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16 Best Bars in Leeds 2026: Ultimate Guide for Food & Drinks

Bars in Leeds

How we chose: Every bar on this list was checked as open and trading in November 2026. We weighed recent guest reviews, what each bar is known for, and how easy it is to reach from Leeds city centre.

Quick Answer

The best bars in Leeds in 2026 are:

  • Below Stairs and Tabula Rasa for cocktails
  • CrowdedHouse at Trinity Leeds for rooftop views
  • North Bar for craft beer
  • The Domino Club for a speakeasy with live music
  • Salon Madre on Wellington Street, the biggest new bar opening of the year

Call Lane, New Briggate and Merrion Street have the most bars within walking distance of each other.

Make the Most of Leeds’ Nightlife

After exploring Leeds’ buzzing bar scene — from chic lounges to cosy local pubs — unwind in a home-like space just minutes from the city’s best evening hotspots. Stay central, enjoy the nights, and rest easy by morning.

Find Places to Stay in Leeds

The 16 Best Bars in Leeds at a Glance

# Bar Area Best for
1 CrowdedHouse Trinity Leeds / Boar Lane Rooftop views, all-day dining
2 Salon Madre Wellington Street Tequila, pool, groups (new 2026)
3 Below Stairs South Parade Creative cocktails, date night
4 Tabula Rasa Eastgate Coffee by day, cocktails by night
5 The Domino Club Grand Arcade Speakeasy with live music
6 Blind Tyger Cross Belgrave Street Polished cocktails
7 North Bar New Briggate Craft beer and rare spirits
8 Headrow House The Headrow Beer hall, rooftop, gigs
9 Farrands Swinegate Wine flights, covered terrace
10 Sky Lounge Granary Wharf High-rise views, brunch
11 Latitude The Calls Wine shop and bar
12 The Canary Leeds Dock Waterside drinks
13 Flight Club South Parade Darts and cocktails for groups
14 Electric Shuffle The Headrow Shuffleboard and pizza
15 MOJO Merrion Street Late-night rock ‘n’ roll cocktails
16 Be At One Millennium Square Millennium Square Lively cocktails, drinks offers

What’s New in Leeds Bars (Autumn & Winter 2026)

Salon Madre opened on Wellington Street in February 2026. It’s a Mexican-inspired tequila bar and pool hall in West Village, from the team behind Madre in Manchester and Liverpool. It’s still the standout bar opening of the year.

MOJO turned 30. The Merrion Street cocktail bar opened in September 1996 and is still one of the city’s latest-opening bars.

Lane7 opened at Trinity Leeds in June 2026. The 23,000 sq ft former Wilko site on Albion Street now has 12 bowling lanes, darts, pool, beer pong, mini golf and arcade games, with a full bar.

Two new Christmas Market bars. THOR’s Highland Lodge and Folie Ski Bar run at Leeds Christmas Market from 19 November to 23 December 2026.

Closed in 2026:

  • Revolución de Cuba on Call Lane closed in August.
  • Revolution at the Electric Press closed in January.
  • Point Blank, the shooting-range gaming bar, closed in February.

Coming in 2027: Freight Island, the Manchester food hall and events operator, is taking over an expanded Trinity Kitchen as part of a £15 million redevelopment. It will add a rooftop terrace overlooking City Square, with opening expected in 2027.

Best Bars in Leeds by Type

If you want… Best pick Runner-up
Cocktails Below Stairs Tabula Rasa
A rooftop CrowdedHouse Sky Lounge
Craft beer North Bar Headrow House
Date night The Domino Club Below Stairs
Groups and hen dos Flight Club Salon Madre
Wine Latitude Farrands
Live music The Domino Club Headrow House
A late finish MOJO Salon Madre (Fri–Sat)
Games with your drinks Electric Shuffle Flight Club
Waterside drinks The Canary Sky Lounge

Best Bars in Leeds by Neighbourhood

New Briggate, Merrion Street & Grand Arcade: This is the independent heart of Leeds nightlife. Picks: North Bar, The Domino Club, MOJO.

Call Lane, The Calls & Swinegate: The classic Leeds bar crawl strip, close to the Corn Exchange. Picks: Roland’s, Latitude, Farrands.

Call Lane, The Calls & Swinegate: The classic Leeds bar crawl strip, close to the Corn Exchange. Picks: Latitude, Farrands.

Trinity Leeds & Boar Lane: Rooftops and bars inside the shopping centre. Picks: CrowdedHouse, plus Lane7 and The Alchemist inside Trinity.

Wellington Street & Granary Wharf: Close to Leeds station and fast-growing. Picks: Salon Madre, Sky Lounge.

Eastgate & Victoria Quarter: Quieter and more grown-up. Pick: Tabula Rasa.

Leeds Dock: Waterside and next to the Royal Armouries. Pick: The Canary.

The 16 Best Bars in Leeds for 2026

1. CrowdedHouse — Best Rooftop Bar in Leeds

CrowdedHouse has the best skyline views of any bar in Leeds city centre. It sits across levels 5 and 6 at the top of Trinity Leeds, in the space that used to be Crafthouse and Angelica.

The interior mixes dark tones, brass and velvet, and the roof terrace is covered and heated, so it works in winter too. The drinks list covers cocktails, wine, sparkling and craft beer. The kitchen is led by AA Rosette-winning head chef Simon Jewitt, so it’s a proper dinner spot as well as a bar. It runs from lunch through to late, and it can be hired for birthdays and corporate events.

Good to know: Use the lift on Boar Lane if the shopping centre is closed. It’s open until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays.

2. Salon Madre — Best New Bar in Leeds (2026)

Salon Madre is the most exciting bar to open in Leeds this year. It opened in February 2026 in West Village on Wellington Street. It’s the bar-led sister to Madre, the Mexican restaurant group behind well-known spots in Manchester and Liverpool.

The focus is tequila and mezcal: margaritas, palomas, highballs and Modelo on draught. There are pool tables, DJs at weekends, and Lucha Libre on the screens. The food is built for sharing, with tacos, quesadillas and wings. It’s fun without being a gimmick, and it suits groups as well as couples.

Good to know: It’s a short walk from Leeds station, a little outside the main bar streets. It’s open until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays, and it has run a Taco Tuesday deal, so check current offers before you go.

3. Below Stairs — Best Cocktail Bar in Leeds

Below Stairs is where Leeds bartenders go for a drink. It’s a basement bar on South Parade and regularly appears among the UK’s top cocktail bars.

It’s dark, low-ceilinged and intimate without feeling cramped. Small tables make it a natural choice for a date. The menu changes often and uses unusual ingredients, but the team will happily make a classic if you’d rather. There’s beer and wine too, for anyone who isn’t a cocktail drinker.

Good to know: It’s small, so book ahead for Friday and Saturday nights.

4. Tabula Rasa — Best All-Day Coffee & Cocktail Bar

Tabula Rasa does both excellent coffee and excellent cocktails. It was opened on Eastgate in 2021 by Filippos Filippopoulos, a bartender from Leeds’ much-missed Watermark bar.

The room is dark teal with velvet and gold, and it seats about 55. Nobody rushes you out, so it’s a good place for a long conversation. Small plates are served alongside the drinks, and it works as well for an afternoon espresso as for a late Negroni.

Good to know: It’s slightly away from the Call Lane crowds, which makes it a calmer start or end to a night out.

5. The Domino Club — Best Speakeasy in Leeds

The Domino Club is the city’s best hidden bar. By day the entrance is a working barbershop in the Grand Arcade. By night you walk through it into a dark, moody cocktail lounge.

Inside there are leather banquettes, velvet curtains, parquet floors and a small stage where musicians play late. The drinks are strong and well made, and the live music makes it feel like more than just a bar.

Good to know: It gets busy at weekends, so arrive early or book.

6. Roland’s — Best Whisky & Cocktail Bar on Call Lane

Roland’s is the best place to start a night on Call Lane. It’s an industrial-style cocktail bar right in the middle of Leeds’ busiest bar street.

The spirits collection is the main draw, with more than 75 whiskies from around the world. The cocktail menu takes classic serves as its starting point and gives them a twist, so it suits both whisky fans and cocktail drinkers. Upstairs, a small rooftop has festoon lighting and a tented cover in winter.

Good to know: Call Lane gets very busy on Friday and Saturday nights. Arrive early if you want a rooftop spot.

7. North Bar — Best Craft Beer Bar in Leeds

North Bar is the place for anyone who takes their beer seriously. It’s a small, glass-fronted bar on New Briggate and one of Leeds’ longest-running independent beer bars.

The beer list rotates constantly and often includes bottles and kegs you won’t find anywhere else in the city. The spirits shelf is deep too, especially for whisky and rum. Staff know their stock and are happy to steer you to something new.

Good to know: It’s compact and gets full quickly. Go early on a weekday for a seat.

8. Headrow House — Best All-Rounder

Headrow House covers several kinds of night out in one building. It has a buzzing beer hall, a restaurant, live music and art events, and a rooftop terrace.

It’s run by the Superfriendz team behind Belgrave Music Hall, so the music line-up is strong. The rooftop is one of the most relaxed in town for a pint in good weather.

Good to know: Check the events listings before you go, as some nights are ticketed gigs.

9. Farrands — Best Terrace Bar

Farrands is a buzzy, award-winning cocktail and wine bar on Swinegate. It’s one of the few city-centre bars with a terrace that’s useful all year, thanks to its retractable roof.

Inside it’s industrial, with exposed brick, leather stools and pipework. The cocktail list is inventive, and its wine flights (red, white, rosé and orange) make it easy to try a few glasses without committing to a bottle. Light bites are available too.

Good to know: It’s close to the Corn Exchange and Call Lane, so it’s easy to fit into a bar crawl.

10. Sky Lounge — Best High-Rise Views

Sky Lounge has some of the highest views of any bar in Leeds. It sits at the top of the DoubleTree by Hilton at Granary Wharf.

There are floor-to-ceiling windows, chandeliers and a heated outdoor terrace. During the day it’s popular for brunch and Champagne afternoon tea. In the evening it becomes a dressier cocktail bar with bar snacks.

Good to know: Granary Wharf is right next to Leeds station, so Sky Lounge is handy before or after a train. For more brunch ideas, see our bottomless brunch in Leeds guide.

11. Latitude — Best Wine Bar in Leeds

Latitude is a wine shop by day and a candlelit wine bar by night. You drink at tables set among the shelves.

The staff know the stock well, so ask for a recommendation or order a flight. There are cheese and charcuterie boards from respected Yorkshire producers, plus a vegan board. Wine is the focus, but there are spirits and beer too.

Good to know: As it’s also a shop, you can pick up a bottle to take home.

12. The Canary — Best Waterside Bar

The Canary is Leeds’ best spot for drinks by the water. It’s a laid-back bar built from yellow and black shipping containers at Leeds Dock.

There’s a rooftop terrace with festoon lights and dock views, plus a daily happy hour, a quiz night and bottomless brunch. It’s a natural stop after the Royal Armouries Museum next door.

Good to know: Leeds Dock is a short walk from the city centre along the river. For more nearby ideas, see our guide to things to do in Leeds.

13. Flight Club — Best Bar for Groups

Flight Club is the easiest way to keep a big group entertained. It’s a two-floor darts bar inside a Grade II-listed former Bank of England building on South Parade, dating from 1862.

There are 13 oches, and the scoring is automatic with slow-motion replays and live leaderboards, so nobody has to do maths after three cocktails. Sharing plates and cocktails come to your oche. The décor has a Victorian fairground feel.

Good to know: There’s no wheelchair access because of the historic building. A powered stair climber is available, so call ahead.

14. Electric Shuffle — Best Games Bar

Electric Shuffle puts a modern twist on shuffleboard. It has high-tech tables with automatic scoring and several game modes.

It comes from the same team as Flight Club, and the food is a real draw, especially the pizzas. The cocktail list is longer than you’d expect from a games bar, which makes it a good choice for a date as well as groups.

Good to know: Book a table slot at weekends. Walk-ins depend on availability.

15. MOJO — Best Late-Night Bar in Leeds

MOJO is the Leeds bar to head to when everywhere else is closing. It opened on Merrion Street in September 1996 and celebrated its 30th birthday this year.

It’s a small, loud, rock ‘n’ roll cocktail bar with a playlist that leans to indie and classic rock. It mixes students, hospitality workers and regulars. The drinks are well made, the atmosphere is rowdy in the best way, and it stays open into the early hours.

Good to know: It’s tiny and fills fast on weekends. For somewhere to dance afterwards, see our best nightclubs in Leeds guide.

  • 📍 18 Merrion Street, Leeds LS1 6PQ
  • 🌐 mojobar.co.uk/leeds
  • 📞 +44 113 360 4810
  • ⭐ Google rating: 4.5
  • ✅ Best for: late nights, music lovers, the last drink of the night

16. Be At One Millennium Square — Best for a Lively Start

Be At One is a dependable, high-energy cocktail bar on Millennium Square. It’s one of the highest-rated bars in Leeds on Tripadvisor.

The menu is sorted by taste (sweet, sour, spicy) so it’s easy to choose. The bartenders put on a show, and there are regular drinks offers, plus cocktail masterclasses you can book for groups.

Good to know: It’s close to the First Direct Arena, making it a handy pre-gig stop.

Also Worth a Visit

  • Boom Battle Bar (Victoria Gate): axe throwing, crazier golf and beer pong.
  • Lane7 (Trinity Leeds): bowling and games, opened June 2026.
  • Dirty Martini (King Street): martinis close to the station.
  • Lost & Found Leeds Club (Albion Place): themed rooms and a full food menu.
  • Pixel Bar (Great George Street): video games and themed cocktails.
  • The Alchemist Trinity: theatrical cocktails and a heated terrace.

Two Easy Bar-Hopping Routes

The independent route (north side). Start with an early cocktail at Tabula Rasa on Eastgate. Walk to North Bar on New Briggate for a beer, then to The Domino Club in the Grand Arcade for live music. Finish at MOJO on Merrion Street. All four are within a short walk of each other.

The views-and-water route (south side). Start at Sky Lounge at Granary Wharf for sunset, then walk into town for wine at Farrands on Swinegate. Head to Roland’s on Call Lane for a whisky on the rooftop, then Latitude on The Calls. Finish with dockside drinks at The Canary in warmer months. 

Essential Tips for Visiting Bars in Leeds

Closing times vary by bar. There’s no citywide closing time in England. Each venue’s licence sets its own hours. Many Leeds bars close around 11pm–midnight on weeknights, while late-licence bars like MOJO, Salon Madre and CrowdedHouse stay open past 1am at weekends. Always check the bar’s website.

Bring photo ID. Most Leeds bars follow Challenge 25, so if you look under 25 you’ll be asked for ID. Accepted forms are a passport, a UK photo driving licence, or a PASS-hologram ID card. Some venues won’t accept a photo of your ID on your phone.

Book at weekends. Small cocktail bars (Below Stairs, The Domino Club, North Bar) and activity bars (Flight Club, Electric Shuffle) fill up on Friday and Saturday nights.

Dress codes are relaxed. Smart-casual works almost everywhere. Hotel bars and rooftops like Sky Lounge lean smarter.

Don’t drink and drive. The limit in England is still 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood. The government consulted on lowering it in 2026, but nothing had changed as of November. The safest rule is not to drink at all if you’re driving.

Ask for Angela. If you feel unsafe on a night out, ask staff at participating Leeds venues for “Angela” and they’ll discreetly help you.

Getting home. Taxis queue near Leeds station and on Boar Lane. For buses, check First West Yorkshire and WY Metro for late services before you head out.

Stay Close to Leeds’ Best Bars

Most of the bars on this list are within walking distance of each other, which makes where you stay part of the plan. JF Property Partners offers fully furnished serviced apartments in Leeds close to the city’s best bars and restaurants. That means no taxi queue at 2am, and a full kitchen for the morning after.

Book your Leeds stay →

  • 📧 Email: info@jfpropertypartners.com
  • 📞 Phone: +44 7457 427143
  • 👉 Get in touch here

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best bar in Leeds?

Below Stairs on South Parade is widely rated the best cocktail bar in Leeds. CrowdedHouse at Trinity Leeds is the best for views. North Bar on New Briggate is the top pick for craft beer, and The Domino Club is the city’s best speakeasy. The best new bar of 2026 is Salon Madre on Wellington Street.

Where is the best rooftop bar in Leeds?

CrowdedHouse, on levels 5 and 6 of Trinity Leeds, is the best rooftop bar in Leeds, with a covered, heated terrace that works year-round. Sky Lounge at the DoubleTree by Hilton, Granary Wharf, has higher views and a heated terrace. Headrow House has the most relaxed rooftop for a casual pint.

Which area of Leeds has the best bars?

New Briggate, Merrion Street and the Grand Arcade have the best concentration of independent bars, including North Bar, The Domino Club and MOJO. Call Lane, The Calls and Swinegate form the classic bar crawl strip. Wellington Street is the newest area to watch, anchored by Salon Madre.

What new bars opened in Leeds in 2026?

Salon Madre, a tequila bar and pool hall, opened on Wellington Street in February 2026. Lane7 opened a bowling and games venue at Trinity Leeds in June. THOR’s Highland Lodge and Folie Ski Bar join Leeds Christmas Market from 19 November to 23 December 2026. Freight Island’s rooftop at Trinity Leeds is expected in 2027.

What are the best bars in Leeds for groups or hen parties?

Flight Club on South Parade is the best for groups, with 13 darts oches, automatic scoring and sharing food. Electric Shuffle, Salon Madre and Boom Battle Bar also handle groups well. Book ahead for weekends, and ask about deposits for parties of six or more.

What time do bars close in Leeds?

Closing times are set by each bar’s licence, not citywide. Many bars close between 11pm and midnight on weeknights. Late-licence venues such as MOJO, CrowdedHouse and Salon Madre stay open past 1am on Fridays and Saturdays. Check each bar’s website before you go.

Are there good wine bars in Leeds?

Yes. Latitude on The Calls is a wine shop by day and a candlelit bar by night, with flights and Yorkshire cheese boards. Farrands on Swinegate offers red, white, rosé and orange wine flights and has a covered terrace.

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About the Author

Picture of Joost Mijnarends

Joost Mijnarends

Joost is the co-founder of JF Property Partners, a family-run property business in the UK. His journey began with a £1 course that led to their first rent-to-rent property in 2023, and today he helps landlords and tenants find better property solutions.

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