Gateway Bar, Leeds

Housed in the ground floor of the Ibis hotel in the antiseptic urban wasteland by the BBC and the West Yorkshire Playhouse, it's open plan and modern in style. The counter has three handpumps with beer of surprising provenance, Revolutions, Little Valley and Wharfebank on this occasion, sadly the Revolutions wasn't up to much and we didn't try the others. There was nearly a Get Carter moment as the cask beers are sold in the appalling handled glasses so popular in the 1960s. Seating is mainly in booths and as described below, there is also a pool table and dart board. Sky sports is shown on a number of big screens and the commentary is repeated in the Gents - which is nice.

Having just checked into the neighbouring Ibis Hotel and in serious need of some food, I popped into this place to grab a sandwich and found three ales on the go for my troubles. The long servery running down the left hand wall has three handpulls in the middle of the counter which were dispensing Little Valley Hebden’s Wheat, Wharfebank VPA and Clark’s Conqueror. I opted for the VPA and found myself with a decent, hoppy session ale. Opposite the bar there is a large, partially screened off, seating area with thick carpet, lots of comfy sofas, banquettes and tub chairs and a few boxy wooden chairs that look like the last seats to be chosen when the place is full. Some padded high stools run along a drinking ledge separating this lounge area from the lower, front section which houses a pool table and some diner-style booths under the large front windows. Several TV screens are dotted around the room, showing a variety of sports channels with music playing over the commentary, whilst the walls have been decorated with some glass artworks. The menu offered generously filled baguettes with a good size side of chips for £7.50, whilst regular main meals were a very reasonable £8.50. The bar is a bit out of the way from the city’s main drinking circuit and most of the customers seemed to be seeking refuge from the aforementioned hotel. I only made a brief, pit-stop visit to this place, but I thought it was a decent enough bar, ideal for watching live sport, playing pool or just having a quick beer when checking in or out of the hotel. The decent ale is a definite bonus and I’d be happy to pop in again if I was this end of town.

Be careful crossing the road if you're visiting here and not staying in the Ibis Budget hotel upstairs, because the traffic whizzes round at a tremendous lick a few metres from the door. If I hadn't known, this is the last place I'd have expected to find real ale in Leeds, but in fact there are three hand pumps, serving three locally produced ales. Two were from Little Valley (near Hebden Bridge) and one was from Wharfe Bank. The latter brewery is situated in Ilkley, and their VPA does not take its name from Very Pale Ale, as the barman told me with authoritative tones, but from Verbeia, a Roman goddess whose only known altar was found in that West Yorkshire town. Whatever the origins, it was a very nice beer - I was given a taste after I had already bought a half of the Little Valley Sixpence. Both beers were in good condition and well served, though a little on the cold side. How pleasant to find good quality ales in what to outward appearances is just an ordinary hotel bar. And at a fairly standard (for Leeds) £3.10 a pint. Opens at 12 noon on weekdays, but 10 am at the weekend.