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Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about Veritas
This large, split-level bar opposite Leeds General Infirmary, was previously the Waterhole Wine Bar, a Hogshead pub and the Portland Wine Bar, before Market Town Taverns took it over and opened it in its current guise back in October 2010. I entered the pub via the corner door, which takes you into the lower half of the pub - an L shaped bare boarded room focussed around a deli counter rather than a bar. There was definitely a moment of uncertainty as I perused a bar back filled with various preserves, conserves and cheeses, but a quick glance to the right assured me that I was actually in a pub, as the main bar area can be seen up the steps from here. The walls have been decorated with various wine, port and sherry posters and some shelves have been filled with champagne bottles, whilst a shop display can be seen in the front window. It's not very pubby, but seeing as I was here for a bite to eat, as well as a pint, I wasn't complaining. A doorway at the rear leads into a panelled rear room, painted in an off-white shade and furnished with a good deal of standard seating. Heading up to the main bar, the servery can be found on the back wall with plenty of good seating opposite in an area made light and airy by the large front windows. Lots of large wine and spirits posters add a splash of colour to the walls and you can move through into a further seating area to the right, which includes a raised section at the front of the building.
The ale range was pretty exciting, with Thwaites Wainwright, Black Sheep Bitter, Roosters Astro, Saltaire Hopfen IPA and Triple Chocoholic, Taylor Best Bitter and Ilkley Mary Jane all available. I couldn't pass up the chance to try the Triple Chocoholic and it was its usual luscious self. I also sampled something called the Yorkshire Platter, which included various Yorkshire cheeses, pates and other such goodies, which I demolished with great relish.
I feel a bit like a stuck record, but this is yet another winner from Market Town Taverns. The pub was doing a good trade on my Saturday evening visit and, given the quality of my food and drink, I can easily see why. There are a few very good pubs at this end of the city and this is up there with the best of them.
On 12th January 2014
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about Veritas
A good few customers in here on our early Saturday afternoon visit. We found this bar to have good service and had a good laidback atmosphere. The bar was busy with food on the day and drinks served was a mix of ales and their Continental lagers. Eight handpumps in use on our visit, we went for the Ilkley Mary Jane, Revolutions Treason and Roosters Galaxy Pale Ale. They serve well kept ales.
On 25th November 2013
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Veritas
Interesting place, with an unusual 'L'-shaped layout comprising four distinct areas. You enter into an eating area with a food counter, and you can just make out a private dining room beyond. At right angles to this, you pass into the main bar with a further seating area beyond. Comfortable mixture of traditional and modern furniture and decor. Six of eight handpumps in operation on my latest visit, including two ales from Magic Rock, Great Heck Treason Stout, TT Havercake Ale, Black Sheep Ruddy Ram (£3.12) and a cider. Overall, well worth seeking out.
On 18th October 2013
- rating: 8
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about Veritas
A fairly new ale and wine bar, featuring eight beers dispensed from posh chrome fonts. Local micros feature heavily alongside larger staples like Tim Taylor and Black Sheep, all in good condition; my latest visit found excellent quality guest pints of Wensleydale Mild and Acorn Stirling alongside two from Roosters and a proper cider. The interior has an unmistakably modern feel to it, though less clinical than one or two other new outlets in the city attempting to capture a similar crowd and atmosphere, probably helped by the impressive (reclaimed?) bar area and the large (presumably original) windows running the length of the pub’s frontage. The restrained blue and cream interior is complemented by tasteful retro art prints on the walls. Unusually for a pub/bar there is a deli counter offering various snacks and cakes. A selection of daily papers are available, always a winner with me. Whilst I prefer a more traditional type of pub, I happily pop back to this one when I’m in Leeds as it offers something enjoyably different and a fine pint. Upped rating from an 8 to a 9 based on the superb beer quality.
On 28th August 2012
- rating: 9
[User has posted 5089 recommendations about 5072 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Thuck Phat left this review about Veritas
Inside this traditional red brick building is a buzzing and modern bar with a varied clientele. It makes for an atmospheric environment which can so often elude modern feeling bars.
The beer range on our visit was imaginative and eclectic mixed with local staples: Ilkley Mary Jane, Black Sheep, Thwaites Wainwright, Off Beat Way Out Raspberry and Out of Step IPA, Wentworth Chocolate and Chilli Stout and Riverhead Sparth Mild. My Out of Step IPA was exceptional and in very good condition but the Chocolate and Chilli Stout, although extraordinary, was probably on the way out.
I think that this place works very well and has taken the best of a modern refurbishment whilst avoiding the worst. That and the ale range means I'd certainly return if in Leeds.
On 17th July 2012
- rating: 8
[User has posted 679 recommendations about 678 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about Veritas
Opposite the impressive Leeds General Infirmary,and so popular with doctors and nurses (no bad thing),I was immediately impressed with the range of real ale being dispensed from the eight modern steel handpumps.An eclectic choice from some up and coming micros,but this was the last stop on the crawl,so detail is lacking.However I do recall the bar like interior with a food counter to the left of the entrance,an open plan main area with cafe style tables and large windows giving a light and airy feel.
Although modern and a bit trendy,given the ale selection this would be among the first pubs that I would head for if visiting Leeds in future.
On 8th July 2012
- rating: 9
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
ROB Camra left this review about Veritas
OB & A&H describe the pub well below, so I won't bother. There were plenty of medical people in evidence when we visited on Saturday night. The whole table next to us worked across the road. The pub was absolutely packed, but it was still easy to get served. We stayed for a couple of drinks and both of the beers I tried were in top notch condition. The other half liked the wine selection as well. It's going to need time to bed down before it will be obvious exactly how good it's going to be, but it shows a lot of promise. I think I'd like to visit again when it's rather quieter though.
On 8th February 2011
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3224 recommendations about 3135 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Old Boots left this review about Veritas
A Market Town Tavern opposite the Victorian Gothic frontage of Leeds Infirmary and bearing all the usual high quality hallmarks of this outstanding pub chain. As you would expect the place is finished in the house style of crisp modern line furniture and décor with drinks adverts relieving the plain walls. Excellent quality beers from mainly local micros and smaller family brewers with a well chosen range of European and British kegs and wine as the labelling says Ale & Wine bar. Food of course forms a large part of the offering but not overwhelmingly so although maybe more than at others in the group. My only gripe about this one was the staffing was not up to the usual numbers or high standard; being a busy bank holiday just after Christmas may not have helped matters and in any case the service was not down at the JDW level. The pub is in a corner location with three rooms, the first being more for dining and has some sort of food counter, up a few steps is the main bar still with tables and chairs and behind this a slightly divided off area with benches. Big, clear windows give a view of the Gothic splendour opposite but I didn't see or hear any medics on my visit.
On 29th December 2010
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3269 recommendations about 2978 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
aleand hearty left this review about Veritas
A new real ale and wine bar, the latest venture from Market Town Taverns, found bang opposite the George Street entrance of Leeds General Infirmary. It’s one of those places where, as you enter, you internally punch the air knowing that you’ve found somewhere you really like.
Internally, it has a roughly L-shaped interior, nicely light and airy from the considerable glass frontage. It’s been decorated and fitted out to a high standard, based on a subdued blue and cream colour scheme. There’s the almost obligatory laminated flooring, pale wooden tables and a scattering of church pew benches, plus walls lined with art prints and posters. Floor space has been pleasingly broken up into several cosy areas.
At the bar there were eight hand pumps on the go, largely featuring local microbreweries. For completeness the beers were Black Sheep Bitter, Timothy Taylor ‘Golden Best’, Saltaire ‘Cascade’ & ‘Blonde’, Leeds ‘Best’, WharfeBank ‘Black Tom’, Ilkley ‘Mary Jane’ with one from the dark side of the Pennines in Thwaites’ ‘Wainwright’. Quality of the three I tried was very good, all tasting very fresh. There was also a decent wine list, as you’d expect. Staff were, young, friendly and welcoming.
Food is provided in the form of high-end bar snacks and deli nibbles. (There’s a deli counter at right angles to the bar.) Although not tried it looked to be good value.
Despite being open for less than a week, when we called on Monday evening, there was a reasonable atmosphere provide by several small groups. I can see it slowly evolving into an informal doctors mess, if the conversation I overheard was anything to go by! Having said that, the city’s financial and legal areas are also close by, so you can imagine the crowd that’s going to be drinking there. Although it’s early days, Veritas looks very promising indeed. From a beer drinker’s point of view it ties in rather nicely with a visit to The Victoria, The Town Hall Tavern and Mr Foley’s. On the basis of this first visit: Excellent.
On 12th October 2010
- rating: 8
[User has posted 582 recommendations about 564 pubs]