Unfortunately, I prefer this pub from the outside rather than the inside. A really attractive…read morewhitewashed building that is over a hundred years old, it always has hanging flower baskets showing off an array of award winning flower arrangements. The exterior is so attractive that you think to yourself 'I should have a pint in there'. And then one day you do have a pint in there, and it's a rather flat lager, and a rather flat atmosphere, with staff who are nice enough but a group of grumpy middle aged-guys who should be at work, not the pub. And you leave after one pint, admiring the exterior again on your way out and wishing you'd just stayed outside for the last twenty minutes.

top notch Yorkshire pud with sausage, chips and gravy. Perfect Friday fair for setting ones stomach…read moreup for a booze bashing. As I am not going out tonight, I intend to jsut sit here in my office in a content food bubble. only lost a star as I prefer the chips out of the gravy!

Oh my wowzer-bowzers, where have I BEEN?! Not, in Horsforth, apparently. Or, just beyond the…read moreHorsforth line more specifically, as I'm told. The other night my boyfriend and I made our way over to see some mates in the old LS18 post code, and they'd mentioned this "cool little pub" they'd found in the region of ten minutes walk from their house. We arrived late on in the evening and after discussion decided to catch a few pints at said pub, before close. After a very pleasant meander in a most beautifully countrified area of Leeds, which much reminded me of Gloucestershire, we arrived at The Abbey Inn. A surprisingly warm welcome was offered on our arrival! I don't mean that we expected it to be a local pub, for local people, it's just that the main bar man was so utterly lovely and keen to get to know us. It was, in all honesty, a wonderful reception and we got to know all about their open mic night (held every Tuesday and totally welcoming to all levels of talent) and their regular summer beer festival, which I most certainly intend to participate in. On walking through to the bar we stood and did the usual bird-like bobbing of heads, in an attempt to ascertain which taps were serving what, to which the bar man said: "There's a dark side and a light side. You're stood on the side of the light, and that", *pointing*, "that there's the dark side." That was awesome. I felt a bit like Frodo. Or Luke. Or a bit of both, except I'm not a bloke and I wasn't on a quest, but nonetheless the poetic manner in which he proffered their real ale was just really fracking cool. The whole damn pub was cool, cosy, friendly and I'm just taken by the place really. Fair enough I've been but once, I'll leave it to you to judge that, but with a cool range of beers, awesome staff, generous outside seating and a cosy interior (live music to boot, but I've not been to that yet) I can't think of anything more that I want from an evening of boozin'. Maybe pie? I'll come back for pie.

I have lived within walking distance from this pub for a good few years now, but didn't find out…read moreabout it's existence until this year. One of Leeds' best hidden gems, this brilliant real ale pub is tucked away down by the river just off Abbey Road / New Road Side on the border between Kirkstall and Horsforth. The Abbey Inn is everything I'd expect a typical real ale pub to be. A good range of local beers on the bar (including from the super-local Kirkstall Brewery!), live bands and open mic nights on an evening, plenty of regulars that look so comfortable in their surroundings and a really nice warm welcome from the staff. The inside has a few different areas, a small 'snug' section, a larger seating area near the bar with a bit where there was a band playing on the night we went, and then another smaller room with a pool table tucked around the back. The outside seating area was nice too, with standard pub benches and then a lovely covered area (I guess to cater for the smokers) with a couple of big tables and chairs, along with a few beer barrels and cushions for additional seating. The canopy was decorated with pretty lights and it was a lovely place to sit out on a summery evening. If you're after high end fanciness with all the posh trimmings, this is not the pub for you. However if you're like me and like somewhere a bit more rustic with proper ale and a bit of charm, then get yourself down here, I can't wait to go back! Just one last thing, I've heard good things about the food they serve here and I fully intend to return to check this out. At the same time, I'll also investigate their child-friendliness, as I'll have Mr MacDoo and the Mini MacDoos with me. I'll update you with my findings!

I'm all about sauntering out into the sticks, making discoveries, and seeking out the secret…read moreoff-the-beaten-path havens. Of course, places like Musiquarium might take that little bit extra effort to unearth, but wayfaring across and along the canal in Kirkstall late at night, under moonlight and darkness, is a journey worth taking. Perhaps, bring a friend to keep you company on your quest. It's not too difficult to spot once you're on the right road, since they've a tree adorned with blue fairy lights, which flash out into the night as a beacon -a sign that you've found your way to some hidden spot, in the depths, where pints and playful music awaits. Upon arrival, my cohorts and I were greeted by a friendly bouncer, and an even friendlier chap who also works for the bar. It seems as though, if you're out for one of their gig nights, there will be an entrance donation - which we were informed goes toward the musicians and sound engineers. I've no issue with that, and in fact think that more gigs should have an entrance fee, really. (I'm not saying I enjoy spending money, as such, but musicians are an underpaid bunch.) Once the fees were sorted, we gained access to a large outdoor space, where glistening like the universe above us was a solar system of fairy lights, and then the iron door closed behind us. The main room with the bar is cosy, with rustic tables over which twee floral table cloths lay, and graffiti images across the brick walls. It was low lit, and had a seriously cool vibe. It's mid-way between a basement room with a bar, built in your house, and a rehearsal-space-turned-speakeasy. Not somewhere that you should expect a posh bottle of Champagne, but not somewhere that you couldn't make an effort for. It's unpretentious, it's down to earth, it's charming and has a distinct character similar to that of Rock And Roll Circus, only tidier and less cluttered. I was there for a friend's birthday do, and there was a programme of bands on for the evening. I managed to catch The Loups, and I sincerely recommend you check them out, if you have a chance. They're a two-piece electric guitar and drums duo, with haunting songs; songs that are atmospheric enough to melt into, but beat driven enough to force movement from head to toe. I said they were everything you want The XX to be, but I don't know if that's accurate, or insulting. In any case, I'm enamoured, and will be looking for their future gigs. The band space is fabulous, an intimate square of dance floor, a stage, a DJ/sound booth, and padded walls. Not because insanity might ensue, although depending on the future line ups who knows, but presumably to keep the sound from leaking out. You're in a private, secret, hidden, awesome gig in this place. When you're in Musiquarium, no one but Musiquarium can hear you shout encore. As for the bar, they sell a few different lagers on tap, including their own branded lager - Musiquarium. (Obv.) I didn't get to try it, since it was off, and opted for a different pint that happened to be a little flat. I'm guessing they don't get through many pints, so I'd advise going for the bottles at this stage. Drinks are within the £3-4 mark, but that's a standard I've come to expect in Leeds, and certainly I don't mind paying if I'm at a fantastic gig. They had a drink offer on for White Russians, but sadly no coffee liqueur, so that was out. My only slight nag about the venue was the confusion I experienced with a chap at the bar over cash back. I was told by the other guy, on arrival, we could get cash back at the bar, so asked for some when paying for a round. Initially, I thought there was a problem with the card I'd used, but was then told there was no chance of me getting cash back - I asked if it would work by simply adding on a tenner to the card bill, and then he could give me a tenner from the till, but he said he cashed the till up differently to normal bars, so I couldn't. What was even more confusing was that my friend, who bought a pint after me, was offered cash back with his purchase. Go figure. Perhaps he was having a bad night, or perhaps took a dislike to my face... In any case, here's hoping my next outing will be a little more hassle free. Or a better idea might be to save myself the trouble and make sure I've plenty of pounds in hand. Thankfully, it's not left a bitter taste in my mouth -everyone's human and has a bad day, and I'm a fan of the bar. The policy seems set for good folk, great music, and I can see it becoming a premier venue for some of Leeds' best live acts. Get involved, get down and check out the line-up. There are even some mystery stairs leading up, which I didn't check out, so who knows what lies above. Another cool room to sup in? A secondary gig space? Regardless, I'm keen to find out.

Took 30 mins to ask us what we want (they forgot) they are big batty creasesread more

I'm not really a fan of the Black Bull, probably because on two of the three occasions I've been in…read morethere, I've seen a scuffle of sorts. To be fair, both these incidents happened on Friday nights, and are not unheard of for the pubs at the bottom of Town Street - they sometimes attract underage drinkers who love to finish their night with a fight. Go there during the day or during the week, however, and it's likely to be a different stoy, however, as you can get satisfying pub grub at very reasonable prices, along with beers which cost about half as much as they do in Town Street's classier joints. There is also a pleasant beer garden at the back of the joint, making it a fairly nice place to be during the day. But, unless you fancy your chances in a bar-brawl, it's probably best to avoid the place on weekend night.

My childfren attend Escape CYT. They have tried more traditional children's theatre societies and…read moremusical theatre groups but this is something different. The young people devise their own work, which is surely a much more effective process for developing a wide range of performance skills. Escape won't turn your child into Olivier - in many ways the most talented writers and performers are shown in even more stark relief than in a traditional show - but the group appears to be really supportive and it will suit any young person who is genuinely interested in theatre. Consider it the equivalent of doing the hard yards in an indie band rather than auditioning for X Factor - full of integrity and genuine learning, but the pleasures come from the creation of the work, not from any promise of 'fame'...

From the owner: Escape contemporary youth theatre (Escape:cyt) makes intelligent, creative and fun theatre that…read moredraws upon young people's voices. We are a socially enterprising organisation that meets regularly in term time on Monday and Tuesday evenings at Lawnswood Schoolin North West Leeds. All of our shows are original productions and are created by professional artists and young people in collaboration; we consider our members to be artists in their own right. We have ambitious production values and strive for ethical integrity in the way we run the organisation and make theatre. We perform a large cast show in the Spring term and smaller pieces throughout the year either in house or for special events and festivals. In the past we have performed at the Carriageworks Theatre, the West Yorkshire Playhouse, Stage@leedsand as part of Light Night Leeds.

So, our first stop off on the Yelp pub crawl was at Kobe, (pronounced koh-bee not kohb, as I…read moredebated with the taxi driver) to stock up on burgers before our tour of the town. I'd heard on good authority (a fellow Yelper, naturally) that the burgers here were well worth a punt, and being as I'm on a sort of unofficial best burger hunt, it had to be done. Should you feel flash, they also do a chateaubriand - but that's fifty squids, so quite a lot to drop when it's not Blackhouse. Friday was, if you recall, incredibly warm, and so this was the perfect place to indulge in some summer sun - the outdoor garden has quite a few tables, and there are some covered tables, should the rains have come. Being as I'd yet to have my tea, I didn't take advantage of the boozes here. I did discover an incredible mocktail menu, however, and can highly recommend the Very Berry - it's an awesome mix of raspberry, cranberry, mint, apple and other bits, that make up both a healthy and delicious smoothie. The staff were all really helpful, especially the girls that served me, both when ordering the mocktail and my burger. I wanted to check out extras on the burger, and if I could have it served rare, amongst other details and both girls were really great with all my questions. Fantastic. The décor is fine, and in keeping with their other bars dotted about Leeds, although to my mind could probably do with an update. You know you're in an Arc bar when you go in, so there's that, but it is rather dark inside and I suppose feels a bit dated? I can't put my finger on it, but the black leather, dark floors, and varnished wood aren't my favourite. But, perhaps that's a minor detail when everything else seemed to be quality. The burger comes on a wooden chopping board, and the chips in a little mini metal chip pan, as seems to be the fashion. I do like the little pot of salsa though, which was really tasty. I opted for the Indonesian burger, and whilst it wasn't rare in the American sense, it was definitely juicy - thank goodness for a nicely cooked burger. Who wants dry meat? (Apparently lots of folk, as the waitress mentioned several people send them back to be cooked for longer - if you're one of those culprits, try it wet. I promise, it's better.) I couldn't taste the peanut satay creme fraiche very well, but the rest of the acoutrements that accompanied the burger were fabulous, and the bun was a perfect brioche bun. It's not the biggest you'll see in your life, but it's definitely decent so these guys make the list. I was very happy! In summary: I much prefer this place to the Headingley counterparts, and their burgers are damned good. The mocktail list is great, and give non-boozers something a little extra special to sup, so all in all I'm a fan.

Kobe is owned and run by the same folk that gave Headingley The Arc, The Box and Trio, yet it…read moredistinguishes itself from these student hangouts quite significantly. By far the trendiest business to every grace New Road Side, Kobe takes its name from the area of Japan where the farmers treat the cows like gods. Seriously. If you haven't read about this, get on Wikipedia now and look up Kobe beef, it's ridiculous; they give cows beer and massages! Kobe (the club) uses Kobe (the beef) for one thing on it's simple, grill menu, the Kobe Burger. Now, this is no ordinary burger- indeed, it costs around £17 (which would probably get you about 8 Big Macs) but then again this is the poshest beef in the world. Despite my love of beef and burgers, I could not justify the price, so went for the rump steak and cheese sandwich, which was top drawer. The service was pleasant and fast, and, while the prices are definitely on the expensive side, the quality you get makes up for this. Kobe by night is a similarly expensive but luxury experience, with the decor and upmarket drinks making you feel as special as those Japanese cows must do.