The Sparrow, Bradford

Run by the venerable Kirkstall brewery, this is another oblong shaped café bar on the North Parade strip. Oblong interior, a bit staid and mimsy with green being the colour choice. On a middlingly busy evening elsewhere I was the only customer. Far too many cask on (and the barman admitted to aspirators) though I got lucky with the Dexters (NBSS 3). Really strange for it to be so empty. 6.5

Still run by Kirkstall Brewery, two of their beers on the now only three pulls, Black Band Porter (smoked version) and Three Swords, a Brew York APA on the third - a very difficult choice. Nine keg taps on the back wall and a Veltins ceramic one on the counter. Little else has changed either in the high quality of the beer or the decoration.

My wife and I visited the Sparrow recently and could not believe how much this venue had changed. The beers and lagers were completely different I had to take my beers back x 2 due to the very poor quality and my wife did not enjoy the choice of lagers. The atmosphere of the place has also changed for the worse. We have just walked passed the place - it is empty. 2 venues we have visited on North Parade today are both very full. Enough said

As Old Boots has said, this is now owned by Kirkstall. It seems to have more pub like fixtures and fittings, though the small formica topped tables are still present, but with more comfortable pub-like chairs. There is bench seating under the front window and a large fire surround on the wall, which I cannot remember if it was there previously or not. It all seems to work quite well especially with the bench under the window and gives it a more pub like feel and is probably a better use of the space. Six hand pumps for cask ale, three of which were Kirkstall ales and the other three guests, consisting of Chew Chew by Fallen Brewing, Okells Bitter and something by Moor. The Chew Chew took my fancy, this was a caramel stout at 6% which set me back £2.20 for a half. In addition to the cask pumps there are some keg taps on the back wall, and a chalk board beer menu to the left of the bar. Had a bit of a strange chemical / sealant smell when I visited yesterday so can only assume they had just had some work done. It certainly didn't seem to be putting the customers off though as the place was pretty full. More full than I remember it ever being when I have been previously. They now seem to do snacky food - pork pies etc - and there were no leaflets on the tables about pizzas so can only assume the previous arrangement with pizza deliveries has now ended. Pleasant, friendly service. I'm pleased to say this is still as good as it was before it changed ownership.