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Beer of the Week (w/e 28th April 2024) with trainman
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Duck & Drake, Leeds
Leeds
LS2 7DR
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about Duck & Drake
A traditional pub in alehouse style that seems unchanged from when I lived in Leeds in the early 90s, though I don't remember the beer garden. Possibly there are more beers on these days, with 14 listed on the board behind the bar. I saw six hand pumps in the right hand bar, with five beers one, and the barman confirmed that there were "more or less" 14 beers on altogether. My half of Roosters Yankee was in very good condition, but I still wished I had studied the options more carefully as it was a bit too light and frothy for me. I might have to come back another time and try some other beers.
On 10th June 2022
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3746 recommendations about 3483 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about Duck & Drake
Two-bar traditional city centre boozer.
Apparently there can be up to 15 real ales, but on our visit, there were 11. In addition to the regular Bridgehouse Blonde, Rooster's Yankee, Theakston Old Peculier & Timothy Taylor Landlord, they also had Rooster's White Rose, Timothy Taylor Golden Best, Yorkshire Heart Ghost Porter, Purity Pure Gold, Ossett Silver King & Yorkshire Blonder & Daleside Bitter.
Whilst consuming my Ghost Porter, I also noticed an old fellow drinking from an Old Rosie glass. I asked him if it contained Old Rosie. The answer was yes. They don't advertise it in case it encourages the idiots. I trust none read this page.
Probably the best new pub visited in Leeds on this visit.
On 24th August 2021
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2454 recommendations about 2453 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Brainy Pool left this review about Duck & Drake
this two sided pub is so friendly and a great place to spend a while in Leeds, even if just to absorb the excellent music they play. it was all Clash, Members, Adam and the Ants etc today. I was going to call it a rock pub but i think it’s just a pub that is passionate about good music. Lots of prints on the walls, very nicely done. I appeared to be sat in ‘Cabbage Corner’ !
On 21st September 2019
- rating: 9
[User has posted 1058 recommendations about 1023 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
custodian 42 left this review about Duck & Drake
Two rooms with the bar in the middle. Fine selection of real ales as per usual. Would always return to this place.
On 13th August 2018
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1693 recommendations about 1691 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Mark Davey left this review about Duck & Drake
A great beer and live music venue. Superb range of unusual brews on the bar, all well kept by a very enthusiastic gaffer, who was happy to chat about the beer.
On a big crawl, we don't often stop for two, but we did here, despite the incessant attention of the pub dog who could detect a crisp packet opening at 200yards.
We were in on a Saturday lunch so missed out on the music, but the chalk board of forthcoming events was packed with tribute bands and other little known local bands. The rock memorabilia on the walls marks the place as somewhere that probably hums later in the evening.
On 17th January 2018
- rating: 8
[User has posted 292 recommendations about 276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Thuck Phat left this review about Duck & Drake
It was rather late in the day when I visited so detail is scant but is, as ever, accuately provided by Mr. Signman below.
It's a large, street corner, just off town centre boozer which has a central bar. The room to the left felt cavernous which was perhaps due to the gig about to start and, as mentioned below, live music is a speciality.
The lounge area to the right is more comfortable, and less noisy.
There was a wide selection of real ales which I didn't list but which included three from Salamander, Saltaire Pride and Blonde and an excellent Roosters Yankee. A largely local offer and why wouldn't it be in this brewing heartland.
I'd happily drop by again in the expectation of an excellent pint.
On 2nd August 2017
- rating: 8
[User has posted 679 recommendations about 678 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
david hammill left this review about Duck & Drake
Been going in this fine pub for many years but in recent years the pub is over priced and the beer quality is not very good good music though over £4 a pint for a lot of the guest beer a bit ott
On 14th March 2017
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 96 recommendations about 86 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
ROB Camra left this review about The Duck & Drake
Several years ago when I worked in Leeds this was regular haunt of mine as I used to come and watch the jam sessions on a Monday. It's changed a little since then, but not enough to change the essential character of the place. PSM describes the pub in detail and I've nothing else to add except that I'm glad it's still almost the same as it was and my pint was in very good nick.
On 31st January 2014
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3224 recommendations about 3135 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Duck & Drake
Approaching this pub from the direction of the Minster, the first thing you're likely to notice is the upright piano being played by a skeleton, which has been set up on a small patch of ground to the side of the pub, giving you a clue to the live music the pub offers. This connection is made clearer as you enter through the front porch which has a mural of a few famous musicians, and should you need it made any more explicit, a look into the main bar, through the left hand door, reveals more a larger mural and a stage in the front corner. This room is bare boarded and has some very hard, uncomfortable, tatty banquette seating around the perimeter and loads of room for vertical drinking between the stage and the bar. More musical items soon become apparent, with an acoustic guitar stuck to one of the doors, an electric guitar suspended from the ceiling and another incorporated into the mural. A shelf on the back wall held items of Elvis memorabilia and a rogue Cliff Richard LP. An upright piano stands in one corner and I'm sure I saw an advert for a good old fashioned sing-along courtesy of a local pianist. The room is pretty large and a lit fireplace on the back wall was doing its best to warm the place up. There is a smaller bar through the right hand door which is also bare boarded but offers much comfier seating in the form of standard chairs and banquettes. The artist who painted all those musicians has turned their hand to landscapes in here, offering a large painting of Leeds in days gone by. A big mirror dominates the opposite wall and some old fire extinguishers have been put on show in the rear windows. The servery is much smaller this side and has pint pots hanging down over the counter. There were a few slot machines in one corner with a TV screen above which remained turned off.
I was too busy chatting when I visited with the PuG crew, so I failed to note the beers that were available, although I distinctly remember enjoying the Kirkstall Dissolution IPA. A return visit a couple of days later saw the following beers split between the two bars - make sure you consult the blackboards for the full range: Roosters Yankee, Wadworth Swordfish, Robinson's Trooper and Dizzy Blonde, Caledonian Autumn Red, Cottage SB, Duchess and Sterling Pale, Old Bear Hibernator, Theakston Old Peculiar, Revolutions Reward, Daleside Best, Taylor Landlord and Saltaire Blonde. I gave the Cottage SB a try on my return visit and was very disappointed, although I couldn't quite tell if this was a conditioning issue or just a poor brew (I suspect the latter). The staff seemed very friendly and one of the barmaids raised a laugh with her interpretation of 'Shout' by Lulu. There doesn't seem to be much in the way of food, although there were some tasty looking pork pies displayed at the end of the bar.
I liked the feel of this place and didn't mind the slightly shabby interior, which I thought added to its character. The ale range is a good enough reason to return and I wouldn't mind watching some of the live music, as I suspect there will be a pretty good atmosphere. Another top Leeds pub worthy of inclusion on any crawl of the city.
On 18th December 2013
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Duck & Drake
The Duck and Drake consists of a small public bar where a roaring fire could be found during my recent Friday evening visit. In the sparsely furnished main bar area is a stage and an upcoming events sign informs readers that there is weekly live music from Thursdays through to Sundays. My visit was before any band had started to set up or play so the pub wasn’t overly busy. I imagine that the atmosphere changes somewhat when there is some music though. There is a large music themed mural on the wall that was cause of plenty of conversation with my fellow PuG crawlers.
The bar is stocked with more than ten hand pumps and my pint was on good form. I think that the food stretches to bar food and I wasn’t overly impressed with the £2 pork pie.
Out the back is a decked beer garden, as are the gent’s toilets.
I’m not a big fan of music pubs so I didn’t appreciate this place as much as my compadres, but I wouldn’t want to put anyone off visiting.
On 17th December 2013
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5254 recommendations about 5222 pubs]