Latest reviews from Halifax
| 70 /100 Dukes Halifax (Bar) 16-18 MARKET ARCADE, RUSSELL STREET “Part of the historic market building in the town centre, but its in the northern entrance to the building so is not limited by its daytime commercial hours as access here is at anytime. It also benefits from the fact this area has a roof so it's outdoor seating is always dry. Its an airy unit with a large glass front with the bar against the back wall, which has both craft keg and cask options from local and beyond. Seating is both on the ground and first floor.“ |
| 78 /100 Grayston Unity (Bar) 1-3 WESLEY COURT “Visited 19/4/2023. Super cosy little place which is sadly closing at the end of August. Owner is looking to relocate to the other side of the town centre as it’s now quite isolated and isn’t getting the trade it once did. On this Wednesday evening pub was offering 4 cask ales in good shape, a couple of kegs and a few bottles. Last chance to visit a quite unique venue between now and end of August, glad I took the chance on my last evening in Halifax.“ |
| 62 /100 BROAD STREET PLAZA, BROAD STREET “Visited 16/4/2023. Quiet Sunday evening pint after the train journey from Ipswich. It’s a perfectly adequate ‘Spoons in every way, but apparently won’t be for much longer as it’s up for sale or closing. The local press is full of reports asking what some Halifax residents will do with themselves all day every day if it does close. Which is sad in many ways.“ |
| 72 /100 København (Bar) 6 WESTGATE ARCADE “Visited 13/4/2023. Victorian Craft Cafe’s sister venue, it’s good but for me not as good (relatively speaking as Vic is very good). It’s perfect for people who prefer a modern cafe bar feel as this does that well. Decent tap list. Service okay. Worth a stop.“ |
| 82 /100 Dukes Halifax (Bar) 16-18 MARKET ARCADE, RUSSELL STREET “Visited 13 & 18/4/2023. Great addition to the Halifax scene. Offers 24 taps, a few of which are cask. Quality of offering is high. Very friendly atmosphere and clientele, great service. Plus they have a bottle list of around 300 bottles they are cellaring, some quite unique stuff amongst it. Mostly 750ml bottles for sharing that they have been collecting. Not cheap but give the menu a look!“ |
| 70 /100 13-17 ALEXANDRA STREET “Visited 12/4/2023. Nice place, taking over the buildings previously occupied by two separate bars. Good range of Vocation beers on tap and in can, though not a lot of their special editions featured. Some guest taps. Worth a visit.“ |
| 74 /100 DEAN CLOUGH “Visited 11/4/2023 and a few times after whilst working at Dean Clough. Good stopping off point between there and back into Town. Nice place, good vibe, very friendly service. Between 6 and 8 Stod Fold beers available at any one time, pretty good quality. Nothing else of note, just a few mainstream lagers. Food menu available. Enjoyed my visits.“ |
| 80 /100 18-22 POWELL STREET “Characterful old place with lots of nooks and crannies, more rooms and tables around every corner. Candleholders made out of old Cantillon bottles, not a bad sign. All 28 taps were active when I visited and the barman had good recommendations. People watching here was almost as interesting as the beer. Unlimited numbers of thirds is possible.“ |
| 72 /100 DEAN CLOUGH “On the opposite side of the old mill building where the Calderdale Beer Festival is held. Small serving bar, pub tables in two rooms inside and a few tables outside. Half a dozen or so beers on offer, and you can do three thirds if you like. My favorite was the porter. Small kitchen. Nice place.“ |
| 46 /100 UNIT 4C, LADYSHIP BUSINESS PARK, MILL LANE “It's meant to be open Sunday afternoon too but when I got there it was closed. You may want to message them beforehand to check that's they're open. It's about a 20 minute walk from Stod Fold“ |
| 66 /100 Ring O’ Bells (Bar) 3 UPPER KIRKGATE “No WiFi. Nice cozy place. Decent beer selection.“ |
| 60 /100 Three Pigeons (Ossett) (Bar) SUN FOLD, SOUTH PARADE “Nice old pub with free wifi.
1.65 a half pint.“ |
| 66 /100 Barum Top Inn (JDW) (Bar) 17 RAWSON STREET “Nice spoons. Free WiFi. Decent selection.“ |
| 78 /100 18-22 POWELL STREET “Nice cosy place. Free WiFi. Great beer selection.“ |
| 68 /100 Grayston Unity (Bar) 1-3 WESLEY COURT “Nice cozy place with free WiFi. 10 taps I think. Decent choice of beers“ |
| 62 /100 BROAD STREET PLAZA, BROAD STREET “Nice looking spoo 's. Free WiFi. 1.49 a pi 't. Some outdoor seating. Great view of the wooded hills.“ |
| 68 /100 DEAN CLOUGH “Free WiFi. Nice looking place. A few of their own beers on tap. They are happy to do samples. Indoor and outdoor seating“ |
| 66 /100 DEAN CLOUGH “Right by the main road that passes through Dean Clough, this small pub for Stod Fold, using the old mill building to great effect is on the other side of main building with the large Dean Clough sign on the roof, which you see if you're heading here from the town centre, and although it's away from the main action in Halifax it is walkable. The mills brick and stonework is exposed but the modernity of everything else inside works well for this bar pushing mostly the brewers own staples. If the Dean Clough mill area grows in popularity if more bars and eateries open up here then this will be in prime position to benefit.“ |
| 64 /100 Square Chapel (Bar) 10 SQUARE ROAD “Redesigned, renovated and enlarged as part of the wider Piece Hall renovations which this theatre is now attached too. The cafe bar and open plan meeting space with high ceilings and plenty of natural light is just beyond the entrance and reception area, accessed at the southern side of the former wool exchange building. The cafe-bar service area of the left sports a row of cask ales and even more keg options behind the counter, with the former pretty much sticking to locally crafted ales, with locals on the latter too amongst a couple of more well known macros, but both have selections that are certainly worth looking at. There's plenty of seating space on the inside and if the weather is good a terrace at the side of the building is available, although as it is external to the Piece Hall there's not a great deal to look at.“ |
| 64 /100 Meandering Bear (Bar) 21-23 UNION STREET “On the southern side of Market Street this is a split-level shop unit conversion with the bar against the back wall on the upper level, sporting both cask and keg selections, which whilst not extensive is certainly worthwhile. You can sit up here but there's slightly more room on the lower level in front of the large windows that look out on the street that has many a bus passing in the daytime.“ |
| 72 /100 København (Bar) 6 WESTGATE ARCADE “Cafe style bar at the top end of the fresh looking Westgate Arcade in the town centre of Halifax. It's a venture by the people behind the Victorian Craft Beer Cafe, so there's pretty much a similar selection, and not shortage of choice with 24 keg lines and six hand pumps on the bar in the middle of the left wall. Somewhat spartan inside, there's not a lot to enjoy about the interior.“ |
| 60 /100 UNIT 4C, LADYSHIP BUSINESS PARK, MILL LANE “Pretty much the same as the previous occupying brewery, except for the beers, which are now from Darkland on the same set of cask and keg pulls as before. It's still a trek out here on a weekend from Halifax town centre if you don't have your own transport.“ |
| 84 /100 18-22 POWELL STREET “Visited 11/3/2019. 28 taps (25 were on) of well above average quality beers, a mix of local and uk craft brewers and a few international brewers. They’ve got some heavy weight stuff available amongst them too with 6 beers in the 9-11% abv range. Good service, friendly customers. Very nice place. Explore upstairs. It’s a gem.“ |
| 56 /100 Shears Inn (Bar) 1 PARIS GATES “Slightly difficult to find, it's behind the huge mill complex on the other side of the railway line where it passes the Shay Stadium, so you may end up here if you've come to Halifax for to see Rugby or football. Right next to the town's mostly hidden river, its industrialised banks are possibly only worth sitting at on a warm day, its a little bleak at other times. Described as a hidden gem, the older styling if the inn is pleasant enough, with an interior mostly set up for food customers and a big enough car park to accommodate its capacity. Six hand pumps include three rotating guests, although nothing new for me on this occasion. This pub can easily be combined with a trip to the Cross Keys as it's no more than 50 metres away across the small road bridge behind the works unit next to the pub, and up the hill.“ |
| 60 /100 1 CLARE ROAD “A rather large pub room with a half circle bar. Decent selection of cask ales, but more than one of the beers were not in its best shape. A free house in brick and wood interiors. Polite service. Time for football, we watched the exciting world cup match between England and Columbia. Good vibe in a rather classic pub atmosphere. (Visited with ManVsBeer 03.07.2018).“ |
| 78 /100 18-22 POWELL STREET “Eight hand-pulled cask ales from regional breweries are supported by craft beers on taps, bottles and cans from further afield, quite a few Yorkshire beers among them as well. Altogether 22 draught beers, available in thirds, are displayed on a black board in the bar area. Partial wooden interiors spread over a medium sized room. Cozy atmosphere and a relaxed vibe when we visited VCBC on a Tuesday afternoon. Can't fail music from The Smiths, Echo & The Bunnymen and Cure at our stay. Polite and friendly service. (Visited with ManVsBeer 03.07.2018).“ |
| 68 /100 Grayston Unity (Bar) 1-3 WESLEY COURT “Regional ales on kegs and casks in this cozy, city-center micropub. Good range of bottled beers, as well. One main room with the bar and a back room with a retro touch to the furniture and decor. Easy to spot close to the town hall in Halifax. Oasis music in the back at our stay. Friendly service. (Visited with ManVsBeer during a Tuesday pub crawl in town, 03.07.2018).“ |
| 66 /100 Three Pigeons (Ossett) (Bar) SUN FOLD, SOUTH PARADE “A great heritage, multi-roomed pub not far from the train station. The servery bar is surrounded by different rooms and cozy snugs promoting a feelgood atmosphere. An outlet for Ossett beers, but with quite a few guests among the eight hand-pulled cask ales. Polite service. (Meet-up with ManVsBeer 03.07.2018).“ |
| 50 /100 Old Post Office (Bar) 55 WINDING ROAD “Located in a brick building just a few minutes to the right hand side of the train station. Mainstream beers on kegs, and only three, of seven, working hand-pumps on my stay. A well-kept, airy, traditional-modern two-roomed pub with a L-shaped bar in between. Carpeted floor and mahogany interiors. Outdoor seating in front of the building. Okay service, rather inattentive though. (Visited 03.07.2018).“ |
| 66 /100 Ring O’ Bells (Bar) 3 UPPER KIRKGATE “A lovely traditional English pub close to the minster, and just to the right hand side when walking out of the train station. Three separate, rather small rooms with the main bar in the middle serving six well-kept cask ales. Stained glass windows and nice interiors in dark red velvet, maybe with a woman's touch to it. Local community feel. Polite service. Led Zeppelin and Rolling Stones tunes in the back. I really enjoy drinking well-kept beers in a great pub ambiance like this. (Visited 03.07.2018).“ |
| 52 /100 Westgate Wine and Cheese Company (Grocery Store) 5 WESTGATE ARCADE “In the middle of the modern pedestrian arcade in the town centre, this place is quite a few things whether you want to eat here or buy produce to take home on top of any wine and beer selections you may also be making here. The latter is a small selection with a dozen or so regular bottled ales from local microbreweries’ available. There’s a few cider bottles too and I found a couple of meads’ here too. There’s nothing extensive about the selection though. UPDATE: As of 2019 name has changed, set-up the same, no Cider, Naylor's & Little Valley beers sold here.“ |
| 48 /100 Westgate Wine and Cheese Company (Grocery Store) 5 WESTGATE ARCADE “ I visited here on Friday 9th December 2016. This is pretty easy to find its a short walk from the Alexandra Bottle Shop and is located in the Westgate Arcade a covered walkway near Halifax Borough Market. As the name suggests this is primarily a wine and cheese shop (Deli) but there is a café upstairs I believe (I never ventured up there) and as it really is more of a Deli’ there are lots of other food and drink options here. The cheese is on the left hand side the wine on the right. However there are about 40-50 bottles of beer here as well with a focus on local beers such as the likes of Little Valley, Mallinsons, Nook and Magic Rock. There were plenty that I’d not had mostly Little Valley stuff and one or two interesting option, such as a Barley Wine option from Little Valley I’d never seen or heard of before. Quite a few of these weren’t priced (that I could see). The owner seemed a tad frosty in his couple of interactions with me, just didn’t seem at all friendly we had a discussion about Panaforte which I was after and which despite them having a great selection of Italian goods they never had this but I just found him none too friendly towards me. I didn’t buy anything but for those looking for a couple of local beers then it’s probably worth popping in here to check out the selection.“ |
| 80 /100 Grayston Unity (Bar) 1-3 WESLEY COURT “ I visited The Grayston Unity, Halifax, Friday 9th December 2016, we were up here to see Low play a candlelit gig at Halifax Minster tonight and interestingly the chap who runs this place also was the person who puts on the gigs at the Minster. This bar is just around the corner from the Pumproom, it’s also close to The Percy Shaw JDW and like those places it is on the northern edge of the city at about 12’o’clock, it’s close to the bus station and is about an 8-10 walk from the railway station which is on the other side of town. Its an attractive looking 19th century building a really solid looking stone outfit built in a similar style to the townhall opposite. Like the Pumproom this is a Micro Pub and it’s a rather curious little place, with really high ceilings, two rooms, the first and where you enter into is the main bar, it’s tiny with room for just a couple of tables and chairs, and some standing room. The layout sees the bar ahead on the back wall but at a diagonal angle as presumably this is the only way that it would fit. The beer choice prominently displayed on a board to the LH side. You access the other room off to the left, it seems to be kitted out and looking very much like a little sitting room, it was really cute. I visited here twice once on may own where I got chatting to Michael the owner and part time music promoter and then again with Loz after the Pumproom. We really liked this place, the service was great, discussion was good (mostly music focused) the music selection playing was good and also at a sensible non intrusive volume. They had Goose Eye Chinook which is the house beer plus Hop Studio Mosaic which I had two of and really enjoyed, there were others and there were ciders, we liked it a lot and if I was local to here this would be a regular haunt.“ |
| 86 /100 18-22 POWELL STREET “ I visited The Victorian Craft Beer Café. Halifax, Friday 9th December 2016, we were up here to see Low play a candlelit gig at Halifax Minster tonight. .The Victorian Craft Beer Café is on the south western side of the town at about 7’o’ clock. It’s very close to the Victoria Theatre. Inside this has been done very tastefully, the bar is ahead and on a diagonal slant, with a wooden top and front, glazed ceramic white tiles behind display a number of beer pump clips glasses and bottles run around at a high level, displaying a good range of bottled beers, with some good Belgian stuff along with Yellow Belly I noticed. Simple wooden floors, lots of glass (the front is mostly glass) exposed brickwork and few wooden tables and chairs along with a nice red leather by the window. It’s an attractive bar. The beer choice is excellent with twenty two beers on tap featuring lots of new stuff from the likes of Thornbridge, Wild, Squawk, Arbor, Northern Monk etc it’s got a great choice. I didn’t even look at the bottled list but I suspect it will be really good. The barman was really friendly, he asked what brought me up here, I mentioned the gig and he then changed the Spotify playlist to play just LOW tracks. Prices were really good, liked it a lot here.“ |
| 74 /100 BROAD STREET PLAZA, BROAD STREET “ We visited The Percy Shaw on Thursday 8th December 2016, we were up here to see Low play a candlelit gig at Halifax Minster tomorrow. The Percy Shaw was close to the Premier Inn (where we were staying) it was just around the corner. If you considered Halifax as a clock face, this pub would be at 12’o’ clock, it was in the new Broad Street plaza development, next to a Vue Cinema and across from the bus station. Inside this was bright, clean and modern with lots of glass, it had a modern café type image, so quite the contrast from the usual dark and gloomy appearance that I tend to associate with most JDWs. It is named after the man who invented the Cats Eyes that you see on road surfaces, a great invention. The bar is off to the left and ahead as you enter, again this has a very modern sweeping look, it’s finished in white. We sat by the windows looking out and down towards the aforementioned bus station (it has a slightly elevated position). Beer choice was pretty good, I had a pint of Elland Red River IPA, Loz a Brewdog DPC, we ate here and apart from them having run out of every Curry (it was Curry night tonight) apart from the veggie option, we enjoyed what we ordered which was a Vegetarian Wellington my first choice after the curry options had gone was the Turkey Pie which was also all sold out. It was quite popular, a good atmosphere, plenty of staff, swift service. A decent JDW. *popped in again for a £3.25 Veggie breakfast 9th December , and quite bizarrely someone was having a Christmas meal at 09:15, how strange?“ |
| 74 /100 Grayston Unity (Bar) 1-3 WESLEY COURT “Opposite the side entrance to the Town Hall underneath its elaborate spire, this is a micropub with two very small rooms. The room you enter includes the small bar against the back wall, which manages to somehow include three hand pumps and are complimented by keg options dispensed from behind the server. There’s a good focus on local ale in both selections. The bottle selection isn’t huge, but one or two choices might satisfy. The one real cider available was in a box. This room includes some small cafe style furniture, with a sofa and other bohemian styled furniture in the similar sized adjacent room where a chandelier and defunct fireplace exist. The connecting hallway now includes a new purpose built toilet cubicle which is obviously unisex.“ |
| 58 /100 Railway Hotel (Bar) 29 HORTON STREET “Visited on 29th May 2016. Large corner pub that has been decorated in a modern style. Plenty of seats, but the place was quite dark and had TVs on everywhere showing Sunday Kitchen. Beer range was OK without setting the world alight. It is handy for the station but not one I’d rush back to.“ |
| 70 /100 Three Pigeons (Ossett) (Bar) SUN FOLD, SOUTH PARADE “Visited on 28th May 2016. A couple of minutes up the hill from the station. It’s a lovely old pub with lots of period features. There’s 3 rooms and the have a fireplace and bench seats in each room. It’s worth a visit just for the pub. The beer range was pretty decent with a good mix of Ossett and guests. Beer well kept, decent service and good prices. A lovely pub.“ |
| 66 /100 Old Post Office (Bar) 55 WINDING ROAD “Visited on 27th May 2016. Solid stone built 2 roomed pub about 5 mins walk from the station on the edge of town. Front room was busy with locals and a huge dog. Back room was quiet. 4 beers on cask from the local area including a house beer from Stod Fold. Beer was in good condition, service friendly and prices good. Food advertised as pie and peas for £3.50 or £6 with a pint. Didn’t sample it but the pies looked good. Nice locals pub and a good place to kick off exploring Halifax.“ |
| 72 /100 1 CLARE ROAD “Visited on 27th May. Corner pub with Tudor black and white frontage. Looks impressive and it’s a nice old building with lots of wood and old features. Beer range was good with a decent mix of cask beers from around the UK. Had Tiny Rebel selection in bottles as well as one on tap. Service good. Prices good. A good spot for beer in town.“ |
| 68 /100 Barum Top Inn (JDW) (Bar) 17 RAWSON STREET “Visited on 27th May 2016. Large corner Spoons. Has 2 levels and a large ground floor area. We arrived late and it was pretty quiet. Decor isn’t too bad but not much cleaning up done so just looks scruffy. Beer range looked decent with an Ithaca beer on. A couple of not availables a bit of a disappointment but still 2 banks of sticks plus a keg and bottle selection. Prices were low. Service good. If on town drop by as bound to pick up something interesting.“ |
| 80 /100 18-22 POWELL STREET “Visited on 27th May 2016. Tucked away in a back street this is a little gem. Lamps outside draw you in to an old wooden beer cafe. 8 handpulls and 10 keg beers plus a decent bottle list to go at. Interesting range of beers with prices that are decent. Plenty of room to sit, some areas look all dark and mysterious. Staff friendly. Recommended“ |
| 62 /100 48 CROWN STREET “A new name for an old pub, you’ll still come across the old name in places if you do enter here. Not a lot of refurbishment has taken place since the new incarnation and its traditional pub look remains worn in appearance. It will probably be quiet if you venture here in the daytime, but in the evening it does focus on live bands and music to pull in the punters. Ale is readily available here and you should find several local craft options at any time.“ |
| 82 /100 18-22 POWELL STREET “Amazing beer place. Good selection of cask and keg beers with around 100 bottled beers with plenty of rarities. Doesn’t seem to get too busy and has a great atmosphere. A must if you’re in Halifax.“ |
| 84 /100 18-22 POWELL STREET “On the quiet street below the Barum Top Inn and directly behind the theatre on Powell Street, this lovely cafe-bar, with an emphasis on the ‘bar’ opened in late 2014. With wooden floors and dated looking furniture it has a decent period atmosphere with the diagonal to the door bar opposite as you walk in. There’s a few tables in the area in front of the bar with additional seating around the brick wall to its left that includes soft furnished sofa chairs and a split level area which stretches to the end of the multi-purpose building and looks out towards the large modern Halifax Bank headquarters. There’s ten hand pumps here and the other 18 taps are all keg ales and ciders - there’s no macro brews available here at all. It’s also extremely good value, the two keg ales I enjoyed on my first visit both cost less than £2 for a half.“ |
| 98 /100 48 CROWN STREET “Great old fashioned Rock pub. Live bands, Cheap prices, friendly staff. One of the last proper pubs for rockers to go to... Really like this pub!!“ |
| 68 /100 Ring O’ Bells (Bar) 3 UPPER KIRKGATE “Halifax’s oldest pub is just a short walk from the station and visible from its car park, this inn has white washed walls that stand out against the larger blackened stone of Halifax Minster it sits next to. The pub has a small car park of its own and a few outdoor tables either side of the small central door. Inside the aged period look of the place is maintained and includes a couple of small rooms to sit and enjoy one of the six constantly rotating cask ales. Food is available here.“ |
| 68 /100 Big 6 Inn (Bar) 10 HORSFALL STREET “Real ale pub that sits in the middle of a row of terraced houses in the King’s Cross area of the town. This place is hard to find as you won’t see it until you’re on the narrow street it’s part of, and even if you do make sure you arrive later in the day as it’s often not open until late afternoon. There’s five hand pumps here with four of them consistently rotating and offering a decent selection and they’re not afraid to put strong cask ales on too. The pub is very traditional in design and very comfortable with a centrally located bar room with a few small tables in it opposite two larger lounge areas with carpets and fireplaces and locals with their dogs. There’s also a pool tabled games room behind the serving area. It’s certainly worth a visit if you’re in the area.“ |
| 58 /100 Stump Cross Inn (Bar) GODLEY LANE “On the north side of the town on the road to Bradford, this is half pub, half restaurant, but you’ll get the ambiance your looking for depending on what you’ve come here for. I didn’t eat but the restaurant side looked very well established and given the large amount of car parking space here it is probably a popular place to dine. Curiously the patio area which you’d expect to have more drinkers than diners on is right in front of the restaurant window. For those looking to sample real ales then the bar side is obviously the place to do it and there are several pumps that carry both popular Lancashire and Yorkshire brews. There’s not too many places to sit in the single bar room that has half a wall to split it into two areas, but if you do find one it is relaxing enough in a traditional environment.“ |
