Duck & Drake, Leeds

Beautiful two roomed victorian wegde pub. We made the mistake of going left into an empty room before finding a surprising amount of punters for midday on a Tuesday in the other room, huddled around a wonderful open fire. Old Print of Leeds dominates one wall. Beerwise, plenty I could have chosen but I went for an excellent Rooster Yankee. My pick of the pubs visited on this trip.

A solid two room wedge shaped boozer well described below with two reviews close to my June visit. I enjoyed my first visit on a lively Saturday evening so much I returned on the Sunday afternoon before my train home. I didn't record all the beers on but I had Wensleydale Human Menagerie and Roosters Bank Of Dave, which is actually Yankee re-badged for the pub as it refers to the name of a film shot in the pub and surrounding area. Great pub.

A traditional no-frills boozer in an unusual wedge shape building towards the end of the popular Kirkgate, it consists of two bars with a central bar counter serving both. The left-hand bar had a band on when we visited and we did not investigate this. Locals seemed friendly and we shared a table with a couple of old boys who soon struck up a conversation. Décor wise it’s quite dated but not at all unpleasant, with nicotine coloured embossed wallpaper on the ceiling, flock wallpaper and deep red paintwork on the woodwork as well as red drape curtains in the windows. An old brick fireplace was off to one side, and there were some old brewery mirrors on the wall, as well as their own Duck & Drake mirror describing themselves as a Fine Ales Emporium. The pub’s emblem of a couple of flying ducks also appeared on the etched glass windows and a wooden carving above the bar counter. The main feature of interest was some very old and large pictures, murals almost, of the locale, including a bust street scene and some shops. Seating was a mixture of fitted leather bench seating as well as regular chairs and stools. Beers that I spotted were Timothy Taylor’s Landlord and Golden Best, Bradfield Farmers Blonde, Rooster’s Bank of Dave, Old Peculiar and Wensleydale’s Masks & Mirrors (although this was described as a cask lager whatever that is) although there may well have been further offerings in the other bar. The only ciders were Strongbow and Strongbow Dark Fruit, although again, perhaps there were others that I missed.