As a Leeds-based blogger, I used to get invited to lots of Leeds things, usually food reviews and bar openings. I spent a lot of time in Leeds eating and drinking and socialising, and really enjoyed it. Then Covid hit. These events understandably stopped, and they just don’t seem to have come back as regularly. I miss being out in Leeds and I’m always looking for more reasons to hang out in the city. So when Leeds Cocktail Week popped up on my Instagram, I was in. J mentioned Leeds Cocktail Week to me too so I didn’t need to do a hard sell. We realised we could do two Sundays as date days, which was really nice.
What is Leeds Cocktail Week?
Leeds Cocktail Week was actually taking part over ten days rather than a week. The event is a major cocktail festival that unlocks discounts on drinks and food across Leeds. Leeds isn’t the only city that has a Cocktail Week. There are a couple of dozen across the UK run by a marketing agency, but it’s our closest. Cocktail Week founder Alice Christison came up with the idea to boost nightlife after the pandemic.
To unlock Leeds Cocktail Week discounts, you need to buy a wristband. These are charged at quite different and confusing price points depending on when you bought them. We weren’t organised enough to get the biggest Super Early Bird discount, or the Early Bird price.
We paid £12.95 and a £1.95 booking fee, per wristband, at the Advance discount rate. Apparently, full price was £14.95. But we never saw them on sale at that price. How can you sell out of something that lets people buy drinks in bars? Cocktail Week wristbands should be all one price, really.
Each participating bar in Leeds Cocktail Week has a signature cocktail – and a corresponding mocktail, too. The signature drinks are supposed to be new creations for the event, priced between £5 and £7.
Some bars had a small menu of additional drinks designed for Leeds Cocktail Week, usually one but sometimes more. There are also various food offers from some of the participating venues as well.
Cocktails in Leeds can be costly, usually above the £10 mark. Drinks menus are often similar between bars too, so this felt like both a bargain and a chance to try new creative cocktails.
Which bars were taking part in Leeds Cocktail Week 2026?
The city had 53 bars taking part for Leeds Cocktail Week 2026, a mix of chains and independents.
I’ve listed all of the participating Leeds Cocktail Week 2026 venues below:
All Bar One Leeds / Banyan / Be At One Leeds Boar Lane / Be At One Leeds Greek Street / Behind Closed Doors / Belgrave Music Hall / Bibis Italianissimo / Blackhouse Gastrobar / Box Leeds / Browns Leeds / Canal Club / Chaophraya / Cinnamon Kitchen / Cosy Club Leeds / Crowdedhouse / Dirty Martini / Electric Shuffle / Fibre / Flight Club / Gaucho / Gott’s Bar & Kitchen / Habbibi Leeds / Headrow House / Hilton Leeds City / House Of Fu / Jake’s Bar & Still Room / Malmaison / Manahatta / Neighbourhood / NQ64 / Nyla’s (City Centre) / Nyla’s (Chapel Allerton) / Power, Corruption & Lies / Revolucion De Cuba / Revolution Call Lane / Rita’s Leeds / Rosa’s Thai / Roxy Ball Room Call Lane / Roxy Ball Room Merrion Street / Roxy Lane The Light / Sela Bar / Smokestack / The Alchemist Greek Street / The Alchemist Trinity / The Banksia Bar + Restaurant / The Botanist Leeds / The Bootlegger / The End / The New Conservatory / The Whitehall / Turtle Bay / Uyare / Water Lane Boathouse
We decided to be strategic. Even if we went into the city every day – not really practical for us – we didn’t think we’d get through 53 cocktails across the ten days! That would be five or six cocktails every day.
I started by noting down the drinks I was really excited about, and we planned a route from there….
Manahatta (Cherry Sour £6)
Manahatta was an obvious first stop, as it was also a wristband pickup point. The Cherry Sour cocktail was one I knew I’d like. I love anything cherry-flavoured – and it did not disappoint. It was not overly sour, quite sweet, and very tasty.
The Manahatta bartender was really friendly, chatting to me about Leeds Cocktail Week whilst he made our drinks and suggesting other bars with good deals on. I had no room on my list to add more, but I appreciated his enthusiasm anyway.
We made use of Manahatta’s photobooth before leaving, as I had put makeup and a nice outfit on and wanted to get some cute shots with J. They have gone into my photobooth frame at home.
Canal Club (Canal Peach Iced Tea, £5)
Canal Club was a strategic second bar as it had 50% off food and we wanted to eat there. All but their sharers and the three small plates for £22 deal were included.
I ordered steak with chips and chose their cheese and chive sauce which I was really excited about. I asked for my steak medium-rare. It arrived well done. There was also onion in the cheese and chive sauce, which was not mentioned on the menu and meant I couldn’t eat it.
J ordered a chicken parmo which came topped with mac and cheese and it was pretty tasty. His salad arrived with no dressing. We don’t like when salad is covered in a dressing without this being mentioned, so we appreciated that.
Their cocktails were really tasty, and I would have them again.
Our food and cocktails at Canal Club cost £20.79.
After we’d eaten I visited the toilets, which for a super quiet, nearly dead bar were not great. The toilet roll holder was broken so the large roll was plonked on top, but it was also wet as it had been dropped on the floor. I mentioned this to the bartender, along with the incorrectly cooked steak and unexpected onion. She knocked another 25% off our food bill, which was appreciated.
Revolucion de Cuba (Mango Mai Tai £6)
Revolucion de Cuba, which is sadly closing, was a bar I was excited to try. I’ve been to Cuba and I didn’t find it super authentic with the decor.
But the music was good and the cocktail could probably kill a man, so it is therefore very Cuban in some ways.
Revolucion de Cuba serves proper drinks (with Cuban rum!) and I would definitely go back, if they weren’t about to close. Terrible news for Leeds. Barbara’s Bier Haus is set to replace the Cuban-themed bar.
Fibre (Mango Matcha Made in Heaven £5)
Fibre was a late addition for us. I’d lost my Leeds Cocktail Week booklet, and I figured as they were doing wristband pickup they would have some. The lady kindly gave me two, so I could fold one in my bag and know I’d not lose it again.
Their cocktail, the Mango Matcha Made in Heaven, was really nice. I’m not a big matcha fan but the mostly milk-based matcha was delicious and the mango flavour really came through. I’d drink this again.
When we were in Fibre there was a lady singing live-she seemed okay at first and then seemed to get worse, but I suspect that was down to how long she’d been singing for.
Smokestack (Blueberry Hill)
We’ve been to Smokestack before with friends before a gig, and we love the dark and relaxed vibe.
The cocktail was tasty but we didn’t love that the blueberries in there came out of a punnet with a yellow sticker. How old were they? We eat a lot of yellow sticker food at home, we’re not snobbish about that, but at home we know if the food is okay or not.
The End (Melon Sherbet £7)
The End is clearly a party, night out sort of bar. There’s a big dance floor bit with a DJ booth and lots of comfy seating. When we went in during afternoon it was dead, and the bartender said that’s always the case on Sundays.
The cocktail had a strong melon flavour and it was slightly sour with the sherbet around the rim. Really different but not our favourite. I’m not sure I’d drink it again, it’s probably better for me with no sherbet.
Power, Corruption & Lies (Sake Day Night Fever £7)
Power, Corruption & Lies has been on my radar for a while. I’ve heard good things from fellow Leeds bloggers. I’d never tried Sake either, so I was particularly intrigued by this cocktail.
Whilst it was quite bitter and more of a drink for adults, than my usual choice of a silly sweet drink, I still enjoyed it.
The food in Power, Corruption & Lies looked really good too – dim sum and bao buns cooked in an open kitchen – and I’ll probably come back to eat.
The Botanist (Yuzu Colada £5)
I really like The Botanist, it’s a bar I went to a lot when meeting fellow Leeds bloggers pre-Covid.
The Yuzu Colada was my drink of the day by far. It was sweet, creamy and delicious, and I would 100% have this again.
Definitely one of the top drinks for Leeds Cocktail Week.
Crowdedhouse (The Summerhouse £5)
Crowdedhouse is a relatively new bar in Trinity Leeds, replacing Angelica and Crafthouse in summer 2025.
It’s up on the fifth floor, meaning there are gorgeous views of the city. Our visit didn’t start that well, though, as the lift from Boar Lane to the bar was not working. We had to go into Trinity Leeds itself, get a lift to the first floor, then go to another lift to the top. Not the end of the world, but a bit annoying.
When we went in and asked for their signature cocktail they told us they were missing ingredients for it. They offered to make another version and some of the bar staff said the new version was actually better. Not a great advertisement for the cocktail the bar was meant to have created in the first place!
We got a peach version and an apple version in the end. They told us to grab a table and said they’d bring the drinks over, so we went out to the terrace to enjoy the city views.
When we received the bill there was a £1.25 service charge added (12.5% of the drinks cost), which we’d not been made aware of. Considering we were willing to wait at the bar for our drinks, it felt a bit off. We’d not had this in any other bar. We didn’t get it in any of the bars the following Sunday either. Odd.
The cocktail was nice, it was a bit bitter for me, and the apple version was nicer than the peach version. Honestly, I wasn’t all that impressed with Crowdedhouse and probably won’t go back, which is a shame.
This is where we ended our first Sunday. Nine cocktails when we’d initially planned five or six felt like a sensible point to bow out. It’s a shame our last bar of the day wasn’t a better experience, but overall we really enjoyed our first day of Leeds Cocktail Week.
Habbibi (Desi Daru Mango Colada £7)
I suspect that Habbibi – located at the top of Victoria Gate – was a late addition to Leeds Cocktail Week.
It’s last on the list – the rest of the venues in the booklet are in alphabetical order – and this cocktail is also on the normal Habbibi menu rather than being specially created for Leeds Cocktail Week.
It was cheaper though, at £7 rather than £11. I also loved the cool cat cups that the cocktail came in.
When we arrived we were seated immediately but we ordered twice as apparently their system lost our order. The drink was delicious and I’d order it again. I didn’t love that there was no new drink created for the week, it felt a bit low effort.
One big positive is all of Habbibi’s cocktails can be made as mocktails, at between £3 and £4 cheaper.
We were asked when we ordered if we wanted alcohol or no alcohol and it felt like this was a standard, no big deal question, which is really cool. Our server was really friendly, but she did complement me on my bracelet (which was really cheap from Hong Kong) and that felt a bit inauthentic.
Nyla’s City Centre (Queens Folly £5)
We chose to eat at Nyla’s as, like Canal Club, it also had 50% off food orders for Leeds Cocktail Week.
The bar was pretty busy, unlike everywhere we went to on the first Sunday which was super quiet. Whilst the lady working alone behind the bar seemed a bit frazzled, it was nice to see somewhere being busy! We had booked a table but there didn’t appear to be any reserved or any system for this. We got a table, so it was fine, but if it had been busier it may have been an issue.
It wasn’t a deliberate choice but J ended up having a chicken parmo again and I went for steak.
Much like last week at Canal Club, I ordered my steak medium-rare, and it came well done. I can still eat that so I did, but it isn’t great to be asked how you’d like your steak and then ignored.
J’s parmo was bigger than the one he had at Canal Club a week earlier, but was just as inauthentic compared to the parmos he is used to having in the north-east. Where was the bechamel sauce?
For drinks, I went for the signature Queens Folly and J went for their second signature cocktail, Nyla’s Gone Bananas. The bartender advised me she was missing the banana liqueur needed and so used double the rum and some banana syrup, which was great problem-solving. J really liked the drink.
I enjoyed the Queens Folly, although it was less fruity and more of a cocktail for grown-ups. I am a silly sugary cocktail girly at heart.
Other than the food being average, my only criticism of Nyla’s is that the toilets were a state. Out of three cubicles, one had the toilet seat and lid on the floor and one had the lid on the toilet but then no seat. When you’re paying the prices city centre bars charge, you do expect the facilities to be functional.
One big positive is when the table next to us ordered a beer, the server made it clear that there was a similar beer on a happy hour deal and offered him the choice to switch. This wasn’t listed on the menu and she could have kept that quiet. It was excellent service offering the cheaper beer, which he took.
Our food and two cocktails at Nyla’s was £26.75.
The Whitehall (Twister, £6)
Despite being a massive fan of Mans Market, I’d never realised that The Whitehall was right next to it.
We went there for their ice cream-themed drinks for Leeds Cocktail Week. In my opinion, The Whitehall made the most effort for their signature drink, creating not one, not two (a few bars created two) but FIVE new drinks for the occasion. I love that effort.
We were excited about four of the five. We tried Twister and Fab (£6 each), plus 99 Flake (£7) and Rhubarb and Raspberry Ripple (£7). All four drinks were cleverly made; the Twister tasted like a melted ice lolly to me, although J found it too sour. The Fab was delicious, but the chocolate and sprinkles around the rim distracted from the flavour a little. It tasted just like the milky section of a Fab lolly.
The Rhubarb and Raspberry Ripple was my favourite, super sweet and tasting again just like an ice cream. The 99 Flake was, effectively, pure alcohol with ice cream flavoured foam on top. Too strong for me but the foam was delicious. When we stirred it through the drink, it was much more enjoyable.
The Whitehall also had some small plates on offer for Leeds Cocktail Week too. A few people were enjoying Sunday roasts and they looked banging, so we might go back to eat there.
Neighbourhood (Bubblegum WooWoo £5)
Neighbourhood is a bar I’ve heard lots about but never made it to. I was really excited to spot they were doing a Bubblegum WooWoo for Leeds Cocktail Week.
But I was disappointed when I realised it was from their normal menu. And I was even more disappointed when it was made from big containers of pre-mixed drinks.
I guess for £5 it’s to be expected, but this drink is usually on their menu for £12. You’d expect a freshly mixed cocktail.
It didn’t taste that much of Bubblegum, either, though it came with a sweet. I liked the decor in Neighbourhood, especially the floor, and would give it another try, but I’d order a different drink!
Browns (Cherry Bramble £5)
Browns, which I forgot to take a photo in, were another bar that just discounted a drink from the normal menu rather than creating a new signature cocktail. Given that Browns has quite a reputation for good drinks, this is sad and a shame.
The Cherry Bramble is normally £12.50 and didn’t really taste of cherry to us. J suspects the bartender may have missed an ingredient as he seemed a bit unsure when making it. I didn’t realise in time to check we had the correct drink either. It was fine, it just didn’t taste of cherry as advertised.
Box (Tropic Like It’s Hot £6)
Box was our final bar. J fancied the signature cocktail and I’d spotted a second one they were making for Leeds Cocktail Week: the Cherry Cola at £7.50.
We both enjoyed our drinks and were going to play shuffleboard until we found we could only book for an hour. The bar was quiet and we only wanted half an hour, so the table remained empty, which felt silly.
Was Leeds Cocktail Week worth it?
I’m torn on this. The wristband wasn’t badly priced and some of the cocktails were reasonable, but there were only a handful of drinks we loved and would want to drink again.
Leeds can a trek for us, especially with public transport issues – there were train signalling problems on the first Sunday, so we got an Uber. It can cost £16 on the train or £20 each way in a taxi. We’re not big drinkers usually either, but wanted to make the most of what Leeds Cocktail Week had to offer.
Some of the bars had 2 for 1 deals on their standard cocktails, priced at around £12. As some Leeds Cocktail Week drinks came in at about £6 anyway, this felt like it could have been a better discount.
Leeds Cocktail Week was alright, but we were wanting amazing. Habbibi’s Desi Daru Mango Colada and The Botanist’s Yuzu Colada hit that amazing mark for me. Others fell short and we weren’t that impressed with the food we had during Leeds Cocktail Week either, even with 50% off orders as part of the event.
Is Leeds Cocktail Week right for me?
If you live or work in the city and go out for drinks a lot, I think you’d get more from Leeds Cocktail Week.
We likely won’t do the Leeds one again. On the first Sunday, there was barely anyone else out and the bars lacked atmosphere as a result. It is also a shame that there weren’t many independent bars on the list and some venues did not bother to make a new drink for Leeds Cocktail Week either.
Leeds Cocktail Week felt like a real missed opportunity to showcase some of the special places in the city. Maybe the cost of participating was too much for those that are not chains, or they don’t rate the event?
My top tips for Leeds Cocktail Week and similar events
If there’s a cocktail week coming up in your city, here’s my advice:
- Have a good look at the list of participating places
- See how many of the signature cocktails you’re really excited about
- Price up how much it’ll cost to go to and from the city (including taxis!)
- Check how much drinks normally are before you decide
Upcoming events run all over the UK under the same banner and branding. They include Derry’s first-ever Cocktail Week (21 – 30 August 2026), Newcastle Cocktail Week (2 -11 October 2026) Sunderland Cocktail Week (30 January – 8 February 2027). Leeds Cocktail Week will return in 2027, from 30th July – 8th August.
Are you tempted to attend a Cocktail Week?
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