I revisited my favourite Leeds student pub - and it still lived up to the hype

There are some places you leave behind when you graduate, and then there are places that seem to follow you out of the student bubble.

For me, Brudenell Social Club is one of those places.

During my time at the University of Leeds, ‘Brude’, as we called it, was a firm favourite. It was practically on the doorstep, always had a brilliant mix of students and locals, and seemed to operate on the principle that the night was nowhere near over, no matter what time it was.

With my student days behind me, I decided it was time to see whether the Brudenell I remembered still existed - or whether nostalgia had been doing some heavy lifting.

Thankfully, the place hadn’t changed beyond recognition.

The interior has had a refresh in recent years, but it has retained the unmistakable character of a traditional working men’s club. There is something wonderfully old-school about it.

And on the evening we visited, it was absolutely heaving.

A tribute band, The Smyths, was playing, drawing in a sizable crowd, while the bar staff were doing a heroic job of keeping up the demand. There was a small queue when we arrived, but we were greeted by a friendly and chatty member of staff who remained remarkably patient despite the chaos behind the bar.

The drinks menu was perhaps less exciting than some of Leeds’ newer drinking spots. I couldn’t spot a cocktail in sight, so my friend and I opted for gin instead.

My raspberry gin and lemonade did arrive in a rather random small glass, which was a slight blow to my personal belief that gin tastes better when presented in the appropriate glassware.

The price, however, was difficult to argue with.

A double gin and lemonade was just £4.50 - considerably less than I would usually expect to pay on a night out in Leeds city centre.

For round two, we shared a bottle of the house rose. At £12, it was another pleasant surprise. Light, fruity and easy to drink, it was exactly what we were after and felt like a bit of a bargain.

And perhaps that’s Brudenell’s charm.

It isn’t trying to be the newest, coolest place in Leeds. It has live music, a good crowd and a timeless charm that feels increasingly difficult to find.

Most importantly, it still felt like the Brudenell I remembered.

Maybe I haven’t completely escaped the student bubble after all.

Factfile

Address: 33 Queen's Rd, Burley, Leeds LS6 1NY

Telephone: 0113 275 2411

Opening hours: Mon-Thurs, noon-12am; Fri-Sun, noon-1am

Website: https://www.brudenellsocialclub.co.uk/

Scores

Drinks: 6/10

Value: 10/10

Atmosphere: 9/10

Service: 8/10