The Adelphi

A splendid Victorian pub just oozing with period features such as carved mahogany, coloured tiles and brass — it felt a bit like time had stood still when you entered. Its frontage too has kerb-​appeal, with the windows decoratively frosted.
It was Tetley’s original flagship pub (before the brewery closed in 2011 and moved to Wolverhampton).
They have a selection of three local and two guest ales on rotation. The bar itself is quite compact given the size of the place — there are four rooms on the ground floor nicely separated from each other with plenty of seating, it reminded me a bit of the back rooms in The Briton’s Protection in Manchester.
There’s a function room upstairs but I didn’t check that out, nor did we have anything to eat here from their menu which appeared to be a New-​York-​deli-​style offering.
The couple of times I’ve been in there’s been a great, but not too lively, atmosphere — it made for the perfect place for one last pint before heading back to our hotel.

Located just ‘across the bridge’ from the City Centre, I was really pleased to see that The Adelphi was closely located to our hotel as it’s so rare that we get to go to what I would count as a proper pub.
It’s a vast space broken down into small areas, or what I supposed once would have been considered ‘smoking rooms’ and, visiting on a Saturday night, they were all rammed. You can book these rooms for parties, and they aren’t lacking in bars, so we soon found a leaning space in the main hall for a quick drink before heading into the centre.
There’s an upstairs area, which also appeared to have a private function on, but I can imagine it offering much more seating when available.
A good stopping point I would like to experience again.

I love LOVE this place! If you are looking for a real British pub, with a great selection of hand pulled beer, with an old fashioned atmosphere, and really, really good pub food… this is the place for you.
It was nice and busy the two nights we went during our stay in Leeds, but we did not miss out on attention. The service was friendly and fun… the bartender and the servers had no problem helping us figure out the beer… and we genuinely had a great experience.
If I lived in Leeds, The Adelphi would be MY after-​work pub for sure!

I have been here once or twice for a drink in the past and just had it down as one of the real pubs still left in Leeds City centre. The drinks are cheap the décor is very much like your typical old pub nothing overly exciting.
I was on a hunt for a sunday lunch and this was the chosen place. I must say I was rather hesitant and thought it wouldn’t be overly good quality food. When we arrived it was packed but the upstairs had been opened to accommodate this.
The upstairs is lovely. A big open space with sofas and big windows. There is a small bar in the corner too (that also has draught) so you don’t have to keep going downstairs.
The menu looked delicious and I went for the aged beef roast served with yorkshire puddings and all the veggie trimmings. It was so nice and cosy upstairs and the atmosphere was great.
The food took about half an hour and was well worth the wait. I was expecting a thrown together Sunday roast that was just bog standard but it was so much more.
It wasn’t just well presented it tasted devine. Everything was cooked to perfection and the gravy was amazing. Writing this review is making me want to go!
The staff were really friendly and attentive which made everything that bit better. The Sunday Roasts are under £10 and you get a lot!
They have a few different meat options and a vegetarian option. I honestly can not fault this place the only bad thing is that I haven’t tried it sooner.
Give it a whirl it really is the best Roast I have ever had. Just don’t tell my gran!

there is a young-​ish lass with dark hair and glasses behind the bar; try paying her with a twenty pound note (make sure a mate is there to confirm this) and she’ll try give you change from a tenner. every single bloody time. I have heard several others say this too.
landlord: why do you let her get away with this?
could be a good pub…

I’ll base this on one visit with the Unilocal gang for the Tuesday quiz night. I’ll keep it brief.
A proper pub with proper beer. Lots of nice retro stylings, not sure how many of these are original.
A choice of three rooms and a bar area? All of which I visited whilst getting lost, which is no mean feat in a pub with a fairly straightforward layout.
Superior smoking facilities for us dregs of society.
The quiz is slightly eccentric. Asking 2 questions at once becomes a bit much as the night progresses.
I’d happily go again, whether it be in a group or on my own. The only drawback is the price of the booze. Knocking on £4 for a pint, and £5 for a single bacardi and coke! Hence only ⁴⁄₅ stars.

I always feel kinda strange when looking to review or talk to people about The Adelphi Hotel; the thing is I’ve been going to the pub for 7 years and have known every manager and member of staff by name since 2006 — as you may have guessed then, I love the pub, and so it’s strange because while I gush and praise I know there are people that occasionally do have less than great experiences and I feel that I just come across as a sycophant who says what I say to curry favour with the powers that be.
But enough about me feeling strange, The Adelphi is THE BEST PUB IN LEEDS.
From the second you walk into the pub you realise it’s a little different to most of the other pubs that line the streets of our fair city. The listed building, which was originally a Joshua Tetley pub benefits from a combination of original and not so original (the plexiglass curved ‘glass’ window as you walk in on the right from where a thug ran down the stairs and went through the window — back in the day) features, which are strewn across 4 downstairs rooms and a mammoth upstairs function room. Of course there are pubs like The Victoria and The Palace which conjure up a fraction of the authenticity and ambiance of the Adelphi; but for the small cosy rooms with open fires, the real wood bar and fittings, and equally the large open spaced function areas there is nowhere else in Leeds that does it better.
And this is all backed by a playlist that could never be described as ‘old man’ish at all…
Over the last 7 years the pub has seen a gradual move away from beer as a focus, to food as a focus — and no matter whether you agree with this or otherwise (pubs are for beer!) the fact is that there are very few pubs these days that aren’t going the same way… And it’s a combination of luck and skill I’m sure that The Adelphi has managed to make this move so successfully. The seasonal menu, which features a collection of pub favourites (sausage and mash, burgers, fish and chips) alongside some less ‘pubby’ options involving salmon, ox cheek and southern fried chicken, is usually fantastic and while not on the cheap end of the pub food scale, events such as Burger Boutique Monday (241 on burgers) are there to give you a little more value for money every now and then.
The beer selection is what you would expect from an ‘old mans pub’, with an ever changing selection of real ale along with the usual suspects in terms of beers and ciders on both tap and in bottles; and it even steps up a gear in terms of spirits where you’ll find what is usually considered a deluxe vodka/​gin/​etc. in the place of the house spirit.
The staff are all fantastic, but none more so than the looming figure of Fitchy, the large Scottish manager of the Adelphi, who will go out of his way to ensure that your experience there is as great as it possibly can be! He works most Sundays, so get yourself in for a roast — for as good as the normal food is, the Sunday options eclipse week day grub!
Of course, nowhere is perfect and it’s the one area that lets the Adelphi down, the prices — I think they’ve gone up 5 times in the last 12 months… Needless to say that my father, an actual ‘old man’, nearly had a heart attack when he first went up to the bar and ordered 3 pints. But then, he’s from Hull.
It’s the combination of all that real wood, higher than usual prices, indie playlist, open fires, near restaurant quality food and fantastic bar staff that means the Adelphi is cool!
The best pub in Leeds, just be prepared to pay a little extra for that.

I love the Adelphi! Being a bit of a history geek (if it’s got 100 years under its belt, I’ll probably love it) and a fan of nice, cosy places to chat and sip a beer, this place is certainly a treat. I feel a strange sense of wonder whenever I come in here, like a child exploring an old house. There’s all these awesome old fashioned lounges to choose from, all with beautiful Victorian décor.
Fans of fine ale should love this place, just as much for the ambience of it as well as the generous selection to choose from. I was there quite recently with a friend and I always have a glass or two of Fruli strawberry beer — mouth’s watering just thinking about it!
I must admit I hardly ever eat food here because I find it a bit too expensive (hence the 4 star rating) but the food I have eaten here has been lovely, namely the fish and chips! I do love their tab system, something which is pretty unheard of in a lot of pubs in general.
Service is superb here, all the staff are really nice and accommodating. They sometimes hand out free popcorn and nuts — doesn’t get much better than that!

Great pub, the best old school one in Leeds city centre, in terms of style at least. Good selection of ales (if on the pricey side), good food, nice layout with the ⁴⁄₅ smaller rooms on the ground floor making sure the place isn’t too loud for chatting when its packed out, nice large one room upstairs too for big groups/​hire. It has managed to keep the old pub feel while making sure it’s modern and upto date, though not totally convinced by the framed artwork.
p.s It’ a crying shame the weekly Acoustic Revolution Saturday afternoons are no more, good live laid back music on a windy Saturday afternoon really gave the place a more essential feel, made it a destination not just a stop off… there is surely a market for mid afternoon live music in Leeds on a weekend?!

I drink at the Adelphi fairly regularly, as it has a great, real pub feel, which can be hard to come by in Leeds. They also have a very good selection of beers, especially on draft.
I had been meaning to try their Sunday dinners for a while now, especially as I had heard they do a pretty mean vegetarian option. A friend of mine was visiting from London so I seized the opportunity and suggested a group of us did lunch here.
My friend booked a table for 8 of us, which was no problem at all, and was ready and set up for us on arrival. We got our drinks and settled down. They had been making Bloody Mary cocktails that morning, and were offering complementary shots of them to the customers. They were delicious! They were served with the cucumber and celery too and were a great addition as a known ‘hangover cure’.
Most of us went for the roasts, and a friend chose the vegetarian burger, which she enjoyed. All the carnivore inhaled their roasts and praised them. I suppose you’re wondering how the nut roast went down? Or maybe the rating is a clue. Well it was sensational! So rare to come across a decent vegetarian sunday dinner with all the trimmings and there it was. The nut roast was clearly home made, and fell apart nicely as I cut into it, revealing lovely fresh ingredients of vegetables and about three types of nuts. Of course this was great but the trimmings were amazing, beautiful baby carrots, sprouts, roasted new potatoes, Yorkshire puds and a delicious gravy. Definitely the best veggie Sunday dinner in Leeds, and worth the £10.50 price tag. Oh and the apple and sage sauce matched really well and I would recommend trying that! All of the condiments offered where high quality.
The service was great and of course it was busy, but they cope with this no problem at all. I will definitely be returning! And I will bring be bringing jealous veggies who weren’t with us!

It’s pretty rare that I make a trip over to the Adelphi, but I tend to enjoy it when I do.
Yesterday after work I made my way there to meet some people, having to wait on my own for an hour or so. However it wasn’t a particularly painful hour alone, with pleasant staff and a good amount of seating (upstairs seems to be the way forward, seeing as there were loads of people downstairs, many of who were stood up due to no seats available). But there’s a decent atmosphere and I really didn’t mind nursing a pint here for a while before I was joined by others.
Drinks choices are fairly decent too, with a few pints to try, although prices can be a little high — I think it was over a tenner for 3 pints. I’m yet to try the food, which in retrospect I should have done last night really — not eating before drinking a lot is NEVER a good idea!
Overall though it’s a good place to go both for a couple of pints before moving on, and for a full evening of relaxed drinking.

It’d been quite a while since I last ate here, and so arriving early for their Tuesday quiz gave me the perfect opportunity to re-​sample their fine cuisine. Everything else about the place is as standard –excellent range of drinks, fabulously exotic bar snacks, awesome events, tons of nooks and warm little rooms, and a cosy little smoking area.
The food ordering is pretty simple, just mention at the bar that you’re dining, and take a seat –they come to you and set up a tab. Perfect. I had a good peruse, all of which sounded fantastic, but being a sucker for heart warming sausage and mash, that’s what I went for. Swiftly, the fare arrived and it was steaming hot. The mash was amazing, and the sausages were grand (not the best I’ve had, but damned tasty), but if you’re a gravy friend like me you’ll need to ask for some extra. The waitress also offered us some exciting mustards, which were delicious!
And so, bellies full, it was quiz time. My favourite time of day. The new order of the quiz (relatively new –it’s changed since my last visit yonks ago) is that the quiz master reads three questions quickly in a row, then repeats, then plays music/​and or banters in between. We decided it was a little like listening to some kind of quirky radio show, since the banter included random thoughts as to current events and the odd advertisement for the Adelphi.
The quiz was tough, which is fine by me, although only goes to expose my lack of knowledge on current events and suchlike. However, I prefer a more standard method of asking a question, pausing and repeating-​call me a traditionalist! And the music in between was a touch on the loud side. In any case, much mirth and fun was had, although in one round, if you get just one answer wrong you forfeit points-​be warned, as it lost us the quiz!
All in all, I still adore the Adelphi, and can only see myself continuing to frequent. It’s a stalwart pub in Leeds, with excellent drinks and the patrons are always a fantastic bunch. My only sadness is that the Acoustic Revolution days are over, but here’s hoping some live music events shall return here soon. Only lost a star because the food wasn’t quite as good as expected, but I’ll be more adventurous next time and update! A total fan, love it here.

One of my favourite spots for a drink on a rainy Leeds day. The Adelphi is one of those oldy-​worldy type pubs that you can take the parents and not tell them that they’re actually in a chain!
The food is delicious, from the Sunday Roasts to the salads and burgers. On my most recent visit, the boyfriend had a cheese burger with pulled pork. By the time I had finished about a quarter of my own lentil burger (good vegetarian choices here too) he had inhaled the entire thing. Enough said!
The staff are really friendly and are happy to bring you over more drinks or entice you in to one of their sinful desserts. Oh and come winter the drinks menu sees the welcome return of their spiced cider and mulled wine, horrah!
A perfect spot for a cosy drink and a game of cluedo, I would highly recommend.

This pub is the nuts. I lived in London for years and this is the closest I’ve found to the Bricklayer’s Arms in Shoreditch which is my favourite drinking hole of all time. Although the Adelphi doesn’t have a jukebox, the range of beers is extensive and the bar snacks are out of this world. Pop in on a Sunday afternoon and pick up a Bloody Mary conveniently lined up on the bar and then a great Sunday lunch from a fantastic menu. There are four different enclaves where you can sit downstairs and a separate bar upstairs. Omnipresent barflies add even more character and the staff are really friendly. In my opinion, this is the best pub in Leeds by a stretch.

Excellent range of beers to suit all.price.ranges

Imagine a flighty wood fairy shrunk you to tiny little proportions and then Charles Dickens came along carrying Mary Shelley’s handbag. He scoops you up, pops you in the handbag where you find all your little friends playing with brass buttons, there are bottles of rum, cider with bits in it, a hot band with a passion for the blues, all different types of roasted meat and everything you sit on is handmade from leather, love, chocolate and velvet. Well that’s how I feel when I go to The Adelphi.
Whenever I can’t take any more self-​absorbed Urbanites shuffling into me as they fixate moronically on their latest I-​PaidtooMuch Phone I scuttle down to the river and slide into the warm, comforting womb of copper and dark wood that is this awesome pub. Nothing, nothing is better than the rain pounding the cold streets outside as you curl up in the corner of this friendly, homely monument to Leeds’ glorious brewing past with a pint of something ridiculously strong in one hand and a hot custardy pudding in the other. God it’s like going home… if home had been a huge Victorian fortress to pink cheeked drinking and roaring laughter. And in many ways, I wish it had been.
You can get music, poetry, comedy and sometimes even dance (occasionally mine) upstairs… when the sun shines you can head outside and wave to the cars… but best of all, in the 12 years I have lived in Leeds I have never left The Adelphi without having had a fantastic conversation with a complete stranger that has restored my faith in good old English sociability.
Go there. Just go x

This is a great city centre pub, that’s more like a local in the suburbs — so if you enjoy your drinking in a quieter venue, or you’re looking for somewhere to have a catch up with friends then this is the ideal venue for you — especially if you’re wanting some tasty traditional bar food!
They do a range of beers and also have some great events laid on, including the Iron Man Cupcake competition & a Comedy Club!

The Adelphi is very much a part of traditional Leeds, it has stood it’s corner through the decades and has somehow managed to satisfy all comers from rockabilly to new romantic and punk to pop (I seem to remember being largely naked at a party upstairs many years ago but that’s not the Adelphi’s fault). The adelphi seems to have as many fine ales as it has corners to sit in and whilst sitting in one of those very corners indulging myself I saw an amazingly wide range of humanity passing, pausing and partaking.
My one posible niggle might be the food prices but then I am a Yorkshireman and I therefore know that there are limits to the worth of a plate of grub.

With board games, a down-​tempo atmosphere, clean bathrooms and good beer, The Adelphi is the kind of pub I’m happy to pass time in. It’s also another reason to like Leeds!
On my last visit, I only got a half pint of Leeds Best Yorkshire Bitter; would like to go back for food, though, as the plates being devoured nearby looked pretty tasty. I have a hunch (which I hope to test soon) that the Adelphi would be a super Sunday roast choice.
Stay tuned!

It’s incredibly awesome when a good real ale pub doubles as somewhere you can take your mates without being shouted at for being an old man.
The Adelphi combines good beer (including locals like Leeds Pale) with a lively atmosphere, well maintained Victorian (I think) fittings and just a hint of a modern finish. There’s also food served. I can’t vouch for it — having not tried it — but it looks like a good selection well-​priced gastro fare.
The cherry on the cream on the top of the cake is the Saturday afternoon live music. The atmosphere’s insanely chilled out and it’s such a pleasure to be able to sit back and really just enjoy it all from the comfort of a sofa.