Pint Of Ale

The Wrens in Leeds is one of my favourite Leeds pubs. It’s a traditional city pub situated on the edge of the town centre near the Grand theatre. The Wrens has recently had a small makeover, but none of the character of the pub has been harmed by this slight spruce up.

There are usually at least three ales on tap and the choice changes regularly. The bar staff are always friendly and knowledgeable about the ales they serve. On my last visit, there was a hand-written pump clip giving the name of the ale only. I asked who the brewer was and on this occasion, the woman behind the bar did not know. She did promise a free pint if by my next visit, she’d not managed to find the answer though, which was a laugh. It turned out to be Skinners’ Cornish Knocker which I really enjoyed.

The pub is a little unusual in its layout. On entering, there is the non-smoking old smoke room. This is by far the best room in the house. Stained glass windows (the home made “no” before “smoke room” is a favourite feature) let light onto the sumptuous wall paper and traditional tables. A fireplace makes up the ornamentation. There used to be a shelf of books that people had left as part of Book Crossing but these seem to have gone on our last visit. The servery looks out into the other two rooms. A small room at the front has few tables and is always frequented by locals standing at the bar. The third room is at the back of the pub but is reached by ascending some stairs, walking along a short area and then down some stairs. This is not a pretty room but is always buzzing with conversation.

The Wrens is all you need in a city centre boozer - good ale, friendly staff and wonderful surroundings. A clean, modern look but in no way a ‘trendy bar’, The Wrens is one of our favourites