Further North

A perfectly chilled out retreat for beer lovers and those wishing to escape the madness of Saturday night boozing.

The Venue
Further North is small but perfectly formed. A relative of the extremely popular Northbar in town, it sits on the Harrogate Road at the far end of Chapel Allerton, next to the Olive Tree.

The place is very small but this is the pub's unique selling point - it is intimate and homely and decorated in a way that makes you feel at ease as soon as you step through the door.

The far wall is covered in a smattering of photo frames of various shape and size and the chairs are all individual, some painted, some tatty, some cute, and this all adds to the character. There’s a pigeon-shaped light by the bar that’s also a talking point when tottering off to the toilet.

It all adds up to a wonderful environment where, if you weren’t drinking beer, you’d be happy to get your best china out and have a tea party. It’s like everything at Northbar in the town centre has been put through a sieve to get rid of any badness and what you have left is the concentrated goodness of Further North.

The People
Further North inevitably attracts a similar crowd to its downtown counterpart. They're cool, beer-loving, arty types who believe the drink and the chat are infinitely more important than the music or eyeing up the streaky tan on the barmaid.

The crowd is a little more mature because it's out of town, but it's certainly not the bingo crew. It’s very intimate, so space is limited and can end up becoming a bit of a muddle at busy times. The staff, mostly one or two members, are jovial and approachable, which is essential as the space is so compact, and contact with others is unavoidable.

This is the type of pub where people become warmer and friendlier simply by stepping through its doors. There are no sofas to lounge on, but it goes a long way to feeling like a few beers at home because it's so cosy. Probably not the best place if you’re a group of lads or lasses on a hen night, there will be a few raised eyebrows from the Chapel Allerton faithful.

The Drink
Beers are the speciality at Further North, of course. There’s not the selection available at Northbar but this adds to the intimacy and the atmosphere. It’s all about being easygoing and trying something new.

Stouts, traditional ales, beers, lagers, everything is covered for the beer lover. The local Roosters from Knaresborough is a favourite and cheap too (£2.50) and the fruit beers (Liefmans Kriek £3.10, only served in halves) provide interest for those who are not too keen to delve into the dark stouts (Quintine Amber £4.50).

There is wine available too, with two bottles of red and two white, again taking the stress out of siphoning through a 20-page menu. Bottles are around £14.

Understandably, due to its size, this place can't serve food, so you won't see big plates of roast meat and mashed potatoes. And that’s about the only thing that could make this place any better than it is.

The Last Word
A delightful, calm oasis away from the maddening crowds, Further North is a fantastic place with a great vibe and a great crowd. Bars like this are few and far between.

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