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Friends of Ham, Leeds
Leeds
LS1 5DL
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Old Boots left this review about Friends of Ham
A while since I’ve been in and it’s further up itself than it was just after they enlarged the place. You have got to sit down as “we don’t do standing at the bar” they don’t do table service either so it’s ok to stand at the counter in the hope of getting served, you may need to wait for the staff to stop consulting their phones of course. Two pulls with a reasonable Kirkstall Pale and Anthology Making Waves plus 14 kegs listed on the blackboard at the rear. It also has fridges of Belgian etc beer. You can go in just for a drink but don’t expect to be that welcome on a busy weekend.
On 17th March 2024
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3230 recommendations about 2939 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about Friends of Ham
Trendy shop conversion cafe/bar cum eatery, noted for its charcuterie. it is mainly furnished with bentwood chairs and odd kitchen tables, plus various esoteric artworks round the walls. There are some 10 keg taps for craft beers and ciders, 4 handpumps, a couple of boxed ciders and the obligatory beer fridges. On draught were Kirkstall Pale, Track Sonara and a slightly ridiculous 9% Turning Point Darker Matter Custard Stout at an even-more ridiculous £12 a pint! Most of the beers are priced around the £5-6 mark. Some interesting beers but you pay for them.
On 9th July 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3339 recommendations about 3276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Old Boots left this review about Friends of Ham
Unbelievably my first visit since it extended a few years ago. The atmosphere is much as I remember and the extended ground floor is as previously described. The "Piggery" downstairs is much as before although the daft toilet labels have gone. Still a bit pretentious, maybe pricey? Still not a pub.
On 16th June 2019
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3230 recommendations about 2939 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Friends of Ham
The charcuterie element makes this place a bit different, although I'm not clear why you would you would naturally come to this modern type bar to get your sliced pork... Anyway, apart from that, the 'U'-shaped bar has very functional wooden furniture apart from a small lounge area in one corner. The wall decor is mostly ham-related whereas the counter area and the display window focus on beer. Three of four handpumps in use, with Kirkstall Pale Ale (£3.60), North Brewing Piñata and Magic Rock Ringmaster on offer, together with craft keg beers from a row of ten taps.
On 8th September 2018
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8086 recommendations about 8086 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Al Bundy left this review about Friends of Ham
Trendy bar/cafe/deli place. It seems to be on 2 floors but I only went in the ground floor. This consisted of 2 areas separated by a central counter/bar. The beer is dispensed from the left side of the counter/bar. 4 handpumps with some nice, if expensive, beers. The Thorn bridge Ice Cream Porter was particularly nice. Though you can sit on either side of the bar/counter its quite obvious which side is generally for eating and which for drinking. Its ok but not great.
On 6th April 2017
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3487 recommendations about 3390 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
ROB Camra left this review about Friends of Ham
Called in several times since my last review and I have to say I'm not as impressed with the place now it's been extended. Downstairs is still the same except that the shuffleboard has gone. Upstairs has been extended into the shop next door. The bar has too many stools around it which makes getting served difficult at busy times. 4 cask ales on the bar and both the pints I had were in good nick. We also ate here and the charcuterie board was still very good. Not as inpressed with the Bath Chaps (Pigs Cheeks) though as I thought they were very overpriced for what we got. Still a good bar, but rather more impersonal than before the extension.
11/09/2012
Excellent little bar that we visited for the first time on Friday. Three ales on the upstairs bar and the Saltaire Summer Ale was top class. Downstairs is as described by OB. The suffleboard game was being well used when we visited. We also had a mixed charcuterie board of ham, beef and 2 cheeses along with what they call here a black watch egg. In our part of the world it's called a Manchester Egg, like a scotch egg but with black pudding rather than sausagemeat. Pleasant, high end customer base, mainly couples in their 30's & 40's. We were here for well over an hour and during that time I don't think anybody left the downstairs room, it's that comfortable. It's a very good addition to the Leeds bar scene and at the moment a bit of a hidden gem. It certainly won't be the last time we visit.
On 7th December 2015
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3223 recommendations about 3134 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about Friends of Ham
Modern craft ale bar near station, almost bohemian, there are 4 cask & a number of keg beers.
Benches in front of windows with cushions, long chuny pine tables elsewhere & some cafe seating. There are a couple of hams in use.
Very pricey!
On 9th November 2015
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1456 recommendations about 1434 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alan Winfield left this review about Friends of Ham
I have passed the Friends of Ham on many occasions but have not bothered doing it,i finally mustered up the courage to go in and see what it was like.
I had a drink in the left side which was L shaped and bare boarded,i did'nt see any steps which was probably a good thing as this was my 23rd pub of the day.
The seating is trendy long tables and chairs to have a meal with people you dont know,i managed to get a seat at one of these tables when the pub was packed on an early Saturday evening.
I had a drink of Atom IPA which went down very well,the other beers i noted were Atom Trafalgar,Endless Gummer and a beer called Stab in the Dark.
The service seemed friendly enough,there was a mix of diners and those having trendy meals.
Not really my sort of place.
Pub visited 20/6/2015
On 20th June 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about Friends of Ham
Interesting concept. Bar & Charcuterie under the same skin. On entering it looks like a shop selling different types of hams ( iberico, lardo, prosciutto) cheeses, bread, olives and then Real ale and bottled Craft beers to go with them.
But then you go downstairs to find a large quirky cellar room with refectory tables, bookcases and a lot of other quirky nonsense, including the pretentious toilets mentioned by Ray below.
It is obviously one of the current ‘in’ places for central Leeds and there was a youngish crowd on this particular Friday evening.
We were only here for the beer, but I’m not going to rate it as I think this is more eatery than pub (certainly attracts lots of reviews under restaurants on Trip Advisor) and to do it justice you should try the food fare on offer. The Black pudding Scotch eggs would certainly be on my hit list for things to try.
I would certainly visit again if I was after food and a decent beer, but if I was only after an Ale, then like Ray, I’d be inclined to leave it to the Young and Trendy things..
But it’s an interesting concept and certainly different from the norm, so go with the hype and try it I say.
On 8th December 2013
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2110 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about Friends of Ham
Didn't really get to grips with this place at all, the only way I can describe it is, it's a tapas bar serving ham, cheese, olives and a few beers. We called in here on Saturday afternoon round 4pm and I've never seen such a collection of pretentious ossers in one place.
The upstairs delicatessen was well staffed, but the staff seemed to be wondering around aimlessly. The customers at the bar waiting to be served didn't have basic manners. Once downstairs with our beers, the clientele down there was enough to make you vomit. Look at me everyone, I've got a bit of ham and four olives in a little bowl, aren't I fabulous.
The toilet handles were covered in ham grease off people's hands. Once you worked out which childlike squiggle was your gender, you could just about manoeuvre in and out. Three ales on our visit, we went for the LS11 Sunbeam Pale ale, which was in good shape. Would I return, no chance.
On 27th November 2013
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]