A great addition to the Granary Wharf family of bars!
Ossett Brewery’s The Hop sits in our top ten, so we were very excited to hear their plans to open up another bar just across Granary Wharf, occupying the ground floor of Candle House. We couldn’t get in to do a proper review on their opening night, because the place was so overrun with others eager to check out the newest pub in town.
14 kegs! Count ’em!
We went back a couple of days later on a quiet Sunday afternoon, and we very pleased at what we found. The bar offers 14 kegs and 2 casks, plus 20+ bottles. Most of the kegs were not-so-common selections from the US and the UK, as well as an impressive pick of Belgians. In bottles we saw a couple of rare-ish Brooklyns, like their ½ Ale and Blast!, as well as some from Founders, Goose Island, Roosters, Left Hand and BrewDog. No duds anywhere, and we also liked that they do thirds, halves, schooners and pints of their entire range.
The kitchen, with the wood-burning stove all fired up!
They’re also reaching out to wine lovers, with an extensive selection and a different country featured each month, along with food pairing suggestions. The food here is a simple menu of wood-fired pizzas and a choice of salads, showing that they want to do one thing and do it well. We only had nibbles this time, but seeing what was on other tables made us want to come by for a full meal sometime.
Decor is…trophy hunting chic?
It’s a large space that feels very open with plenty of light, but the newness has left it with a slight sterility. That’s only a minor complaint; with the friendly staff, great location, canal-side beer garden (only open till 9pm), and the range of excellent beers, we’ll no doubt find ourselves here again and again. Here’s hoping that some of the pristine polish just gets sanded down a bit.
Tags: beer garden, coffee, food, free wifi
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A good range of beers with a range of prices that all seemed either par for the course or in a few cases quite good value. A pale ale was on tap for £3.10 which was pretty reasonable and the choice is to be appreciated. The place is modern and uses the space well. It was pretty busy being summer and good weather- I wonder whether it will retain enough customers in the cold winter months?
All in all a better atmosphere than The Hop, better beers and less obnoxious middle-class thirty-somethings than The Pour House. A welcome addition to this side of town. Northern Monk – Cross Keys – Candle Bar – Hop represents a pretty decent pub crawl at this end of town.
One minor criticism – the cushions for your back are hung off a wall, so flap around whenever you lean forward- it’s annoying.