Food Review Town Hall Tavern, Leeds Reviewed

We visit a Leeds city centre gastropub that offers all the thrills of an out-of-the-way country pub, but right on our doorstep

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Food Review: Town Hall Tavern, Leeds Reviewed

I love foodie pubs, but they have an inherent problem. If you want unspoiled, non-chain hospitality, you’ve got to go out of your way to find it. Basically, some of these pubs can be a bit of the beaten track.

The Town Hall Tavern is far from that. Nestling at one end of Westgate lies this Timothy Taylor pub, a pub that can so easily be overlooked because of its understated appearance – a white stucco 1920s town house amidst overbearing civic buildings. Regardless of how it looks, overlook it at your peril.

Having recently been refurbished, the Ikea-like soft furnishings and wood panelling have been replaced by East Riding green ceramic tiles and rustic wooden furniture, giving it the feel of a ‘proper’ Yorkshire pub, and with the three Timothy Taylor beers (Ram Tam, Landlord and Golden Best) in permanent residence, the taste is proper Yorkshire too.

After getting a rundown on the beers and their relative merits, we are shown to our table. It’s a quiet night, so the landlord stays to chat – some might find this a bit awkward, but I like a bit of dinner conversation.

After blowing the froth off a couple of pints of Landlord (£3.20), our starters arrive, presented on slates: langoustines and black pudding on crushed peas (£6.25) for me, crab cake and prawns (£6.95) for my dining companion. I am informed that the black pudding is made on the premises and it is rich and sweet beyond belief, a perfect foil to the crisp, succulent seafood and refreshingly firm crushed peas. I am well pleased, but a little jealous of the crab cake, which is a crumbed ball of crab filled, kiev-style, with whole prawns. Both are very tasty though and perfectly sized.

My main course of duo of spring lamb with Provencal vegetables and crushed new potatoes (£12.95) is, as requested, delivered medium rare and is as tender and/or crispy as you could want it. The smear of sweet pepper sauce and crust of basil match sweet with sour whilst the Mediterranean flavours of the vegetables make a refreshing change to mint. The crushed potatoes could benefit from more seasoning, but the side of ‘posh’ chips (parmesan, thyme and truffle oil, £3.50) more than make up for that. My companion’s sticky belly pork and black pudding hash (£10.95) again brings out the green-eyed monster, but I suspect the sentiment is mutual.

I choose the bread and butter pudding with rhubarb ice cream (£6.25) with difficulty from a strong selection of desserts but have no regrets when it arrives: a warm, rich pudding that borders on crème caramel territory in counterpoint to a cool, mildly sharp ice cream that work so well together that you could eat it by the panful. I sense I’ve won this round, though my companion’s dark chocolate tart (£6.95) does look good, especially with the praline ‘scratching’.

The meal is over and that is, honestly, my biggest disappointment. I’ve loved the surprising flavour combinations, the fresh produce, the banter with the landlord, the beer… and I can get there by bus!

Posted on Wednesday 13th July 2011
Rob Wright

Town Hall Tavern

17 Westgate, Leeds, LS1 2RA

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