This cloudy picture doesn’t do it justice: it’s an amazing building.
I know, I know. Everyone’s already talking about The Lamb & Flag and we’re a bit late to the party. For those of you not in the know, it’s the latest pub in Leeds Brewery’s empire, in this beautifully refurbished building right next door to Leeds Minster.
Upstairs or down?
The first thing you’ll note on stepping inside The Lamb & Flag is how huge it is. There are two full floors inside with a massive beer garden out the back (looking out onto the Minster) complete with a balcony for the first floor. The first floor can be hired out for events and it’s big enough for things like weddings so I’m guessing that’s what they’re going for.
It’s a bar. It has many beers.
The décor is that of a modernised traditional pub: it’s shiny and upmarket but it still feels very cosy and welcoming. There are lots of nice little touches, including a faded “Victorian” advert for Leeds Brewery on one of the walls outside.
Plenty of space in the outdoor terrace.
The beer selection is the same excellent choice we’ve come to expect from Leeds Brewery: 8 casks (including 4 guests) and 6 kegs (some are crafty, some are your usual nonsense). In the fridge we saw Sierra Nevada, Flying Dog, Odell, Beavertown, La Trappe and more.
Looking down on things from the first floor balcony.
There’s a full gastropub-style menu on offer too, including a lighter lunch menu during the day.
Basically, we found nothing to complain about at The Lamb & Flag. It has clear intentions of what it wants to be: an upmarket traditional pub catering to the needs of locals and workers alike and we think it achieves those aims perfectly. The only surprise is that Leeds Brewery’s Crowd of Favours is just round the corner, so they might end up competing with themselves.
Tags: beer garden, coffee, food
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Poor value and occasionally verging on rip-off, Leeds Brewery decides to charge close to £4.00 for a low gravity real ale, despite their same beers being offered at several other places in the vicinity for 20% less than that. And it only gets worse from there.
The place is airy, going for space to fit crowds into. As a result, it feels quite unfurnished and despite how well gentrified old buildings lend themselves towards atmosphere, it is lacking any cosyness or intimacy, indeed it appears to be purposefully eschewing it. It has the feel of an open house rather than a characterful pub, which is some achievement given it did use to be a true pub. Though the beer garden and terrace areas are well done, I would argue that isn’t exactly a USP, or especially difficult.
This is aimed at after-work drinking by large groups, 30-something crowds whose own boring beige decorations at home are mirrored here. Don’t come here for any hint of authenticity, intimacy or atmosphere. Come here to buy a £4.50 pint of nothing special and stand around vacantly.