Number nine on the Otley Run has some great boozy options for non pub crawl weekends.
Anyone who has popped their head into the Hyde Park pub, will know its a student paradise. There's pool tables aplenty, cheap drinks that come with a discount if you're in education and nobody bats an eyelid if you rock up in fancy dress.
If you've ever taken on Leeds' famous Otley Run, you'll recognise this stop as one of most atmospheric with Indie classic tunes and disco lights that bring the small pub to life for the weekend. Now, there's another reason to visit the popular watering hole, and you don't need any fancy dress outfits.
Instead of downing fourteen pints at different pubs, Hyde Park is offering you the chance to reserve a table (no squeezing yourself between bar stools) and sit down for two whole hours before the Otley runners come flying through the door, whilst treating yourself to unlimited pints, gins and drinks galore.
Expect a full array of alcoholic options like Prosecco, Gordon's pink gin fizz, draught pints of Amstel and Peroni and soft drinks as well as sweet-tasting cocktails like Passionfruit Bellinis, Aperol Spritz, as well as Virgin Mojitos and Espresso Martinis.
For just £5 extra, you can upgrade your bottomless options to a wider range of beers (essentially any craft beers on tap) as well as selected gin and tonics, served as 25ml single servings. Hyde Park hint that there's more to their fiver upgrade stating on their website that you can ask a bartender for the full range of options.
The food options are just as exciting with a choice of either a: brekkie, burger or pizza on offer.
On the breakfast menu, there's your classic full English breakfast, as well as a vegetarian alternative as well as avo on toast, French toast sticks with raspberry coulis and the breakfast stack: a toasted bread bun layered with cheesy beans, crispy bacon, a poached free-range egg and Hollandaise sauce.
Over on the burger menu, there's cheese and bacon on either chicken or beef patties, as well as a vegan Moving Mountains B12 burger for those tempted to opt for a plant-based option.
The pizza menu is loaded with meat, so expect the likes of spicy pepperoni, slow-cooked hickory-smoked BBQ beef burnt ends, streaky bacon and chicken as your toppings of choice.
All this comes to just £25 per person and we can't think of a better way to kick off the weekend without the hangover of the Otley Run. Just make sure you don't sleep in, this one's only available until 1pm on the weekends.
One of Leeds’ most iconic buildings is set to be brought back to life.
Plans for a brand-new padel and leisure destination at The Roundhouse on Wellington Road have been approved by Leeds City Council’s West Plans Panel.
Consent has been granted for Ollo Padel to transform the Grade II* listed Roundhouse into a state-of-the-art sport, fitness, food, drink and community venue subject to conditions and completion of a Section 106 agreement.
Built in 1847 for the Leeds and Thirsk Railway Company, The Roundhouse was once home to the steam locomotives that powered industrial Victorian Leeds. In recent years, the building has stood largely unused.
Image: Supplied
The approved plans will restore and protect the landmark building and give the site a new, long-term future as one of the city’s most distinctive leisure destinations.
The three-acre site, located on the edge of Leeds city centre, will include nine outdoor doubles padel courts under a 10-metre canopy, plus a dedicated indoor coaching court within The Roundhouse itself.
At the heart of the site will be the Ollo Clubhouse; built around an all-day kitchen and bar, it will combine a comfortable lounge and co-working space, meeting rooms and live sport and events spaces.
The kitchen and bar will be run in partnership with Southbank Provisions, the independent Leeds hospitality team behind Headrow House, Belgrave Music Hall and Galleria whilst the gym will be operated by fitness and performance specialists Northbound, who will bring strength and conditioning practice, Hyrox training and pilates classes to The Roundhouse.
Image: Supplied
Construction is expected to begin later this year, with the venue aiming to open in early 2027.
Luke Gidney, Founder & CEO Ollo Padel: "This is a huge day for Leeds, for The Roundhouse and for Ollo. The Roundhouse has been part of the city’s story for nearly 180 years. It’s an incredible building but it needs people, energy and purpose again. Our plan is to bring it back to life as a place where people can play, eat, work, meet friends and feel part of something.
"Padel is growing so quickly because it’s fun, social and easy to pick up. But for us, this is about more than just the courts. We want Ollo to become a proper community destination for Leeds, somewhere welcoming, joyful and full of life.
"We’re incredibly grateful to Leeds City Council’s planning team, our case officer, the wider council team and everyone who has supported the project to this point. This has been a complex project but the sport and engagement throughout has been brilliant. Now the real work starts and we cannot wait to open the doors for you.”
New study crowns Leeds as one of the friendliest cities in the UK
Clementine Hall
New research has revealed a global ranking of cities with the best customer service, with Leeds taking one of the top spots.
If you've been wondering which cities across the world are the friendliest of them all, then look no further because MoneySuperMarket have done the work for us in a new study.
In a world where social media culture plays a huge part in people's lives, online customer reviews are pretty important to local businesses.
To uncover the global locations that are home to the best customer service, the businesses insurance experts analysed over 100,000 reviews of leisure and hospitality businesses in 107 cities worldwide.
They looked at the language in the reviews to see how often friendly workers and staff were mentioned, building a global ranking of the cities where customer service truly stands out.
Out of a whopping 107, Leeds came in at a very respectable number 12. Now we think that's pretty good going.
Outside of the UK, Hanoi, Paris, Montreal and Abu Dhabi were highlighted for their friendly customer service whilst Edinburgh tops the global ranking, with Liverpool, Birmingham and Bristol also making the world’s top 10.
The top 10 cities in the UK with the best customer service are as follows:
Edinburgh
Liverpool
Birmingham
Bristol
Belfast
Leeds
Glasgow
Cardiff
Manchester
London
Alicia Hempsted spoke on the study: “As businesses grow and engage with more customers, it’s important to make sure they’re protected. Public liability insurance is an important safeguard for those working with the public, helping to cover costs if something goes wrong, while also showing customers that their experience is taken seriously - from the moment they walk through the door to long after they’ve left.”
Sophie Smith -
27th January 2022 
