Jake’s Bar and Still Room

Jake’s Bar and Still Room: The only one of its kind in Leeds City Centre.

It has to be said up front — Jake’s Bar and Still Room is a great place; don’t let the low beer rating distract you. We must be true to our quest and rate their selection accurately, and beers are definitely not what Jake cares about. The only bottles in stock are Moretti, Peroni and Beck’s, and there’s Tuborg on tap. However, true to its name its selection of spirits is amazing, including a handful that they distill themselves onsite in their own copper pot still they lovingly call Tabitha. When we visited they were featuring Black Pepper, Popcorn, Fig, Jerk Seasoning, and Five Lemons. They’ve also put together some delicious-looking cocktail recipes to choose from. (And they have cans of Ting! If you’ve never had this Jamaican grapefruit soda you really should. You’ll thank me.)

Check out the vast selection of spirits behind the bar!

The atmosphere and layout also make it worth a trip. After walking downstairs from the street level, you’ll find room after room and alcove after alcove to cosy up and enjoy a beverage. All the seating is extremely comfortable and Jake’s would be appropriate for a large group celebration or an intimate date. And even though it most likely gets crowded on a weekend night, it would still be tolerable because of its vast space. They also play great 80s music at a volume that still allows for conversation.

A view of one of the many tucked away seating areas.

The prices are what you’d expect on Call Lane: £3.80 for our Morettis and the cocktails are in the £6-7.50 range. And though their website advertises a nice-looking menu, they actually don’t serve food beyond typical bar snacks. (Not sure what’s happened there — the bartender didn’t seem to know anything about it.)

Suffice it to say if we were on a spirit quest, Jake’s would rank right up top. We’ll definitely visit again to see what Tabitha’s been up to and to enjoy the great space.