Duck & Drake, Leeds

Live music pub housed in a distinctive wedge-shaped building. Very basic furniture and decor in the two main rooms. Seven of the ten handpumps in the main bar were operational, and there may have been more in the other. A good range of mostly local beers was on offer (e.g. Elland Eden, £2.75). All a bit rough and ready, but worth a visit if in the area. (NB - Review dates from August 2011.)

The Duck and Drake is on the apex of two streets giving it a narrow frontage. Once inside here i went in the very basic room at the front of the pub there was a corridor leading to another room which i did'nt go in. There was a very good choice of beers on here and i had a drink of Elland Dark bitter which was very nice the other beers that i noted were Kelham Pale Rider, Abbeydale Moonshine and a beer from Goose Eye brewery there were about another 7 real ales on. This is not the most comfortable of pubs but the beer here is very nice.

A scruffy mucky pub that picks its self up by stocking a good range of well kept ales but then lets its self down by charging too much for them.

Having read the recent good reviews, I called in out of curiosity, on the way to meet friends in The Palace nearby and was so glad I did. The old girl finally seems to have got her mojo back. The last time I visited, a couple of years ago, The Duck really did seem in terminal decline and was a shadow of its former self, so different from when I used to drink there regularly in the late eighties. Overall, the interior remains largely the same as it’s always been, although there have been some minor modifications as mentioned below. Certainly, the small balustraded stage area in front of the main corner entrance, the overhead lighting stack and unless my memory is playing tricks on me, the overhead fans, globe lighting and the etched (effect?) windows. Also, there are now some much needed tables and chairs in the floor space in front of the bar. However, some things never change, including the pleasingly monolithic urinals, in the gents, made by J.Duckett & Sons of Burnley. Unfortunately, as Roger highlights, neither has the sinus clearing odour that hums like the planets! Nine pumps were on the go, during my visit, largely featuring the beers of the Northumberland brewery. However, the lure of Salamander ‘Golden Salamander’ proved too great. A fabulous pint it was too, nicely poured, fresh as a daisy and a decent temperature. The young barmaid that served me was friendly and welcoming. A fantastic holiday weekend atmosphere when I called, on the eve of Good Friday. As virtually every watering hole in Leeds seemed to be rammed that night, it’s difficult to assess how much the increased trade was down to the pub itself, or the Easter break. However, there did seem to be a fair sprinkling of regulars. I’ll definitely call again now, possibly in combination with The Palace and The Adelphi, or the pubs in Holbeck. The crawl permutations have certainly been added to. One final point, if you’re feeling peckish on leaving The Duck, the Persian cafe across the road is very good.

Official site of the Duck & Drake, contains forthcoming music listings - www.duckndrake.co.uk

Official site of the Duck & Drake, contains forthcoming music listings - www.duckndrake.co.uk