Luis Bar @ Fernandes, Wakefield

This two floor bierkeller/ale house is a bit of a challenge to find if heading from the town centre, although it is just a short walk from Kirkgate station. On our Sunday evening visit, the ground floor bierkeller was shut, so we ventured upstairs into the main bar, with its fine dark wood and exposed brick interior and impressive vaulted ceiling. The room has been broken up somewhat with some large booth-like sections filled with comfortable bench and standard chair seating, whilst a number of barrels provide somewhere for vertical drinkers to rest their pint. The whole room has been decorated by a great number of full size pub signs, which look fantastic and act as forms of partitioning in places. The pub is, as the name suggests, the tap for the Fernandes Brewery - a subsidiary of Ossett - and accordingly they were well represented on the satisfyingly long row of hand pumps, with Fernandes Ghost of Louis, Challenger, Taverners Bitter and Avanother, Ossett Brigantes and Pale Gold, Gales HSB, Empire Moonraker Mild and Elland Mr Sun to choose from. I sampled the Ghost of Louis and Moonraker Mild, both of which were well kept and very enjoyable. A decent looking bottled beer selection was available as well, although I don't recall seeing any beer menus, so perhaps it's not that extensive. I really liked the look and feel of this place and got the impression that it's the sort of pub where most visitors would quickly be made to feel welcome. The highlight of a good day drinking around Wakefield and one that I would gladly revisit at the next opportunity.