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Chat about:
Beer of the Week (w/e 28th April 2024) with aleandhearty
on the Pub Forum
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Bankers Cat
Thornbridge have done a really good job here and have recreated the feel of a city centre Victorian pub.There is a parquet floor throughout,the central bar has two wings,to the right an impressive chandelier at the end of leather side benches while to the left are a series of seating booths.Much dark wood fittings,the muzak was gentle and the service quick and efficient,even the bouncer on the door was respectful.
It is worth investigating downstairs where there is a pool table with a surrounding banquette and a back snug in a former bank vault with a vast metal door. The loos just marked as Toilets may well have been unisex,I saw no sign of any urinals.
The star of the show is the ale selection from 8 pumps which on my trip was from Thornbridge Market Porter,Jaipur IPA,Grand Purposes,Lord Marples,Astryd and Brother Rabbit (NBSS 4) with two guests Only with Love Galaxy and By the Horns Stiff Upper Lip.There is an impressive keg line up if that's your game.
Close to the station with a great ale line up this is a must visit on any tour of the city and I will return for a longer stay next time.Less hectic than the Birmingham branch,it seems to be avoided by the O'Neil and All Bar One crowd and was pleasantly calm on a busy Saturday.
On 14th April 2024
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2730 recommendations about 2730 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Bankers Cat
The Banker's Cat is situated in what is clearly a very busy area for drinking on a Saturday evening. As with most pubs and bars around, there was a bouncer on the door. All of the bouncers we met were friendly though, including here. At least we got into this one, unlike the Friends of Ham and Bundobust which were both fully booked.
Being a Thornbridge pub, this felt similar in atmosphere to their pub in Birmingham (the Colmore). Similar to that one, there was also lots of dark wood and it felt lacking in light in some places.
The central bar is quite traditional. With all tables taken when we arrived, we propped up the bar for a while, until one became free. Looking at the last review, I'm glad we didn't try searching for the toilets. The disabled toilet next to the bar was much more convenient.
Jaipur, Astryd & Lord Marples are the regular Thornbridge beers here on cask. In addition, they had Brother Rabbit, Brock & Crackendale, alongside Oakham Citra. There were plenty of craft beers on too. I enjoyed my Brock.
Another new pub visited in Leeds City Centre for me and certainly one of the best 2 of the day.
On 25th August 2021
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2454 recommendations about 2453 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The Bankers Cat
A quick visit between arriving in Leeds and catching a bus out to Bardsey, so I was glad to find the service efficient and the test & trace log in seamless, with a QR code on a table just inside the door. I was ushered to a table away from sight of the pump clips, of which there were five on the eight hand pumps arrayed on the handsome dark wood bar (with brass rails for elbows and feet). The server had to keep turning towards them as he strove to remember what was on, which makes it difficult to hear when wearing a mask. Brother Rabbit, Astryd and Lord Marples were all I could remember from my brief glimpse on the way back from the toilet a few minutes later, though I also saw Lukas on keg and I guess Jaipur would have been on in one form or another. Of the three named, I know I've been unimpressed with two of them in the past, so went for the third, which was Astryd, a pale and slightly hazy beer that wasn't to my taste though it was well kept and served. Payment is at the bar rather than using a mobile card terminal, but otherwise table service was very good. The interior is superb, with parquet floor throughout, and a wood panelled ceiling. Toilets are downstairs and initially well signed, but on arrival in a room with about six doors marked Private it's disconcerting to then eventually find one labelled Toilets in an unsuspected corner.
On 24th May 2021
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3748 recommendations about 3484 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Old Boots left this review about The Bankers Cat
Covid Special
They ask to take your card away for payment, err excuse me? No way! I paid at the bar. Pick a table but no T&T other than your card. Table service only. Quiet on my visit.
On 1st September 2020
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3273 recommendations about 2982 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Old Boots left this review about The Bankers Cat
Visitors to York’s Market Cat will experience a certain amount of deja vu on entering here. The layout and dark wood are very much the same, eight high quality beers on cask plus a range of interesting kegs. Beers are of course from Thornbridge with half from other well regarded breweries. Decor is architectural drawings and portraits of what I take to be bankers. Toilets in basement next to the former vault which also has a couple of seating areas.
On 6th January 2020
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3273 recommendations about 2982 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alex Conway left this review about The Bankers Cat
New Pivovar & Thornbridge collaboration in a former bank hence the reference in the name. The interior wood panelling reminded me of a high end Sam Smiths and i mean that in a good way. its not often new place opes in a traditional old school pub style, especially in a busy modern part of the city but this places really nails it and the dark lighting and traditional layout with bar stools makes for a really great layout. of the eight beers available The Astryd I had from Thronbridge brewery was really well kept and a good juicy pale for an expensive but expected £3.85 for the very central location. My girlfriends Brother rabbit Bitter was equally as well kept. Overall this is somewhere I definitely expect to make the good beer guide based on this visit if it can maintain it and this will become a regular on our Leeds visits here after.
On 4th January 2020
- rating: 8
[User has posted 457 recommendations about 457 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
ROB Camra left this review about The Bankers Cat
If you've visited the Market Cat in York it's obvious, as soon as you walk in, that this is from the same stable of Pivovar & Thornbridge. Smaller than their York outlet, but still has booths to the left, wood panelling and a comfy atmosphere. Rather than two upstairs areas this has a downstairs one in one of the old bank vaults where it was downright cold on our visit. 8 handpumps on the bar (I think) serving 4 from Thornbridge and 4 guests. I had a pint of Thornbridge Astryd and Cromarty Atlantic Drift, both in good nick. Going to be a regular on our Leeds trips.
On 31st December 2019
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3224 recommendations about 3135 pubs]