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Cambridge PuG Crawl, Friday 5th April 2024 with Gann on the Pub Forum

Victoria Family & Commercial Hotel, Leeds

28 Great George Street
Leeds
LS1 3BB

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Pub Type

Nicholsons (Mitchells & Butlers)
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Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8 of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


custodian 42 left this review about Victoria Family & Commercial Hotel

Called in by chance last evening - hadn't been in for some time. Not too bad but could have done with more bar staff. Had a pint of Moorhouse's Witch Wood which was on form. Not a bad place.

On 14th September 2018 - rating: 6
[User has posted 1693 recommendations about 1691 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Will Larter left this review about Victoria Family & Commercial Hotel

I remember coming at half time in a concert at the town hall many years ago: Beethoven's 7th Symphony and Brahms's Violin Concerto; and what a surprise to see members of the orchestra drinking at the bar. Nothing so exciting on my most recent visit, and though the building remains well preserved and attractive, I'm not sure how well it is working as a pub; there's something missing. Nothing to complain about on the beer choice front, with nine hand pumps on the bar (six beers and one cider). Nothing to complain about, but not much to get excited about either: Ossett Red, Leeds Pale, Sharps Doom Bar, Acorn Barnsley Bitter, Moorhouses Broomstick Bitter and (Wolverhampton) Tetleys. This was quieter than lots of other pubs on my early Friday evening visit, and I hope it gets busier later to keep those beers ticking over without getting too old.

Date of visit: 13th April 2018

On 29th June 2018 - rating: 6
[User has posted 3699 recommendations about 3440 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Mark Davey left this review about Victoria Family & Commercial Hotel

Can't believe that this pub hasn't been reviewed since 2013!

Great old Victorian pile of an old hotel come drinking emporium. The fantastic internal architecture is matched by the selection of beer, all in good condition.

Well worth the short walk from town, stop for a couple and play some cards.

On 17th January 2018 - rating: 8
[User has posted 292 recommendations about 276 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Pub SignMan left this review about Victoria Family & Commercial Hotel

Tucked away behind the Town Hall buildings, this is a fine multi-room pub and former hotel, once part of Tetley's empire, but now under the careful stewardship of Nicholsons. You enter into a carpeted lobby area with rooms off to either side and a third visible to the rear. The main bar is to the right in a bare boarded room with an attractive dark wood servery running along the left hand wall with a stained glass bar back and some intricate woodwork features. Smart padded benches fill booths opposite with carved end piece and some incredible, large snob-screen partitions as well as large mirrors and coloured wall tiles, making these the best spots to grab a seat. There is a small raised seating area under the front windows and an open area to the rear with more benches, ample standing room and access to the outdoor smoking area. The room has a decorative ceiling bearing a repeating flower motif and perhaps the only incongruous item was a TV screen showing Sky Sports News. On the other side of the servery, there is a smaller second bar, although this was reserved for a private party on our visit, so I was only able to manage a quick glimpse which revealed plenty of comfortable looking furnishings. Similarly, the front lounge (Bridget's Bar) was also being used for a private function, but they had the good grace to leave the door open, so I was able to note a smart, compact room with a nice etched glass door, wallpapered walls and a good number of comfy looking button backed banquettes. The hotel was said to be a popular place of residence for judges sitting in the nearby law courts and there was supposedly an underground passage from the pub to the courts which the judges were able to use to avoid having to appear in public.
I myself was called to the bar, where I found nine hand pumps offering Wharfebank Fair Dinkum, Nicholson's Porter, Great Yorkshire Yasigi, Cottage Norman's Conquest and Kelburn Dark Moor. My pint of the Yasigi slipped down nicely and I had time for a quick half of the Porter before leaving which was also a good drop.
This is another fine historic Leeds pub and I agree with previous reviewers that Nicholson's are doing a good job preserving this place for future generations. I'd definitely give this place another look the next time I'm in town and will hopefully be able to get a good look around the other rooms.

On 18th December 2013 - rating: 8
[User has posted 3102 recommendations about 3102 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Steve C left this review about Victoria Family & Commercial Hotel

The Victoria is a Nicholson’s pub so one gets a taste of the original Victorian splendour. During my recent Friday evening visit the left hand side of the pub was being used by a wedding party so I didn’t get to have a nose around. The right hand side consists of some seating up a couple of steps at the front and a long bar that runs along the left hand wall. This faces some booths that stretch along the right hand wall and are separated by snob screens. At the rear is more seating and a plasma screen that was showing muted BBC News.
The bar is stocked with standard draught products and I counted nine hand pumps. Three of these were off leaving six ales of quite a high ABV for me on an all-day session. This didn’t bother a fellow PuG crawler who effortlessly knocked back a pint of 7% Christmas Ale.

I’m a big fan of Nicholson’s pubs and I would have no problem returning here.

On 17th December 2013 - rating: 8
[User has posted 5179 recommendations about 5148 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Steve of N21 left this review about Victoria Family & Commercial Hotel

First time visit to the Victoria and was immediately entered onto the list of Top pubs in Leeds worthy of a revisit. Whatever you personally think of Mitchells & Butlers as a management company, especially when considering the ghastly Harvesters and Toby Inn brands, it’s difficult to argue that they are not doing right by their Nicholsons chain, and the Victoria is another fine example of a historic traditional English pub being steered in the right direction.
Lovely interior well described previously and I won’t repeat any of that. Beers on offer were from the Autumn Festival collection and I actually broke from my usual tradition of ignoring any house branded ales, and went for the Nicholsons Porter as it was clearly branded from St Austels and was pleasantly surprised how good it was.

On 12th December 2013 - rating: 8
[User has posted 2094 recommendations about 1985 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Real Ale Ray left this review about Victoria Family & Commercial Hotel

Another well chosen pub for our recent PG meet up. This pub is a gem and well worth a visit. Lots of room in here for a group foto. The Wharfebank Fair Dinkum was a good sup, Yorkshire slang of course.

On 25th November 2013 - rating: 9
[User has posted 3378 recommendations about 3378 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Gill Smith left this review about Victoria Family & Commercial Hotel

This is a beauty. Lovely interior in this Nicholson's pub with lots of etched glass on large snob screens between the booths of comfy seats. Good choice of real ales available, and we had Great Yorkshire Yasigi and Wharfebank Fair Dinkum. Well worth a visit.

On 23rd November 2013 - rating: 8
[User has posted 1339 recommendations about 1222 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Victoria Family & Commercial Hotel

Looks a solid, sensible sort of place from the street, but you would be unlikely to guess how ornate the Victorian interior is. Booths, screens, columns, moulded ceilings, etched glass - it's got the lot in the richly-decorated main (Victoria) bar. Also has two separate dining rooms - Albert's and Bridget's. Usually has a good selection of national and local real ales from the nine handpumps. Overall, well worth seeking out on any visit to the city.

On 18th October 2013 - rating: 8
[User has posted 8061 recommendations about 8061 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Thuck Phat left this review about Victoria Family & Commercial Hotel

A well described and ornate Victorian interior makes this well worth a visit for a pint or two.
Nicholson's were offering a decent range of ale on our visit: Inveralmond MBU, London Pride, Thwaites Sunshine & Lollipops, Green Dragon Hopdaemon and St Peters Mild. Not the best selection in Leeds but not at all bad and everything we had was in good condition.
I'd pop back for the interior and a decent pint.

On 17th July 2012 - rating: 8
[User has posted 679 recommendations about 678 pubs]

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