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The Record Cafe, Bradford
Bradford
BD1 3JH
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Record Cafe
In a road with many converted shops, this one is an award-winning real ale and craft beer bar. Tidily furnished and decorated with a mixture of pump clips and music memorabilia. Also has a small pavement seating area. Four handpumps offering different styles: pale, IPA, porter and bitter, with the latter being an excellent Wylam Best (£4.20). Also has seven keg taps on the bar-back and a couple more on a ceramic German fount.
On 4th July 2022
- rating: 8
[User has posted 8086 recommendations about 8086 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Record Cafe
Pretty much the same inside I remember from a few years back. Four cask on the go, my Track Sonoma was flabby (NBSS 2) and looking back, I had the same on my first visit a few years ago. Plenty of customers, though a fair number of them were annoying self-satisfied brayers. Card payment only. Unimpressed, despite its GBG'22 listing.
November 2015
Another long and narrow North Parade outlet but to be fair has more seating space than Al’s and a more relaxing atmosphere. Décor was a little bleak and sparse for my linking, though the wood-panelled bar looked good. Food majors on charcuterie, with the menu painted on the black wall to the right as you enter. As we were on expenses we decided to drop a few quid on it and got a decent amount of stuff coming back. The meat, I noted, was carved fresh from the jamon behind the counter. Four on ales on, Purple Moose Glaslyn (a little flat), Exit 33 Hop Monster (decent) one from Milestone and one other I forgot to note. Also six ‘craft’ taps. Service was friendly. Apparently the record thing in the name is because they sell vinyl records upstairs. Not bad, overall. Rated 7
On 25th June 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5072 recommendations about 5055 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Old Boots left this review about The Record Cafe
If I recall correctly this was the first of the shop conversions on North Parade and as BF says remains one of the best as the Camra awards on display will also testify. It looks to have had some redecoration since or during lockdown as the furniture has improved, other than the long bench down one side although with a lot of necessary cushions. The walls on the non-brick side have been redecorated and a lot of pump clips put up as decoration. The staircase at the back still leads up to the record shop part of the bar, represented by one of the three keynote symbols that appear in various places in the premises. All four pulls in use on my visit and quality was undiminished.
On 20th November 2021
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3230 recommendations about 2939 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Record Cafe
There are a series of shop conversion bars on North Parade and this is one of the best.The internal conversion is pleasing and there is a vast collection of pump clips on the ceiling.Towards the back there is a metal staircase to a mezzanine level,all very charming.The food menu is interesting with small plate tapas style dishes,and given the name the soundtrack is eclectic and very good.A good place to take a partner ,it's almost hip and table lights add to the relaxed evening vibe.
There are 4 handpumps serving a constant rotation of ales on my trip Cloudwater Pale,Fell Streetwise Hercules,Tinderbox IPA (NBSS 4) and Export Stout (NBSS 4.5) .The two Fell ales I tried were pokey and it was good to see some ABV range so often lacking in ale houses.There were also 7 caft keg options,but I stuck to the excellent ale.
A pub traditionalist might turn up their nose at a place like this (card only too),but that's their loss as I supped quality ale .A GBG 2022 entry and IMHO a must visit when in the City.
On 15th November 2021
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
david hammill left this review about The Record Cafe
What has happened to this place we called in at 7.30 on a Saturday night to find the place empty nice beer and friendly staff but no body in maybe its because its card only all the other pubs on north parade were busy
On 29th August 2021
- rating: 5
[User has posted 96 recommendations about 86 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rob Hunter left this review about The Record Cafe
Visited again last Friday to find it exactly the same as my previous review from three years ago. Four hand pulls for cask ale, all of which were on, complemented by an extensive keg selection. All the cask options looked interesting, including a rather dangerous (for an afternoon session!) 10% barleywine, so I opted for the more sensible Moutere (NZ Pale Ale) by North Riding Brewery, followed by Maple & Walnut Stout from the same brewery. Both very pleasant! Food and Wi-Fi both still available. A slice of normality and very nice beer too - what else could you ask for?
On 27th July 2021
- rating: 10
[User has posted 750 recommendations about 598 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rob Hunter left this review about Record Cafe
Visited on a weekday afternoon earlier in the month. I wasn't sure if this would really be my kind of place but I wanted to try a few places on North Parade that I had not been to before so though I would give it a go. Very pleased that I did, there is a nice café style atmosphere with music playing at a sensible volume and a small mezzanine area with a record store above. It just had a nice chilled out feel to the place. Service was friendly and welcoming. At the bar, four cask ales were on plus 7 keg lines. A mix of styles including bitter, blonde, pale, pilsner, IPA, porter, stout, sour and a DIPA. A chalk board lists everything that is available. I had a Milk Stout by Lost Industry (cask) which was 4.9% and £1.70 for a half. I stayed for another (different) drink which was also good. I could have stayed all day here, but resisted temptation and continued to explore a few other places. I may be being overly generous, but it's a 10/10 for me.
On 23rd March 2018
- rating: 10
[User has posted 750 recommendations about 598 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
ROB Camra left this review about Record Cafe
Called in a couple of times since my last review. The beer has always been good and we ate here on one occasion. The quality of the charcuterie board was very good. We'll no doubt call in again soon.
05/02/2015
This one really is very cafe style. Upstairs to the rear is an area where they sell vinyl records, although to be honest I have many more at home than they had in here. On my visit the condensation on the windows was terrible, it was so bad that you couldn't see out or in. Downstairs has bare brick walls and lots of cafe tables. The menus are presented on old record sleeves. The bar's slogan is Vinyl Ale Ham, so you can guess what the food is based on, although cheese is available as well along with some other snack type items. 4 handpumps on the bar along with quite a bit of craft keg and a real cider. My pint of Kirkstall was in good nick as well. I'm not too sure about this place. It is quirky and the ale is good, but I'm not convinced about the rest of it. I'll call in next time I'm in Bradford though.
On 2nd March 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3222 recommendations about 3133 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alan Winfield left this review about Record Cafe
The Record Cafe is one of many new bars that have opened on North Parade in the last few years.
Once inside there is a small oblong shaped room which runs to the rear,the bar is on the mid right side,there is a bench seat with no back running down the left side with chairs,there are also two normal tables and chairs to the front.
There were four real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Vocation Bread and Biter which went down well,the other beers noted were Saltaire Citra,Kirkstall Black Band Porter and one from Magpie Brewery.
Decent background music was playing,the pub was was also quite busy on my late Saturday afternoon visit.
A good addition the Bradfords drinking scene.
Pub visited 2/1/2016
On 19th February 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about Record Cafe
There was a choice of 4 ales on handpump on our visit, all of which were in top class condition. We especially liked the Neepsend Brew Co Blond and the Half Moon Autumn Hew, both were good session beers.
The owner was very friendly and chatty and also informative on other places and pubs to visit in West Yorkshire. The pub also offers a range of 13 different gins. Well worth a return visit.
On 3rd November 2015
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]