PIN, Leeds

PIN is a new little bar on Dock Street just off Brewery Wharf. PIN is part of the Leeds Brewery empire which includes; Midnight Bell, Brewery Tap and the recent acquisition of Garden Gate.

PIN by their own definition is a contemporary cafe bar, nicely designed with an entire wall of mirrors which gives the impression that its larger than it actually is. It is quite a cosy place with a mixture of tables and sofas.

After seeing several great reviews about the quality of the food, we wandered along on a Monday lunchtime to check it out.
The place was quiet as you would expect on a Monday lunchtime and we warmly greeted with menus and asked if we would like a drink. I opted for Leeds Best out of the two hand pumps on the bar, the other was Leeds Pale. I hope they put another pump on with Midnight Bell or the latest Leeds Brewery seasonal.
For food I went for the classic PIN Burger which had been declared the best burger in Leeds by several people, the Other Half went for a Stilton and Mushroom Pie.

The burger didn't disappoint. A huge meaty, herby, well seasoned, slightly pink burger served with glorious homemade chips, salad and a lovely jalapeno relish which added just the right level of heat to the burger, all washed down with a well kept ale.

The final bill for two came to £24 (with drinks), good value for the quality of the food served.

Highly recommend a visit

Edinburgh Bars and Pubs

On our visit to the Scottish capital we (naturally) visited some quality bars and pubs that the city had to offer. Below are a selection of my favourites.


Pubs

 Bow Bar 
My favourite pub in Edinburgh. A small old fashioned pub with old style signs and pictures on the walls. It has about 5 ales on at any one time but its real selling point is its massive collection of malt whiskys with over 200, most of which are on display behind the bar.










Guildford Arms
The first pub we went to on our arrival. A rather nice pub with about 8 ales on at one time usually from Scottish brewers. Styled in a traditional Victorian theme with wooden beams and intricate decorations on the walls and ceilings. It has an excellent atmosphere of an evening time.


 


Cafe Royal
Situated next to the Guildford Arms, Cafe Royal is a combination of a pub and a restaurant. The main drinking area is the circle bar a stunning room designed with stained glass windows, muriels, mirrors and wood panellings. A good place for a drink.




Jolly Judge
After wandering around the castle for a few hours a beer was needed, so we wandered down the royal mile looking for somewhere new. The Jolly Judge is located down a little alley in between a couple of touristy shops. It is a very cosy pub with a large fire and a good selection of beers. Brew Dog's Alpha dog was on when we visited.







Bars

99 Hanover Street
A lovely cocktail bar that was round the corner from our hotel. what impressed me with this place was the care that went into making each drink. The drinks took awhile to reach us after ordering but they were superb and reasonably priced for a city centre cocktail bar.

Under The Stairs
This as the name suggest is an underground bar with an entrance that would put most off but inside was a lovely cosy bar with table service and some of the nicest grazing cheese and meat platters I have seen.




Hard Rock
It's touristy, It's cheesy but I like it. Nuff sed.

Claridges Bar, London

Last Christmas on a visit to London we wandered into the bar at Claridges for an after dinner drink. Located in the right hand corner of the hotel's lobby.
Being a huge Bond fan I had wanted to try a Vesper Martini since watching Casino Royale but in my quest to find a place that made this drink had proved fruitless. After finding a table a friendly waitress came over to take our drink orders so I thought I would try my luck and asked if they knew how to make a Vesper, the waitress responded with 'yes our bar staff know how to make all the classic cocktails' Result! upon telling my friend this he got very jealous so we made arrangements to all go next time we were in London.

Claridges bar as you would expect is very upmarket, a round for 4 people will set you back a small bank loan with normal cocktails costing £12.50 and champagne cocktails £15, what you get for this however is a superbly made drink by highly trained bar staff, table service, a constant supply of superb bar snacks including savory popcorn with paprika and sesame and cheese bread sticks and a chance to experience one of London's most stylish and sophisticated bars that the city has to offer.
The atmosphere is cosy and friendly but if you are not in a shirt you may feel a bit under dressed.
If you are feeling a bit cash happy, having a celebration or just want to live it up for a bit then head here, just make sure your finances are stable beforehand.

Vesper Martini
3 measures of Gin, Tanqueray Import Strength 47.3% is a good choice
1 measure of Vodka, use a good quality vodka at 50%
1/2 measure of Lillet

Shake over ice and serve in a Martini Glass with a twist of lemon peel.


Claridges
Brook Street,
Mayfair,
London,
W1K 4HR
http://www.claridges.co.uk/

Nearest Underground Station - Bond Street

Dirty Martini, London

Dirty Martini is a cocktail bar located at Covent Garden beneath Tuttons Brasserie. Monday to Thursday the bar does a very good happy hour from 5 to 8pm, with martinis for only £4 and half prices glasses of champagne amongst other offers. we popped in to take advantage of this at around 7pm on a Wednesday and found the place was rammed, we decided to battle our way to the bar anyway and after a bit of a wait we managed to order a drink. The Other Half went for a Passion fruit Martini made with Gin, Passoa and fresh passion fruit, i went for a Japanese martini made with Saki, fresh watermelon, apple juice and lychee liqueur. I ordered this expecting a green cocktail, for some reason I didn't engage my brain enough to remember that watermelon is not green or yellow and as such received a very pink cocktail, very manly! They were however very nice cocktails and mine came served with a lemongrass straw which I thought was a nice touch. I would recommend a visit but go at a different time than us.

Dirty Martini
11-12 Russell Street
Covent Garden
London
WC2B 5HZ
Dirty Martini Website