The Hop, Leeds

This relatively new Osset house is set under the railway arches in Granary Wharf but has been done out in reasonably traditional fashion. There are plenty of detailed descriptions so I'll keep it brief. It was busy on our Friday evening visit with assorted after work drinkers and this is clearly a popular spot but it's a decent size and plenty were taking advantage of the outside space so it never felt overwhelming. Service was also swift and efficient despite the high demand. Beers on were largely from the wider Osset stable: Osset Big Red, Yorkshire Blonde, Silver King and Jester, Rat White Rat and Number of the Rat with guests being Wimbledon Common, Vocation Chop and Change and Jennings Cocker Hoop with two handpumps unused. That's plenty to go at and the Chop and Change was in very good shape and whistled down. Well worth a visit.

The Hop is a newish pub that is situated under railway arches. Once inside there is an oblong shaped room which has a tiled floor,there is a mix of seating types all in use on my Saturday evening visit,so i propped the bar up,there is also some more seating upstairs. The pub is an Ossett brewery tied house,there was a very good choice of real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Rat rat Attack which went down well,the other beers noted were Ossett Yorkshire Blonde,Excelsior,Silver King,Blonde,Gold and Bad Co Comfortably Numb. This is a decent pub,i would have been happier visiting it during the day when it is less busy. Pub visited 13/2/2016

We popped in here on Saturday afternoon about 4pm and it was quiet busy. There was music playing at a decent level, the place had a good atmosphere to it. Even though it was busy, there was no problem getting served as the bar was well staffed. There was a choice of 5 Osset beers and 5 guests. We went for the Osset Silver King, Pure Gold and Fernandes Columbus. I would return here as the beer is excellent.

Hidden away under the arches beneath Leeds train station and fronting the fancy Granary Wharf development, The Hop is an atmospheric pub and live music venue from the Ossett Brewery. The pub fills two arches, with smartly appointed seating areas running from front to back where the servery can be found in an open space connecting the two halves. You enter into a lovely, tiled floor seating area with plush banquettes and low stools running down the right hand wall. There are plenty of bare brick walls and some decorative dark wood panelling, giving the place a bit of a traditional feel which is offset nicely by modern, elaborately decorated mirrors and arty prints of various musicians. A window on the left hand side allows you to take a peek at the cask ales racked up in a central storage room. At the rear of the pub, opposite the bar, there are large windows bearing the pub’s logo, looking out to the service road that runs under the train tracks, although there didn’t appear to be access into the pub from this side. The lack of natural light at this end has resulted in the use of muted lighting, which created a nice, cosy feel despite the fact that I was visiting in broad daylight. The left side of the pub roughly mirrors the right hand seating area, although there is an enormous display case on the staircase on this side, full of various beer bottles. The stairs lead up to a sizeable space where the bands perform, looking down to the bar below. The decor here is a bit incongruous, with lots of graffiti style artwork on the walls, although I suppose it wouldn’t look entirely out of place in most venues on the gig circuit. I arrived to an empty pub, having apparently just missed the lunchtime rush, but it wasn’t long before the next wave of punters started drifting in, livening the place up a bit. As with other Ossett ‘Hop’ pubs, real ale is a key facet and I had a tough time choosing from a line-up of Ossett Pale Gold, Excelsior, Blonde and Silver King, Mauldons Suffolk Pride, Fullers Red Fox, Wentworth Bumble Beer and Fernandes Ale to the Tsar, eventually opting for an excellent pint of the latter. The keg range seemed quite extensive as well, and veered away from the more mainstream products. I didn’t spot menus, so I’m not sure what sort of food is provided, but posters advertised pie, mash and a pint for a fiver, which seems very reasonable. I thought this was an excellent pub with an atmospheric location, offering something a bit different and affordable in amongst all the pricey eateries on the Wharf. It’s a versatile venue and I’d happily return here for food, drinks or a gig.