Victoria Hotel

A traditional Victorian-style boozer bursting at the leather seams with cheerful guests, tasty meals and hearty ales. What more could you want?

The Venue
The Victoria Hotel is situated in the city centre of Leeds, just over the road from Millennium Square. As you'd probably expect from the name, this old-fashioned pub has kept its Victorian interior design scheme, with plenty of dark wood, stained-glass windows, decorated tiles, and cosy leather booths.

The pub's entrance is through a carpeted corridor with the main bar to the right of the entrance. The bar itself is in the centre of the fairly long room. To its right is a raised seating and dining area and directly opposite are the popular booths, and to the left are some further tables with comfy chairs.

The royal couple themselves, Victoria and Albert, give their names to two other rooms which are available for private hire for free, but when not in use are open for general seating. The dark, cosy and comfy decor make it all too easy to forget what time of day it is and just how long you’ve been there.

The People
The central location of this pub makes it a popular choice for a wide range of drinkers. Office workers knocking off for the day, shoppers wanting a mid-afternoon break, beer drinkers sampling the latest guest ales - The Victoria has them all. This mixed bunch keeps the atmosphere lively and on the busier nights it's positively raucous.

At quiet times it’s an entirely different story with a sedate and relaxed feeling that fits the laidback and comfortable interior perfectly. To add to that, there's also a jazz evening on Thursdays. There can sometimes be a fair wait at the bar, but this is to be expected at a busy city centre pub, and staff are efficient and happy to make conversation on those quieter visits. A word to the wise -it’s standing room only on a Friday or Saturday night.

The Food
If you like sausages then you’ve come to the right place! The Victoria Hotel prides itself on being a sausage specialist and has its own sausage menu, from which you can pick from around a dozen different options (including an intriguing gin and juniper), served up with mash and gravy (£7.95). Made with locally sourced meat, the Victoria Hotel certainly adds a level of innovation to bangers and mash!

The main menu is similarly full of traditional and hearty pub grub in generous portions. The ploughman’s lunch will leave you feeling replete after setting you back around a fiver only. Tasty cheese, crisp apple, tangy pickle, and crusty bread - lovely.

The burgers are meaty and juicy with a choice of toppings, and come with perfectly cooked thick-cut chips for around £5.95 depending on which topping you opt for. The food isn’t astonishing, but it’s very tasty, and satisfying. They also offer buffets for private occasions.

The Drink
Barnsley Bitter (£2.65) and the dependable Timothy Taylor’s Landlord (£2.55) are permanent fixtures on the frequently rotating ale roster and Black Sheep Bitter is one of their guest ales. There are several choices for those who prefer lager, with a pint of Carling for £2.30.

All the usual suspects are present on the spirit line-up, and there are plenty of bottled drinks to choose from, along with a fairly comprehensive (if non dazzling) wine list. All drinks are reasonably priced, and the options are fairly standard, it’s with the often changing ales that the Victoria Hotel really shines.

The Last Word
A perfect place to enjoy a relaxing weeknight pint, or a great start to a night out. The Victoria Hotel serves up good food, good drinks, and all with a healthy serving of nostalgia. This is how a pub should be.

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