City guide · England
First date ideas in Leeds: where to meet and how to get home
By The Fling Compass editorial team · Last checked
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Leeds is one of the easiest big cities for a first date. The station is right in the centre, Briggate runs up from it, and most of the good places for a drink are within ten minutes' walk of each other.
That's useful. You can suggest somewhere central without either of you giving away where you live, and if it isn't working you're a short walk from a train or a bus.
Some of the oldest pubs in the city sit down narrow yards off Briggate. Don't let 'down an alley' put you off: these places are busy, and the yards are only a few steps long.
Where to go in Leeds
Briggate and the yards
The main shopping street, with old pubs down the narrow yards on either side. Busy until late at weekends.
Around the station
New Station Street and the streets near the railway arches. Ideal if one of you is getting the train.
New Briggate
North of the Headrow, near the Grand Theatre, with independent bars and music venues on the side streets.
Places for a first drink
Busy enough to feel relaxed, quiet enough to talk, and easy to leave. Check opening times on their own sites before you go.
- 01
Whitelock's Ale House
pub · Briggate
Founded in 1715 as the Turk's Head and still down the same yard off Briggate. It's the oldest pub in Leeds, small, warm and usually busy, so there's always a bit of background chatter.
- 02
North Bar
beer bar · New Briggate
Pouring good beer since 1997, which in bar years is a very long time. A narrow, sociable room where a quick drink is easy to keep quick.
- 03
Belgrave Music Hall & Canteen
bar and music venue · Cross Belgrave Street
Big, casual and busy, with food and plenty of space. Enough going on around you that the conversation doesn't have to carry everything.
- 04
Friends of Ham
craft beer and charcuterie bar · New Station Street
A relaxed bar near the station with good beer and boards of cured meat and cheese. Sharing a plate is a gentle way to break the ice.
- 05
Trinity Kitchen
street food · Trinity Leeds
A rotating line-up of street food traders inside the Trinity Leeds shopping centre. Bright, open and full of people, which makes it a good daytime or early-evening meet.
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Getting home
Leeds station is in the middle of everything, so for anyone heading out of the city the last train is the simplest plan. Check your last departure on National Rail before you go, not at the end of the night.
First West Yorkshire runs many of the bus routes in and out of the centre. Late-evening times vary a lot from route to route, so look yours up before you set off.
Private hire cars must be booked. Leeds City Council's conditions say a licensed private hire vehicle may only be sent to a customer by an operator holding an operator's licence, so book through a firm or an app and don't accept a lift from a car that just pulls up. Hackney carriages are the ones that use the ranks.
Staying safe in Leeds
- Choose a pub near the station for the first meeting. If it's not going well, 'I've got a train' is an honest and painless way out.
- Licensed private hire cars carry a council licence plate. If you can't see one, don't get in.
- The yards off Briggate are short but narrow. When you leave, walk straight out onto Briggate rather than lingering in the alley.
- Concerns about a licensed driver or vehicle can be reported to Leeds City Council's taxi and private hire licensing team. Note the plate number first.
The full list is in our first-date safety checklist.
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A one-page checklist for the night before, sent to your inbox. Free, and you can unsubscribe in one click.
First dates in Leeds: questions
What's the oldest pub in Leeds?
Whitelock's, in a yard off Briggate, which dates back to 1715 when it opened as the Turk's Head. It's also a good spot for a first drink.
Can I hail a private hire car in Leeds?
No. Private hire cars have to be booked through a licensed operator. Only hackney carriages can be hailed or picked up at a rank.
Where should we meet if one of us is coming by train?
Somewhere near the station. Friends of Ham on New Station Street is a couple of minutes from the entrance, and Briggate is only a short walk.