North Bar

When North Bar opened in the late 1990s it was one the first bars in Leeds – and Britain – to repopularise craft beer. It led the way and is now this cool, modern venue has its own brewery and eight bars and taprooms, including one New Briggate which hosts DJ sets each Friday night. Here, you’ll find beers of all kinds from around the globe, as well as an eclectic selection from some of the UK’s best modern craft breweries and summer cocktails like frozen margaritas and passionfruit daiquiris. These can be savoured al fresco at the tables outside the bar, which are well-located for watching the world go by as you graze on fancy bar snacks.

Belgrave Music Hall & Canteen

Boasting one of Leeds’ best roof gardens, the Belgrave Music Hall & Canteen has a calendar that’s packed with music, food, film, literary and art events, making it a popular summer hangout. Located in a 1930s building in the Northern Quarter, the Belgrave’s colourful terrace is decked out with parasols, leafy pergolas and a rooftop bar. You can take in a bird’s eye view of the city while drinking a refreshing pint of beer or Belgrave Fruity Cider, or chill with alcoholic slushies such as a frozen wray punch or piñarita. To complement these, the venue has a tempting street food offering that currently includes pizza from Dough Boys and Yorkshire beef and vegan burgers or session fries from Patty’s Burgers.

Friends of Ham

If you love going for drinks with nibbles, Friends of Ham is just the place to plan your next catch up – you can even dine outdoors here now. This continental-style cafe bar serves an excellent range of craft beers, along with wine, sherry and seasonal cocktails including a Hugo spritz, Andalusian rebujito or alcohol-free options. FRAM’s food menu is full of delicious cheeses and charcuterie, which can be sampled on sharing boards like the Iberian Ham Plate or Spanish Grill, which features fried gordals, croutons, potatoes and padrón peppers. Alternatively, you can pick your own meat and cheese to eat alongside bar snacks such as olives, house pickled veg and chorizo sautéed in red wine. Over the next few months, Friends of Ham will host regular food and music events to really get you into the summer spirit.

Waterlane Boathouse

Situated on the waterside in Canal Wharf, this contemporary pub has a large patio area where you can tuck into tasty food while watching the boats go by. Its seasonally changing food menu currently features Neapolitan pizzas, burgers and sharing stromboli, along with nutritious salads and heartily filled sandwiches. These can be washed down with a pint from local breweries like Vocation, Saltaire or Northern Monk, or the highly-rated alcohol-free Guinness. You’ll also find wine, prosecco and classic cocktails here, including a paloma, negroni and caipirinha. The Waterlane Boathouse frequently offers entertainment in the form of bingo nights, craft workshops and live screenings of big sporting events.

Headrow House

This music, food and arts venue is well known for its roof terraces, where the party happens all summer long. Headrow House is split across four floors with two outdoor spaces to choose from – the garden-like Redondo Beach cocktail bar and Kennedy Meadows with its booth seating and skyline views. You can while away a summer’s evening here dancing to music from the DJs while drinking lager, stout, cider or a fruity spritz. For a proper sit down meal, you can head downstairs to Ox Club, Headrow House’s award-winning solid fuel grill restaurant. Alternatively, you can share plates of loaded ‘tater tots’ on the terrace. These come with seriously scrumptious toppings like smoked garlic, crispy pancetta and parmesan or jalapeños, pink onions, chipotle mayo and cheddar.

Images – @whitelocksalehouse, @belgravemusichall, @headrowhouse