Foley's Tap House, Leeds

Situated opposite Leeds City Hall and Art Gallery, Mr Foley's Cask Ale House will be remembered by many in its previous incarnation as Dr Okells, when it sold beers from The Isle of Man Brewery of that name. It's now the first pub outside of York to belong to the York Brewery. The pub is housed in a former Pearl Assurance office building. I gather that the pub is named after Patrick Foley, the founder of Pearl Assurance, although I don't recollect seeing any relevant pictures or photos to confirm this. The main bar area is in front of you as you go in, but the pub is housed over several floors and is much more spacious than is immediately apparent. The mezzanine floor has a mixture of sofas and chairs and tables and has the feel, in parts, of a rather loungey gentleman's club. There's a number of TV's dotted around the place which were showing the one day cricket international between England and Australia. Although I was only half watching, as indeed were a number of other customers, the TV's were promptly switched over to the World Cup later on in the evening without as much as a by your leave. On the real ale front, the normal York beers - Constantine, Centurions Ghost, Guzzler and Yorkshire Terrier - were all on. The Yorkshire Terrier, described as a "rich malty session bitter" - was in good form. Other beers on, inter alia, were from Saltaire, Rooster and Tring. The pub is listed in the CAMRA 2010 Good Beer Guide. There's also a good selection of foreign and bottled beers. Do note the splendid collection of pump clips on the walls as you go to the toilets downstairs. Live music is offered on Sunday and Monday evenings. I imagine that the pub can get quite busy and noisy with the after work office crowd at times and you might want to avoid it at peak times, but otherwise it's worth dropping in.

Superb range of ales. Had Nook Red on our visit. Other ales included ones from York Brewery and Saltaire Brewery amongst others. the bottled beer selection included USA micros such as Flying Dog, Anchor Steam and Brookiyn breweries. Would prefer proper tables to sofas but still well worth visiting.

Housed in a pink granite former Pearl Assurance office building opposite Leeds' magnificent City Hall, Central Library and Art Gallery complex. The ground floor houses the bar counter and provides standing room, iron and wooden stairs lead up to a mezzanine floor with a seating area of sofas, armchairs and chairs and tables, more steps lead up to another small area of chairs and tables overlooking the bar. There is also a lounge area off the mezzanine in the “Gentlemen's Club” style. Décor is European brewery enamelled signs in the manner of Market Town Taverns, and there are a couple of large screens which were showing music videos. A range of York brewery beers plus products of small and/or local breweries are dispensed from the 10 handpumps. These are complimented by a range of rarely seen kegs and European bottled beers. Beer quality is excellent and more than justifies its regular GBG entry. Customers were mainly office staff playing hooky on a wet Thursday and Roger has already told of the enthusiastic staff and the pump clip décor downstairs. Live music is on Sundays and Mondays and there are frequent beer festivals.

Not a place that I would have immediately picked out for a visit but it had been recommended to me and we virtually came across it by accident looking for a different pub. Situated in a listed the building that was originally Pearl Assurance (Patrick Foley was the company’s founder) this was the first York Brewery tied premisies to open outside of York itself. The main bar area is quite small in relation to the building but a flight of stairs leads to a larger more spacious section as well as a small area of balcony seating. The 10 pumps had an excellent range of ales, mainly locally sourced, as well as plenty of irregular kes and premium lagers served up by a delightfully bubbly and knowledgeable barmaid. A trip to toilets will provide a panorama of beer clips indicating the numerous ales that have passed through (there’s a bad joke in this sentence somewhere!). The décor and ambience is a bit too formal and loungy for my tastes and parts seem a bit like a Gentlemans Club. The rap/R&B music TV didn’t really match the surroundings and I found it quite intrusive despite the fact this was mid afternoon. I’m not sure how the atmoshphere develops later in the evenings and at weekends but I am guessing it won’t be to everyone’s taste especially if you are past the first flushes of youth. If you like comfort in the form of sofas and armchairs and you don’t mind the music, you will find the place quite appealing but despite the excellent ales, I’m not sure I would use the place too regularly if I was in the area, especially at peak times.

Absolutely fantastic split level ale house in central Leeds. Very comfortable and most enjoyable for a drink. Brilliant in every aspect, especially the choice of beers A must!

This building ahs undergone a 10 day refurbishment and is owned by York Brewery. York breery beers will always be available on hand pull along with one fromn Leeds Brewery. Pub is now called Mr Foley's Cask Ale House. A food offering is also available.

This building ahs undergone a 10 day refurbishment and is owned by York Brewery. York breery beers will always be available on hand pull along with one fromn Leeds Brewery. Pub is now called Mr Foley's Cask Ale House. A food offering is also available.