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Duck & Drake, Leeds

43 Kirkgate
Leeds
LS2 7DR

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Reviews (Current Rating Average: of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Steve of N21 left this review about The Duck & Drake

A traditional Victorian boozer that now continues life as a Rock and Ale pub.
It probably comes into its own when there is a band playing in the slightly scruffy Spartan front room but there was enough about this place to give it a good vibe, even without live sounds.
Plenty of music memorabilia adorn the walls , including some excellent large murals of Rock Legends and any pub that has a mural of the Irish Blues Legend that is Rory Gallagher on their walls get an extra point from me. Is it really 18 years since we lost him ?. A certain member of our group showed his heathen music knowledge by trying to proclaim it was Roger Plant and I am glad Ray has had the courage to ‘out’ himself in the review below.
Good range of different from the run of the mill Ales and also tried the Reward from Revolutions Brewing Co.
The Duck & Drake isn’t a flash pub, and it doesn’t try to be. But on the evidence of this short visit, what it does do, it does very well. Will definitely try to visit when a band is on when next in town.

On 8th December 2013 - rating: 7
[User has posted 2094 recommendations about 1985 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Real Ale Ray left this review about The Duck & Drake

We too enjoyed our visit here on the PG crawl. I tried my best to name all the images of the rock icons, but got stuck with one, Roger B and Gann told us it was Rory Gallagher. We called again the next day and enjoyed the back bar and a good pint of Roosters. One not to be missed.

On 3rd December 2013 - rating: 8
[User has posted 3378 recommendations about 3378 pubs]


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Bucking Fastard left this review about The Duck & Drake

For me one of the highlights of the PuG crawl,music plays a large part in the life of this traditional Victorian boozer.The main tap room has a small stage to one side,an L shaped bar and hand painted mural of various rock musicians.I would be impressed if you could name them all.There is also an upright piano and the door to the gents has a instrumental guitar attached to it.There is a small corridor around the side leading to a basic back bar with a glowing real fire and bench seating.The bar here has a few more handpumps but the ale selection is noted above the main servery.I counted 12 handpumps and the range was impressive,my Roosters Yankee spot on.Pork pies in a glass jar (£1.80) were very good and the gents has some impressive porcelain from J Duckett and Sons.
There is live music on Thursday,Friday ,Saturday and Sunday.Worth spending some time in ,rather than the quick crawl visit from me.The atmosphere was lively and friendly. Hopefully I'll be back soon.

On 23rd November 2013 - rating: 8
[User has posted 2709 recommendations about 2709 pubs]


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Gill Smith left this review about The Duck & Drake

This was a real drinkers pub and caters for music lovers as well as beer drinkers. We enjoyed our chosen beers here, Wadworth Swordfish and Revolutions Reward.

On 23rd November 2013 - rating: 7
[User has posted 1339 recommendations about 1222 pubs]


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Quinno _ left this review about The Duck & Drake

After a period of closure, the Duck and Drake has re-opened ostensibly the same as previous, a music and ale pub. 10 pumps offer a number of beers from smaller breweries with the odd national thrown in, though not all are flowing at any one time. The quality of mine were fine, no complaints and I was impressed to see a musical theme to one, ‘Le Freak’ by Revolutions brewery. The interior of the main bar area is a fairly sparse and scruffy affair with basic wooden furniture, the odd banquette and a well-worn wood floor. As mentioned elsewhere, the whole-wall mural of legendary musicians from a fading age is impressive. There’s also a rear room but I made no notes on this. The locals were chatty, if a tad eccentric; one or two looked like they’d been in since opening time when we arrived just on 4pm. Upcoming gigs are advertised on chalk boards above the bar, as are the ‘award winning pork pies and homemade mushy peas’. One of the pies was proudly displayed on its lonesome in a decorative cake stand at the bar which was promptly snaffled by a fellow crawlee (who I note has also left a review on this page…). Whilst the pub isn’t really my bag for a session, I’d certainly be happy to take in the gigs and beer if I lived locally.

On 28th August 2012 - rating: 7
[User has posted 5050 recommendations about 5033 pubs]


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Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Duck & Drake

Live music pub housed in a distinctive wedge-shaped building. Very basic furniture and decor in the two main rooms. Seven of the ten handpumps in the main bar were operational, and there may have been more in the other. A good range of mostly local beers was on offer (e.g. Elland Eden, £2.75). All a bit rough and ready, but worth a visit if in the area. (NB - Review dates from August 2011.)

On 5th February 2012 - rating: 7
[User has posted 8066 recommendations about 8066 pubs]


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Alan Winfield left this review about The Duck & Drake

The Duck and Drake is on the apex of two streets giving it a narrow frontage.
Once inside here i went in the very basic room at the front of the pub there was a corridor leading to another room which i did'nt go in.
There was a very good choice of beers on here and i had a drink of Elland Dark bitter which was very nice the other beers that i noted were Kelham Pale Rider, Abbeydale Moonshine and a beer from Goose Eye brewery there were about another 7 real ales on.
This is not the most comfortable of pubs but the beer here is very nice.

On 5th December 2010 - rating: 6
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]


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pint please left this review about The Duck & Drake

A scruffy mucky pub that picks its self up by stocking a good range of well kept ales but then lets its self down by charging too much for them.

On 8th July 2010 - rating: 5
[User has posted 25 recommendations about 25 pubs]


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aleand hearty left this review about The Duck & Drake

Having read the recent good reviews, I called in out of curiosity, on the way to meet friends in The Palace nearby and was so glad I did. The old girl finally seems to have got her mojo back. The last time I visited, a couple of years ago, The Duck really did seem in terminal decline and was a shadow of its former self, so different from when I used to drink there regularly in the late eighties.

Overall, the interior remains largely the same as it’s always been, although there have been some minor modifications as mentioned below. Certainly, the small balustraded stage area in front of the main corner entrance, the overhead lighting stack and unless my memory is playing tricks on me, the overhead fans, globe lighting and the etched (effect?) windows. Also, there are now some much needed tables and chairs in the floor space in front of the bar. However, some things never change, including the pleasingly monolithic urinals, in the gents, made by J.Duckett & Sons of Burnley. Unfortunately, as Roger highlights, neither has the sinus clearing odour that hums like the planets!

Nine pumps were on the go, during my visit, largely featuring the beers of the Northumberland brewery. However, the lure of Salamander ‘Golden Salamander’ proved too great. A fabulous pint it was too, nicely poured, fresh as a daisy and a decent temperature. The young barmaid that served me was friendly and welcoming.

A fantastic holiday weekend atmosphere when I called, on the eve of Good Friday. As virtually every watering hole in Leeds seemed to be rammed that night, it’s difficult to assess how much the increased trade was down to the pub itself, or the Easter break. However, there did seem to be a fair sprinkling of regulars.

I’ll definitely call again now, possibly in combination with The Palace and The Adelphi, or the pubs in Holbeck. The crawl permutations have certainly been added to. One final point, if you’re feeling peckish on leaving The Duck, the Persian cafe across the road is very good.

On 6th April 2010 - rating: 7
[User has posted 573 recommendations about 555 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Roger Button left this review about The Duck & Drake

A real spit and sawdust music pub that I understand has had a bit of a rocky period recently when it was closed and faced an uncertain future. It is certainly fully operational now and, as well as its diet of of live music, offers a particularly healthy selection of Real Ales. I counted 10 hand pumps, most of which were populated by ales (and a few breweries) previously unknown to me. The 2 bars are about as basic as things can get with bare floors, scant furnishings and not much that can be described as being made for comfort. The main bar has a large mural containing 14 musicians that will keep you occupied as you argue over their identities (I think I managed 12). In the main bar is a low stage area that is bizarrely situated in front of what would have once been the main entrance. The sizeable rear bar has a dart board and a giant picture of old Leeds dominates the wallspace. The bogs stink (all part of the character of course) but worthy of a visit for the giant old enamel urinals. The average beer drinker will probably hate the music and the average music fan will probably hate the beers but if both things make you tick, you may have found your Shangri La.

On 15th February 2010 - rating: 7
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]

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