Review: Atlas Pub Leeds, A Sunday Treat

We are always looking for new places to have a good old fashioned Sunday lunch, nothing pretentious just plenty of meat, roasties, yorkie puds etc...the works. Now that's not to say The Atlas pub on King Street in the centre of town ticks every box - new tats rather than roasties - tut tut but it does impress on almost every other level.

The Atlas is the latest offering from the people who brought you Pour house and Epernay in the city and that was sufficient pedigree to bring us here again.

Inside its a high-ceiling-ed, modern alehouse in sober shades of brown and tan. A crystal chandelier glints above a chrome spiral staircase which sweeps up towards the more intimate drinking space overhead
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Dining with my wife, two friends and their 12 year old son, we have previously visited for drinks as its one of relatively few bars in the city to serve both Leeds Pale and Ilkleys, Mary Jane on draft, our favourite pale ales, and so we availed ourselves while perusing the menu.

Now its not possible to check out the menus on line in advance as they have no website. Sort your it out chaps, how long has it been "coming soon" I am sure I don't need to tell you how important a tool it is these days..

And so to the food, opting straight for mains, tow of us opted for the sunday lunch, which proved a good Yorkshire plate full, tasting freshly prepared and with the exception of roast potatoes, everything you would look for. Elsewhere we had the seabass with crayfish risotto and which was impressively served but desperately in need of side orders. The swirl of butternut squash and sliver of parma ham would not suffice. The wife however described it as gorgeous and flavoursome and so we found ourselves with a healthy bowl of proper chips to share across the table, not exactly chunky but not yer skinny runts either.. A side note though, the side dishes available are limited and do not offer anything that could be remotely described as a salad, this would have been a preferred option for my wife at least.


 Deserts were to be had, having a penchant for salted caramel then the chocolate torte with aforementioned caramel, honeycomb ice cream and whiskey crumble was going to be hard to resist, and it taste and looks more than matched the words...superb. Again our more healthy friends opted for a cheeseboard the size of which prompted one of them to question if this was not the board from which to choose the cheese they wanted rather than there own to devour.


The bar was quiet, just three or four other diners and based on the selection of beers and quality of food on offer we hope it thrives. Its a sad fact that the location, on the corner of King Street and St Paul Street has failed to support, well, almost anything in recent years, most recently Create.

Service was friendly and swift, price point, £88 for 4 mains plus 1 childs, two pints draught, one glass wine and two soft drinks, two deserts, one and a half cheese boards represent good value for the the city centre. 

Our first dining experience at Atlas wont be our last, the fact that it couples as an alehouse with an impressive selection of cask ales and beers - a great shame that Leeds pale was off today - makes it more than likely it will be seen. Its family friendly, foodie friendly and beer snob friendly too so should do well. For our part we hope it does. Impressive.

Atlas Pub Leeds https://twitter.com/AtlasPubLeeds
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