please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Wonderfully atmospheric and interesting pub although the ale range can sometimes be a bit hit and miss. Like so many pubs around here it tends to be very quiet. I don't know how so many good pubs with good beer ranges can keep going around Bradford.
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What a lovely place this is. Decent beer, awesomely atmospheric, friendly and plenty of small rooms if you want a bit of quiet. Pubs like this should be subsidised by the government by a tax on crap pubs.
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A Museum piece of a pub, which should be visited to ensure that this place never closes.
Lit by gas, providing a rather dim glow, this only adds atmoshpere, which on our visit was added too further by several locals playing a wide variety of instruments which was very interesting.
Two Real ales were on offer, one of which was from the local Saltaire brewery.
A very old and timeless interior, interesting locals, a warming real fire, and good beer served by a friendly barman who looked straight out of a Russain novel from circa 1917 !
A must visit for those that like pubs that dont fit into the corporate mould. Superb
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Another large roadside establishment in Bradford with 3 large bars (there may have been more, but I didn't have a scout around). Only the front bar was being used by about 4 or 5 people on our Tuesday evening visit. Beers on were Geeves No. 1, Kelham Island Pride of Sheffield & Saltaire Cascade Pale Ale. Ciders were Westons Old Rosie & North Yorkshire Scatterbrain Clear Devon Scrumpy. There's a few contradictions in the latter. But it was very nice. A nice pub that simply lacked a bit of atmosphere on our visit.
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Interesting pub offering accommodation also. Divided into several rooms (one with smoky open fire) including pool table(s) and external covered seating. Cask ales. Making an effort so deserves support.
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An excellent old CAMRA National Inventory and GBG pub - well worth a visit. Interesting locals who joined in our game of "If you had a time machine, would you go forwards or backwards?" Beers were excellent - a must on a Bradford crawl.
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Disparate forms of life congregate. The most atmospheric pub ever. Pool table, tap room, massive painting of rock and R'n'b legends that fits round the whole of the function room. Gas Lamps, large beer garden area. Could probably live inside this joint for months without leaving and discover different things. Pretty great pub, late opening as well. You know it makes sense people.
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This has got to be the best pub in Bradford. Wonderful atmosphere. The gas lanterns just do it for me. It's wonderful how the interior has been largely preserved although the gents desperately need some work doing to them! And of course the most important thing is the beer. There is always at least a couple of real ales on although we're usually onto the snifters by the time we reach here.
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The New Bee Hive is one of Bradford's treasures. Every part of the pub bursts with its own individual character. The ales are usually kept very well and there were 5 pumps on the go on my last visit. They usually have at least a couple of locally produced ales.
There's a big beer garden with a massive canvas roof at the side. But beware, there's a curry house right next door, and the urge to go eat can be overwhelming.
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Occasionally the beer and/or staff may be a bit below par but not usually. We all have off days, don't we? ...regulars like to have something to mutter about. Toilets are particularly rough and freezing in winter. So what makes it such a great place? The unique building itself has a lot to answer for, and when there are no people around (quite likely on a weekday afternoon) it is fine just to sit and contemplate.
What keeps this place going is it's uncanny ability to draw in a fascinating and eclectic mixture of people who can appear at any time and in any number. There may be grumpy old men, students, hen nights, resident drunks, musicians, accountants, migrant workers and ... human beings. Sometimes there is no-one; it's all part of the curious charm. Anything might happen and often does!
There are five rooms on the ground floor, a beer garden, covered outdoor area, the front door (which has become a room of its own since the smoking ban) and the Cellar Bar downstairs when there is a band, disco, comedy night or private party; each room has its separate but complementary atmosphere. A general air of bonhomie unites all-comers in feeling it is RIGHT to be here, to talk, have fun and chill out.
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Yes definitely unique. Always slightly hot dark and steamy from all those gas lamps, and I'm not sure how thorough their cleaning regime is but hey, what the heck - this is a classic ale house and definitely worth stopping off at for a pint.
You'll either love it or loathe it!
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A truly unique hostelry, with all life there; high life, low life, no life. Bohemian, dimly lit for nefarious activity. Good, local/ regional ales well kept and good bar staff. It has bags of real Victorian character with a modern twist; and a good single table pool room. If you only visit one pub in central Bradford, this should be it, though a ten minute walk from the station.
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Interesting pub and clearly well worth a visit if you are a connoisseur of unspoilt pubs, but the worst toilets I have encountered in a pub for many years and my beer was distinctly average
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A truely unique experience. Don't think there is another pub like it in West Yorkshire or wider. Eclectic mix of humanity lit by gaslight.
The locals are all usually interesting characters, you get a few CAMRA tourists in, a few folk who have slipped off the grid, music performers and football fans. Next door are two above average Curry Houses.
What's not to like?
Oh and the beer is cracking too. Best pub for miles.
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Ornate large Edwardian multi-roomed pub listed in CAMRA's National Inventory for its original features , one of 2 such pubs in Bradford ( the other being the Cock and Bottle on which I have just posted )
This is very much a music-orientated pub - regular jazz evenings and at weekends.
The pub was virtually deserted during my mid-afternoon visit recently ; indeed the young barmaid seemed initially a bit disconcerted that someone should have the temerity to come in for a drink.
Despite having a fine bank of 10 pumps, only 2 beers appeared to be on at the time of my visit. I had an enjoyable pint of Whiter Shade of Ale from the White Rose Brewery.
Despite some Timothy Taylor's branding outside, none of their beers were on .
Decor-wise, note the fine painted mural of pop stars in the back room - The Beatles, Stevie Wonder etc.
Note also the splendid large photo over the fireplace in the main room, showing a large charabanc outside the pub, probably in the early 1900's, full of punters presumably leaving on a pub outing somewhere.
There's a room on the left with a fine collection of brewery mirrors, posters etc
Worth seeking out.
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The winds of change are all around
blowing change from town to town
building up then pulling down
memories flattened to the ground
The winds of change have changed the face
of everything ......
except this place.
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Bohemian is the word. This pub is top drawer, a splendid intact example of an early 1910s/20s pub. The smell of gas lighting greets you as you walk in. 4 seperate rooms, tap room with blazing fire, pool room, lounge and the big room at the rear complete with amazing mural, period furntiure and decor. It doesn't get much better than this. The mixed clietele and bar staff are great. A blackboard lists the beers and we also had pump clips- whats up with no pumpclips anyway? been in quite a few pubs with no bar let alone pump clips. Four independent real ales, tried two, Mordue Workie Ticket and Saltaire Gold, both good condtion. The cellar bar was equally as cool for the 60s psychedelia night, no charge on the door, no arsey doormen and Saltaire gold on tap. Fun for the people not for profit, cheers, long may it continue.
brisk - 12 Mar 2008 17:34 |
Selling a 'choice' of beer without labeling what the beers are is surely illegal for all sorts of reasons? If it is not illegal it is utterly unprofessional.
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I stayed here for 3 nights at the weekend for the Leeds Beer Festival, the rooms are basic and a bit tired but clean and adequate. As for cheap accomodation I dont consider �32 + �6 for breakfast cheap for a single room, (try Wetherspoons for breakfast - about �2.60 ) I normally pay about �25 B&B for this standard. As for the pub - what a delight Gas lights, Pool table, friendly locals, good beer !! and you guessed it - no pump clips, definately worth a visit.
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A pub of contrasts. You can't deny the pub is very beguiling but the beer quality is variable to say the least, and on one night the pumps had no clips despite three ales being on offer.
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has improved somewhat since my last visit, dinnertime trade seems to have improved as has beer quality. Recent refurb has moved door to corridor leading to bogs six feet towards bar and a general clean up shows that character doesn't mean dirt - the pub seems proud of itself again after a slight drift towards neglect. Beware massive wasp(s) in beer garden/nature reserve. Great new dead rock stars muriel.
anonymous - 25 Sep 2006 22:36 |
I have to agree with previous review. Seems to have gone downhill in last couple of years, always freezing cold with the all pervading smell of stale gas. The last time I was in was the last working day before Xmas, there was me and about two others I think (dinnertime). Doesnt even seem to get very busy when BCFC are at home any more either. Beer quality distinctly hit and miss
anonymous - 19 Mar 2006 09:49 |
A time warp where gaslights hide the grime of centuries and the pipes have not been cleaned since the old Queen died. Over the last 20 years this pub has served beer than ranges from the drinkable to the vile. It may be worthy of 'CAMRA's National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors' but it should never have been in the Good Beer Guide, and the fact it is while Bradford pubs selling better beer are ignored or ousted is one of the main reasons I never joined CAMRA.
It is worth visiting just to look around and if you do try the beer, but just be honest with yourself about what you get in your glass, and then try the Tetley's as well.
anonymous - 13 Mar 2006 09:57 |
Amazing Edwardian timewarp, the interior can't have changed significantly since the place was built in 1901. Most regulars seem to favour the small front bar; there's also a larger back bar and a billiard room to the side plus a cellar bar hosting live music which has separate access from outside the main building.
Quite a bizarre and bohemian atmosphere with mostly middle-aged locals bringing along guitars and harmonicas on a Sunday evening for an impromptu folk-type singalong in the front bar, but not so intrusive as to be an inconvenience.
Kelham Island Best seems to be the regular real ale, and very nice too; despite a copious number of handpumps they only seem to have two other guest ales on at a time, plus a variety of continental beers.
I stayed two nights in an upstairs room and it was fine; the whole building is maybe showing its age a bit and it won't be to everyone's taste, but as a cheap and cheerful place to stop over for the night I enjoyed it and had no complaints. It does seem to be run in a mildly shambolic manner but I liked it very much and will go back.
There's also a no-frills curry house right next door where we had an excellent meal at a ridiculously cheap price.
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Fine traditional pub, on CAMRA's National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors. Note also, the unusual mural of deceased rock stars in the back room.
( Not too sure about the accommodation - I didnt stay there, but yesterday afternoon, when I was in the bar, there were a couple of residents waiting for the Landlord to return, so they could complain about the lack of heating - apparently it was freezing in the accommodation part of the building. You might want to check first before doing B & B )
Back to the pub - 3 real ales on yesterday, plus a good selection of foreign bottled beers. There is a downstairs room apparently for live music.
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Great character and excellent ale. But looking at the owners and staff totally amazed a good pint is possible. Quite a few ugly faces in here but that's usual for Bradford and makes me look handsome. It's got cheap clean accomodation too which could be handy if your beer goggles get to work. Definately one of the strangest pubs I've visited and the beer is ace!! (regular camera listed I think)
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