in Leeds. I love live music and constantly get frustrated by the poor sound…read morein almost every venue I go to. I saw Wooden Shjips here in April 2010 and it was fantastic. What's more, despite being sold out, it wasn't over-crowded, the bar staff were efficient and prices were reasonable. Plus there is another bar so you can get away from the loud music if you want to. There's also a cab firm close by so it's not too hard to get home. Highly recommended! Updated Just to add a few further words of praise. This venue consistently stands out as the best I know of in the UK. As other reviewers have said all the people who work here are really friendly and are a lot of fun. I've never seen any trouble inside and it made me realise that I've never seen a bouncer in there either although I'm sure they know how to cope if things do get heated. At the end of the headline band's set there is no hassle to leave like so many paces (O2 Academy, Cockpit). If you fancy another drink they are relaxed and that's cool. What a refreshing attitude. I've seen so many bands here and it's easily my favourite venue anywhere - so many great memories! The thing that says it all is that if I am hesitant about seeing a band but then discover they are playing at the Brudenell my mind is immediately made up and I go. Wish it was within walking distance of my house!