Summer is finally here, and now that the weather is getting hotter, the beer gardens are overflowing.
With temperatures hitting on the rise in Leeds, we're not complaining about the impulsive need to spend our evenings in the beer garden, rather we're ready to test out each and every spot to find the perfect pub in time for summer.
From new openings to firm favourites, here are ten of the best beer gardens for sunny days in Leeds...
Green Room
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Local breweries, delicious food and North Star coffee served on a huge rooftop bar- this rooftop that opened last year really has brought everything we love about our city and placed it on a giant rooftop terrace bar.
Serving up some of the biggest food and drink names in the city on a huge sun-trapped rooftop, Green Room is the beautiful city space with everything you need to celebrate the summer season.
Expect barbecues, live DJs and eclectic seating options where guests can unwind with a pint from a local independent brewery in one hand and a delectable choice of plant-based street food in the other, all whilst getting a tan in the summer heat.
Whitelock's Ale House
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Leeds' oldest pub, Whitelock's Ale House, is located in Turk's Head Yard and it is a great spot for a drink in the sunshine. With heaters and fairy lights to ease you into the night, you can stay here for hours and make your way through their impressive selection of local beers.
Or why not pop next door to sister bar The Turk's Head where you grab an Aperol Spritz, cold glass of wine or favourite cocktail.
Waterlane Boat House
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Waterlane Boat House is filling up by 4pm as city workers rush off to secure a seat for post-work tipple in the sunshine, so if you want to grab a table here, you'll need to leave work early.
Serving ice cold fruit ciders with a fresh view of the Leeds Liverpool canal, this old boathouse gleams in golden hour, bringing the sunlight to their indoor seats, ensuring that no matter where abouts on the premises you're sitting, you're guaranteed beautiful golden hour lighting.
A classic spot, but there's good reason for Belgrave's unparalleled popularity. The rooftop terrace offers plenty of spaces for large groups around painted picnic benches, parasols and pergolas cover the immediate sunlight so that basking in the heat is manageable without having to keep your sunnies on all afternoon.
Plus you can grab pizza by the slice from resident kitchen Dough Boys on evenings when it's too warm to cook and you fancy a taste of something homemade without the pricetag.
Located just outside the centre of the city in Sheepscar, North Brew's bar hosts a huge outdoor seating area with row-upon-row of seating in the sunlight. Little Bao Boy and Kerbside Kids are on hand in shipping container kitchens to quench your appetite whilst North Brew taps have endless draught selections.
Conveniently all the foodie options are located outside, whilst the indoor seats are hidden from the sunshine and keeping those draught pints at a cool temperature.
Nation of Shopkeepers
Image: Nation of Shopkeepers
Nation of Shopkeepers' beer garden is one of the worst kept secrets in Leeds, but given it's a full courtyard's worth of outdoor drinking space right in the heart of the city, it's not exactly a surprise that everyone loves drinking here.
Serving up food and drink into the early hours basking in the sun trap or sheltering from a midday shower under the umbrella and pergola, this is an ideal day drinking spot for all weather in Leeds.
Original Oak
Image: Original Oak
The Original Oak in Headingley is a favourite for all ages, but if you’re a student looking for some sports action, you’ll feel quite at home at this Otley Run stop.
You can catch the latest Leeds United games throughout the rest of the season in the sunlight as the pub shows all the sports on their huge outdoor TV screen and you can bet that there will be plenty of space for you to join the crowd.
Headrow House
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Just like Belgrave, Headrow House has a rooftop beer garden that offers panoramic city views. Picture the sky transitioning from a pastel blue to deep tones of amber and violet whilst you sip on cocktails.
The beer garden is decked out with greenery between the picnic benches and truly does offer an intimate hiding place from the city centre down below.
The Temple Arches venue is perfect for soaking up the summer sun, Chow Down's vast space makes it ‘the largest garden in the city centre’.
With a jam-packed events calendar lasting all summer long, you'll always have fun at Chow Down whether you're attending their iconic Drag Brunch or fancy a bite to eat from one of their street food vendors on a sunny Saturday.
Gusto Italian Outdoor Terrace
Image: Gusto Italian
Located in the heart of the city on Greek Street, Gusto Italian is a firm favourite for a night filled with delicious Italian food in a beautiful setting.
Their new summer terrace opened its doors in June and has been a smash hit ever since. The spacious patio is filled with comfortable blue and white furnishings, flourishing greenery and is the perfect sun trap to enjoy a drink or two.
With Gusto supplying crispy Italian sourdough pizzas, spring-fresh salads and silky smooth pasta; the food will transport you to the cobbled streets of Rome in a heartbeat. For drinks, Grey Goose are providing the best Summer spritzes to quench your thirst in the sunshine, making the already Insta-worthy Greek Street venue the hottest spot in Leeds this Summer.
Feature Image- The Hoot Leeds
Eats
The best places in Leeds to get pancakes on Pancake Day
One of the best days in the foodie calendar is hereand it's time to decide where you're going for the ultimate stack.
Whilst homemade pancakes hit the spot and attempting to flip them is definitely a laugh, it's always a treat to get out and about to celebrate the momentous occasion.
From thin crepes with lemon and sugar to pillowy, thick buttermilk stacks which are showered with a whole host of delicious toppings - there's a pancake dish for everyone to devour this Shrove Tuesday.
Keep reading for our top picks of cafes, restaurants and bars to visit this Pancake Day.
House of Koko
Chapel Allerton , Oakwood and Leeds city centre
Images: The Hoot Leeds
House of Koko are the absolute bees knees when it comes to brunch.
Their pancakes are fluffy, pillowy, light, perfectly formed and just down right delicious. The list of toppings is almost overwhelming and you can mix and match yours to your heart's content, we're talking bacon, biscoff, kinder bueno, toasted nuts, white choc chips, banana and even ice cream, the list really does go on but you'll be here all day.
Moose Coffee
Bond Court
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Given Canadian pancakes are a worldwide favourite, you'd expect the best pancakes to come from Moose Coffee. Made fresh to order, there's a stack of three dusted with icing sugar, dotted with blueberries and served with Canadian butter on offer as well as a Biscoff Stack made from three pancakes, biscoff sauce, vanilla ice cream, white choc shards, lotus biscuit.
Whatever your preference this Pancake Day, your combination of sweet and savoury is pretty much guaranteed to live up to the famous Canadian combination- maple syrup included.
Farmhouse
Lands Lane
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Farmhouse are basically famous in the city for their epic stacks of pancakes, fluffy and loaded with all the toppings it's just what you want this Pancake Day.
If Up North
Call Lane or York Place
Image: The Hoot Leeds
If you're a regular on the If Up North Instagram page, you'll know that these guys are big fans of pancakes. Given their obsession with posting their beautifully decorated variations online, we're confident that these pancakes will be lip-smacking, mouth-drooling good and packed with flavour.
Expect flavours like berry and Biscoff, fruits and cream, bacon and maple syrup as well as a whole host of different variations at any of their Leeds-based cafes.
North Star Coffee Shop
Leeds Dock
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Locally renowned for its coffee roast, North Star Coffee Shop is also a great contender for the best-looking pancakes around. Open from 8am this Shrove Tuesday, grab some fluffy pancakes topped with all the seasonal favourites they have on offer.
Galleria
Armley Road
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Running from Monday 16 February until Friday 20 February, you can bag yourself £1 pancakes with a huge range toppings like classic lemon and sugar, maple smoked bacon, fried egg and sausage, or singular toppings such as blueberries, avocado, IPA caramel and more.
You'll need to pre-book to secure your offer and when you arrive, pick up an order form from your server so you can select how many £1 pancakes you want, alongside your chosen toppings. Yeah, it’s really that flipping easy.
Laynes Espresso
New Station Street
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Everything Laynes touch turns to gold, and their pancakes are of course no exception.
They of course go perfectly with a heavenly cup of coffee served inside their dazzling bright yellow, life-affirming coffee shop.
10 of the best new openings coming to Leeds in 2026
Clementine Hall
Allow us to get you excited about the next one with a list of new openings coming to the city.
If you're feeling a little bit down in the dumps about 2025 ending then do not fear, because we've got a feeling that the next year is about to be even bigger and better.
There's already a great selection of restaurants, bars and shops gearing up to open up in Leeds during, so let us fill you in.
Salon Madre and Madre
Wellington Street
Image: The Manc Eats
Are you ready for a fresh taste of Mexico Leeds? Well you better be – because Madre, the day-to-night eatery that has made waves over in Manchester and Liverpool, is setting up shop on Wellington Street in due course.
Not only that, but their lively sibling Salon Madre will be opening next door on Friday 20 February. Expect tequila-fuelled nights, pool tables, lively DJs and Lucha Libre on the big screens. Madre will open one month later.
Trinity Kitchen 2.0
Image: Supplied
Trinity Leeds is embarking on a major transformation with a £15 million expansion, introducing a second food court called ‘Freight Island’ The upgrade will add around 72,000 sq ft of new space, including a stunning rooftop terrace overlooking City Square the perfect spot to enjoy great food with skyline views.
Burgerism
Meanwood
Image: The Manc Eats
You may remember when Burgerism had a delivery kitchen in Leeds, and ever since it closed we’ve had a Burgerism-shaped hole in our hearts. Well not any longer, because the Manchester-based burger chain has been given the go ahead to open a takeaway on Meanwood Road - hallelujah.
Dishoom
Taking over the old Flannels Site on Vicar Lane
Image: The Hoot Leeds
The legendary Indian restaurant group is coming to Leeds, and we’re absolutely buzzing about it. Dishoom is inspired by the Irani cafes of 1960s Bombay, which were meeting places for people from all walks of life.
Famed for their Indian twist on a classic breakfast (seriously, their breakfast naans are out of this world), Dishoom offers an all-day dining approach so you can get your Bombay fix from morning to noon and noon to night.
Planning permission is up for the restaurant to take over the former Flannels site on Vicar Lane, so fingers crossed it won’t be too long until we can all get stuck in.
Just when you thought the wine scene in Headingley couldn’t get any better, Once Upon A Vine is popping the cork on their third site - right in the heart of Headingley.
Expect hundreds of wines, plenty of bottles of fizz, and of course, a carefully curated local beer selection.
Uniqlo
Briggate
Image: Uniqlo
It’s happening…Uniqlo has confirmed it’s opening up right here in Leeds next year and we must say it’s looking very nice indeed. The Leeds store will be 1,100 square metres and will be located on Briggate in the old House of Fraser site. It’s part of a new expansion across the UK alongside new stores in Birmingham and Bristol.
A new Japanese grill and BBQ restaurant is opening up from Fern, the absolute mastermind behind Fern Modern Sushi. Opening up in the heart of the city on Vicar Lane, we can't wait for this one.
Dough Club
Burley Road
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Dough Club, a Manchester-based Detroit-style pizzeria, is planning to open up in Leeds.
Famed for their chewy, thick, cheesy crusts that are loaded with all the toppings imaginable, they’ll be opening up a spot on Burley Road for all your pizza needs.
MADE Matcha
Lower Briggate
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Introducing MADE Matcha, a matcha and açaí bar that has created waves in the foodie scene over in Sheffield since opening back in September last year. And it's pretty clear they're doing very well indeed, to be opening a second site in another city less than six months after launching is no mean feat.
Made Matcha will be opening on Lower Briggate in the Nice Things site and this pastel green paradise specialise in seasonal matchas that (almost) look too pretty to drink.
Lane 7
Albion Street
Image: The Hoot leeds
The independent bowling brand is set to open at Trinity Leeds in late spring, spanning a whopping 23,000 sq ft.
As well as 12 state-of-the-art bowling lanes, Lane7 will be home to other games including darts, pool tables, beer pong, golf simulators, and even an interactive 'Playground'.
The Hoot -
13th April 2023 
