The Pour House

A difficult one to review this. I’ve been here quite a few times, at different times of the day and different times of the week.
The beer garden is great on a summers day, the food portions are very generous, and the staff are helpful.
So why only 3 stars? Well The Pour House seems to class itself as a food pub, big signs everywhere advertising their offerings, menus at the bar, even their google listing mentions food before drinks. However it just isn’t all that good. The list of burgers is impressive (some wacky combinations on there!) but they fall into the trap of the hockey puck patty (a burger with a dense solid texture, similar to that of a sausage). They offer hanging kebabs as well, but these are ride on the fancy presentation rather than being particularly flavorful or well executed examples.
Furthermore, the place lacks character, having a modern décor with faux distressed adornments. Its clearly a slick operation and it feels that way.
So all in all, as a pub it is a useful haunt to have around, especially in the summer, but they could do with going back and looking at the menu and cooking techniques. The quality of ingredients seems high, and the portions are good, so its a shame its not all coming together on the plate!

Having ended up at The Pour House by accident (they get a star purely for having a pub quiz on a Monday night, unlike some other places…) I’d not previously been aware of its existence. I still wish that was the case.
On entry it looks well turned out, with modern décor, and plenty of seating. Prices were higher than I was hoping for, but nothing to have to re-​mortgage the house for (try that when you’re renting!). Still, we joined in with the quiz, having been split in to two teams — which I understand means it’s fairer to all, but a maximum of four per team does segregate you from your friends somewhat. From then on it was a serious quiz, for serious people, through a joke of a PA system. It’s bad enough trying to think of quiz answers anyway, let alone decipher the questions.
I was a little confused about whether Greek origins inspired the place after a record 5 glass/​crockery smashes took place within two hours, one can only assume this is what the high price funds. The final disappointment of the night came when only the order of the top three teams was announced. I’m sure you could have asked, but it takes half the fun out of a quiz when you don’t even know how many you got right.
Overall a very disappointing experience. I don’t mean to bring it back to money all the time, but the place has little character, so it’s all I was focusing on, and for the price, frankly, I expect a lot better.
It’s got two stars as friends suggested the food was decent, otherwise, it’d be one.

Not absolutely sure what to make of this place. On the one hand the location is good sitting next to the canal. On the other, the bar itself, while airy feels on the soulless side and sitting in here, you could be anywhere. For me, the place comes into its own in the summer when it is possible to sit outside in the beer garden and take in your surroundings on a sunny evening.
A further plus is the beer selection. Anywhere which has Sierra Nevada on tap deserves some praise. Particular when the prices are as good as they are here. The barman told me that it was the cheapest pint of SN in Leeds. Who knows whether this was true but I now what I was drinking!
Finally the food. Unfortunately, this was also on the non-​descript side with much of the menu being of typical pub fare. This was reflected in my burger which, while adequate, certainly was not stand out. This said, I did enjoy a chicken fajita far more on another visit so maybe I was just unlucky.

Best burgers ever and believe me I love a good burger! :-)
Oh my God the hot wings are seriously hot! I was crying. X

Onions. God I love them. I really love them. I love them raw, I love them fried, I love them roasted, I love them whirled into soup, I love them dipped in batter and deep fried and I especially love them metamorphosed through the process of chutneyfication.
Yes it’s a word.
No, you’re right, it’s not a word it’s an Angelinafication.
Yes it’s a word.
So imagine my greedy hand-​rubbing delight when we popped back into Pour House last Sunday and I spotted an Onion Burger on the menu. Would this be a lie? Would this be a few limpwristed flicks in the general direction of onionyness? (is a word) Would I see my onion dreams peeled away layer by layer until only the bitter root remained?
No my friends. It was EPIC. It was a huge juicy burger with chutney, fried onion, sliced onion and a mahoosive onion ring served with perfect herby fries to a woman who was hungry like the wolf. Thighenlargingly yumtastic.
The last time I was at Pour House I was sated and pleased, this time I was delighted and stuffed. The sun shone, the beer was perfect and I gorged my sweet ass on cepatic glory until I achieved oniongasm (is).
It’s a little on the dear side for a burger, if I recall it was £12 or so, but ee gads it was worth it. Be warned Pour House, if you ever take the Onion Burger off the menu I will literally tear your souls apart.

Have been hearing about this bar/​restaurant for a while but was never sure where it was. Stumbled across it yesterday while at the waterfront festival. Housed in what was a former mill it is a really classy joint. Great choice of food, from gourmet burgers classic chicken dishes, steak and fabulous mussels.
The staff were lovely and friendly and efficient. We sat outside in the sunshine beside the dock. I am looking forward to going of an evening when the outside area is lit up with white lights.
The interior is classy and spacious and there is a more formal area upstairs.
All in all I really like this place.

If only the place could find consistency it would be a really easy place to review — unfortunately as it stands I’m not sure if it’s completely run of the mill average, or totally dire.
So with those options being the only two that are really on offer, maybe inconsistency is actually something that’s going for the place.
On the river, where previously Heathcoates and Olive Press has sat, The Pour House drops the restaurant vibe in favour of a more pubby atmosphere, and where once there was carefully prepared very decent cuisine, the place has decided to follow the folks over at Rib Shack, Reds BBQ and Cattle Grid in delivering to Leeds another «much needed» BBQ joint… Only not really anywhere near as good as the rest.
The building is lovely, but completely hidden behind whatever the owners have deemed fit to do with décor, the drinks selection is average, the staff are not the worst I’ve ever experienced, but a long way from the best, and in conversation more than often come off as smug and condescending way more often than you’d expect from bar staff; the food is at best average, and the burger is easily the worst burger I’ve ever had in Leeds, whilst the wait times could hardly be described as fast even when the place is near empty.
It’s one of those places that I get dragged against my will every now and then for a work lunch, only to reaffirm that I never want to go back; until someone drags me back against my will every now and then…

Right,
I’ll be honest here and admit that I’m doing this review retrospectively, as it was around Christmas that I went here. Well, I’ve been a busy chap since then.
Anyway — in brief, the event was great fun (as always) — plenty of Christmas shenanigans & some highly amusing jumpers were displayed (I did feel a bit underdressed in my waistcoat, cravat and trousers. Well, I say underdressed — maybe just not Christmassy enough!).
The bar itself is a fantastic place located in a former mill on the edge of the River Aire, just down from Leeds city train station and opposite the Dalek building (Bridgewater Place — have a look at it and you’ll see what I mean!). It offers a great selection of drinks & a very relaxed environment in which to enjoy them (you can sit in the lower level & watch the river. all the time technically sat just below the water level as this is where boats carrying textiles etc would have moored to access the mill. Your chance to participate in a little bit of Industrial Revolution reminiscing.).
The only drawback are the prices — it’s by no means a cheap bar at all. However, the prices are in line with most of the bars in the area (apart from The Grove pub, of course) so naturally you do pay for a pleasant environment and a range of drinks.
I’m not sure about the food as I wasn’t eating, but other people were and it did look rather good.
It’s not my favourite bar in Leeds by a long way, but it’s definitely worth visiting for a relaxing drink and a ponder whilst looking across the river. and I would imagine that it’s even better on sunny days such as this :)

Great winter pub/​bar. Cosy fire place, looking over the canal.
Chairs, sofas and an easily rent-​able upstairs area which was great for the Unilocal Christmas Doo.
I want to go back to the place again but after a few visits ended up going elsewhere to try new places. I will be back though cos the food is easy eating and the drinks go down well in this lovely cosy bar.

Solid stuff, the main issue is that other gastro pubs and bars in Leeds probably have this places market covered. Where The Pour House gets top marks though is the shear size of the place, while still managing to make every inch of it look good. It feels much more relaxed than say Whitelocks, White Swan, Adelphi or The Cross Keys (where at busy times it can feel a little crammed for eating) and if there’s a group of you in town it’s the much safer bet for guaranteeing you get a seating spot for a pub lunch or dinner… Down sides are that the food seems expensive and the range of beers is a little unspectacular, and it’s still a little new to have forged it’s own personality, but that’ll come.
It’s definitely one of the top places in the chasing pack.

Hats off to this new gastropub treat. There aren’t many places in Leeds where I don’t feel a tad claustrophobic. This is one of them thank goodness and with stunning views across the water, it will fit the bill for taking your folks or for Sunday lunch hangovers with friends.
The large open entrance leads straight to the bar and you’re transfixed by the roaring fire in the centre of the room which beckons you to the tables on the deck below.
My visit came about due to the Unilocal Christmas party where we spent the first half of the evening upstairs in a very homely area, set away from the regular folk. Furnished with rugs and rustic furniture, the place does it best to help you drift away from the bustling city.
After sampling a few gins and some of the best mulled wine in the city (fruity and strong) we made our way down to the seats by the water. This is a delightful spot with comfy seats and fairy lights. I hope these decorations stay to keep their cosy ambiance.
Food was good with a large selection to choose from. Like with many places in the city, the American pulled pork, BBQ and diner trend has hit this menu too.
I had a Pulled Pork sandwich, which was a lot cheaper than the pulled pork burger and other than missing the chips I wasn’t quite sure why they were priced so differently. The meat was juicy and delicious and thoroughly good value. My partner had a pot of mussels, which were good and in a nice sauce, but from the one or two I sampled I’d rank them second to Loch Fyne.
Overall it’s an upmarket pub which is a welcome boost for the area and I’ll no doubt be back for their sexy kebabs.

It’s a very nice place, went there with the Unilocal’s Christmas party. The place had a really nice vibe and I really enjoyed the quiz (even though i could barely answer any questions: P) I found it a bit tricky to get there because i don’t drive but wasn’t too bad. I have to admit though that I did found the menu a bit on the pricey side eg. chicken burger £12. I did though tried their chips and some other yummy things that was given to us to try at the party and I have to say it was delicious. Plus they have some local ales that you can try. For example my favourite Tether blond, I have fallen in love with that one i have to say.

Nice new addition to Leeds, and especially the Water Lane area.
Drinks are reasonably priced, although food is particularly expensive unless you go for one of the few deals they have (like 2 burgers for £18).
The venue itself is particularly stunning though, and has great views down the river.