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Chat about:
Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
Dukes, Halifax
Halifax
HX1 1TJ
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Blue Scrumpy left this review about Dukes
Dukes is another modern, trendy cafe-type bar positioned in a lovely old arcade, of which Halifax seems to possess quite a few. We arrived here to find quite a few people drinking outside in the arcade and once again, there was quite a queue to get served. In fact, it was spilling out of the door.
Beer options are listed behind the bar which is in front of you enter. There is seating in the space to the left of the entrance, with further seating option to the right where there is also a set of stairs leading up to another room and the bar's two unisex toilets. With the popularity of the bar, two toilets was not enough and quite long queues were forming, which wasn't ideal for anybody caught short.
Cask ales on were Rivington Bounced Right Back, Chain House Only This Moment, Pentrich Release The Castaway & Anthrology Marlborough. Craft beers were Thornbridge Lukas, Gravity Well Einstein Equations, Yonder Freak Shake, Salt/Hooch Twisting Our Lemon, Wild Beer Jambo, Phantom/Makemake Swing Swing, Left-Handed Giant Sicilian Lemon, Pepper Water & Sky Above, Vault City Stoopid, Lost Cause Stone Cold, Ora Limoncello, Neon Raptor Slushasaurus & Phantom Infinite Primes. The cider was Pilton Murmuration.
I don't recall much about my Pentrich beer, but can see that I rated it above average. With time ticking on and people needing the toilet and not being able to wait long enough, this turned out to be the final stop of our day trip to Halifax. So, a swift half of the Pilton cider wrapped things up nicely.
I did quite like the bustling atmosphere in here, it has a lovely location and the beer selection was good. Yes, there are lots of hipster types, but at least they appreciate good beer. So, I was happy to put up with them and some of our party engaged with quite a few.
On 16th July 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3040 recommendations about 3038 pubs]
Tris C left this review about Dukes
Situated in a lovely Victorian arcade, this is a modern trendy place aimed at hipster types. On entering, you can spot the core demographic immediately: an industrial interior, pink and green paint, with a bike and several skateboard decks screwed to walls alongside much merch on display; indeed, the website is dedicated to merch, with no mention of beer.
I went for the Anthology Biscuit Mild, a pale beer which didn’t look much like a mild and didn’t really taste of anything; I couldn’t finish it.
Perhaps this is more a place to be seen in rather than drink in, a slice of Halifax’s new-found ‘Shoreditch in the North’ status, though without the smugness.
On 11th July 2024
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2208 recommendations about 2165 pubs]
Moby Duck left this review about Dukes
Old meets new, set in a Victorian arcade as previously mentioned the interior houses a modern, craft forward slightly quirky bar.Four cask beers were available with Anthology The Loved Ones being a decent drop. I liked the vibrancy of this place and would surely be a regular if I lived nearby.
On 7th July 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2151 recommendations about 2118 pubs]
Bucking Fastard left this review about Dukes
Set in a very attractive Victorian shopping arcade,this is a modern bar featuring both ale and kegged beers.There is some industrial chic,the furniture and banquettes made from light ply,drinking shelves and some high tables and much more seating upstairs in a corridor area overlooking the arcade.
Ale available on my trip Pentrich Release the Castaway,Rivington Moving South,Anthology The Loved Ones and Biscuit Mild (NBSS 4).15 keg taps to choose from too and there was a seperate display of hot sauces for sale.Cashless and a little hip ,the welcome was friendly and I would most certainly use it again when in town.
On 30th June 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2936 recommendations about 2936 pubs]
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Dukes
One of the arcade bars that are a feature of the town centre, with this one temporarily partly obscured by scaffolding so I missed it initially while distracted by the Temperance opposite... Anyway, the ground-floor bar is almost as high as it's wide so it feels quite spacious despite the limited plan area, and further seating is also available upstairs. Four cask beers on handpump, including The Loved Ones 'house' collaboration with Anthology (£4.80), another beer from the same brewery and others from Rivington and UnBarred. Also has an interesting range of craft beers and ciders served from a row of 15 keg taps on the counter.
On 27th June 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8679 recommendations about 8678 pubs]
Real Ale Ray left this review about Dukes
A bright and colourful microbar with ground floor and first floor seating areas, the beer choices were excellent especially on the craft side, with a good and varied selection. I noticed a couple of sours on the beer board, which is good to see and included one from Vault City. The young barman understood his beer selection and even recommended a good Curry House to us all, for the end of the days proceedings. My Rivington Moving South on handpump was in great shape.
You can also purchase some chilli sauces from a shelf at the side of the pub called Duke's Sauce Shop.
On 24th June 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3645 recommendations about 3645 pubs]
Steve of N21 left this review about Dukes
A craft beer bar situated in the Russell Arcade whose vista is currently spoiled by being covered in scaffolding.
A bright colour scheme with purples and pinks prominently featuring and clearly aiming at the younger craft beer drinking demographic.
The large servery in front of you as you enter has a long 15 tap craft wall but also four ale pumps that were dispensing Pentrich Release the Causeway Pale Ale, Rivington Brewing Co. Moving South, Anthology The Loved Ones and an interesting Anthology Biscuit Mild which wasn’t really giving biscuits or Mild to that matter but was pleasant enough.
There’s some colourful comforting seating to the right of the bar and then an additional seating space upstairs which is a bit more plain than the downstairs section.
Some very interesting stuff on the keg taps at the higher craft beer pricing point of £5 to £7.50 a pint, but very good to see four interesting local ales featuring as well.
On 22nd June 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2236 recommendations about 2098 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Old Boots left this review about Dukes
A craft bar on two floors located in a part of the Market building that is accessible outside market hours. The rear mounted counter has five pulls, one is at the far end and is for cider, 15 visible keg taps, but there’s a total of 21 beers & ciders on including a pin on the bar back which contained a 10.6% Stock Ale (£6 per half). There’s much more seating upstairs with a selection of bored games and the toilets, where you’ll find two unisex cubicles with a common washing vestibule. Downstairs has a plywood counter and benches, wirey stools and tables, and a fridge of cans and bottles. Blackboards behind the counter list the beers and if they’re vegetarian friendly or gluten free, no deferential is made between cask and keg. No cash is taken and it’s Good Beer Guide 2024 listed.
On 4th March 2024
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3599 recommendations about 3279 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Mapp left this review about Dukes
Nice indoor market and a little shop conversion run by beer lovers and fans of hard rock.
I enjoyed a Rivington Bounced Right Back whilst people watching in the window.
Decent selection of Belgian bottle in the fridge available for takeway.
On 22nd November 2023
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1563 recommendations about 1543 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about Dukes
Another modern bar in another arcade, seemingly a Halifax speciality. Very yoof-oriented; vivid pink, white and turquoise décor with low-grade American pop-punk playing too loudly given the time of day. The bar and some perch seating are fashioned from pine sheeting. Five pumps with three on, all from LHG. My Pale was one of those haze beers (inevitably) and in that context it was kept competently (NBSS 3.5), priced at £2.40 a half which seemed pretty steep and served-up by a polite barmaid. Usual array of craftykeg and a cider. Cashless, of course. Of amusement value (to me, at least) was the fact that of the three customers, precisely zero were of the type they were aiming for – me the trad ale drinker and two loud lager-drinking lads. Not my kind of place but worth looking-in if you’re new to the town.
On 25th June 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5552 recommendations about 5533 pubs]