Kuja, Sowerby Bridge

I can't say I took to this place at all. It's an office conversion with a modern interior and a generally trendy feel to it. Beers noted were Saltaire Cascade, Magic Rock Ringmaster, Thornbridge Hopton, Orkney Dark Island and Dark Star Hophead. I went for the Saltaire Cascade which was sour and I had to send back. It was replaced with the Thornbridge Hopton (£2.90) which although good enough wasn't outstanding quality. Maybe I caught it on a bad day

We visited on A&H's recommendation and review below and were glad to have done so. I won't replicate his review other than to say that it feels like a trendy bar, although not in an unwelcoming way and the barman was very knowledgable on the ale front going so far as to describe some of the better bottled ales which he'd sampled from the cheap booze shop close by. On our early evening visit there were one or two tables busy with people eating and it does seem to attract the younger types. We didn't eat but the menu looked interesting and the tapas selections especially caught my eye as being worth a go. Beer on cask was: Oakham Citra, Magic Rock Ringmaster, Redwillow Feckless, Moorhouses Pride of Pendle and Five Points Railway Porter. The latter was very good and there were also some interesting keg options available. Very close to The Works and The Puzzle and equally commendable.

A classic example of do not judge a book by its cover. External appearances would suggest that the Firehouse is a fairly innocuous modern bar, with little to appeal to the serious drinker. However, nothing could be further from the truth, as the six hand pumps and six craft beer fonts immediately testify, on entering. Internally, it’s a long narrow bar with black walls and ceiling, a wooden floor (possibly original?) and exposed brickwork behind the bar itself. A spiral staircase, opposite the entrance, leads to a more formal dining space on the floor above. Not a lot to appeal to traditionalists, perhaps, but it works surprisingly well. I tried four of the six hand pulled beers on offer – Salopian ‘Golden Thread’, Saltaire ‘Dark Matter’, Magic Rock ‘Ringmaster’ and Thornbridge ‘Wild Swan’ and all were in very good nick, rather better than I was expecting. Service from the young bar staff was welcoming and attentive throughout, which added to the already pleasant late Saturday afternoon atmosphere. The food is also worthy of mention, with the ‘2 for £10’ deal an absolute snip, for two good quality, thin crust, Italian style pizzas. However, other dishes were highly rated by those in our party. Overall, The Firehouse proved a very pleasant surprise. Previous visits to Sowerby have seen me walk straight past on the way to The Works and The Puzzle Inn. However, I suspect that won’t happen again. What was once an enjoyable double header has become an even more enjoyable triple header.