The current iteration of Kirkstall Brewery launched in 2010 and moved to the new site on Kirkstall Road in 2016 with the taproom opening at the end of January 2020, just in time for a global pandemic……

The taproom is within the main brewery building situated in a part of Leeds that appears to be in the early stages of regeneration, and wasn’t entirely helped by us visiting on a wet, snowy day in February. It’s comfortably within walking distance from the station and is also served by a multitude of bus services.

Once inside, the large concrete space has been thoughtfully transformed into a relaxing and interesting space with a selection of old mirrors, signage and reclaimed furniture/panelling etc which Mike and Frank from American Pickers would be going bananas over. You could almost feel like you were in a proper pub – or at least something more akin to one than most new city centre venues, anyway.

Booking is recommended at the weekend as there were only one or two tables free when we visited. There is, however, a decent size (covered) outdoor seating area which is reserved for walk ups.

As for the beer on offer, you can take your pick from Kirkstall’s core range and at least one special. Cask ale fans will be happy to learn that the cask offering is kept beautifully – as you would expect. Their bitter is a very welcome recent addition to the range and one that has very quickly become a firm favourite.

When it comes to food, there are a wide selection of pizzas and snacks on the menu. We had the pepperoni pizza which had a lovely soft, chewy crust with some seriously gooey cheese on there. As for sides, we plumped for the garlic roast potatoes (could have done with longer in the oven), hummus and flatbread, and some garlic cheese scroll numbers, which were delicious.

We’ll definitely be back!

Address: 100 Kirkstall Rd, Leeds LS3 1HJ
Booking: https://kirkstallbrewery.com/pages/taproom-kitchen-booking