The Fleece, Otley

Me and my family have visited The Fleece several times since it has reopened,each time really enjoying ourselves.The food has always been very good, the one occasion we had to wait a while, we were warned of this on ordering as they were very busy.The new decor is great and we have always found the staff very friendly and helpful.As the Fleece previously had a bad reputation we feel that the doorman is appropriate.We look forward to visiting again soon and congratulate the new owners and wish them success.

As a local resident I was keen to check out the newly re-vamped fleece. First impression are good. Clearly a large amount of time, effort and money has gone into the re-vamp. The array of beers and ales on offer is good, the extensive landscaping of the riverside beer garden has produced a pleasant and open space. Sadly that's where the good news ends. The member of staff, a certain Scottish gentleman, I had a mis-pleasure of dealing with wasn't simple rude he clearly displayed an outright contempt for his customers. Putting that to one side the bad news continues, my party ordered a selection of food, 4 meals in total, and not one of us was happy. The "Wing, and Nachos" would be better described as "rubbery chicken and some burnt doritos swimming in cheese and grease". The "Bowl of Chips" transforms into 5 chips... everything is served on small narrow chopping boards, a clear attempt at fooling you into think your £2.50 worth of food is actually high-class contemporary cuisine - I can only assume to justify the £9 price tag. Everyone agreed the money would have been better spent on a sandwich from waitrose accross the road. In short a bold attempt at re-inventing a local pub with everything going for it, shamefully let down, badly at the final hurdle. We can only hope changes are made quickly.

According to the Leeds CAMRA online newsletter, The Fleece re-opened on the 17th March. There are now six WharfeBank beers at the bar, plus a guest ale. The interior has been modified to create three distinct areas and the riverside beer garden has undergone major development.