The White Swan, Leeds: If walls could talk, this historic Yorkshire pub would have some tales to tell
If walls could talk I bet these would have more than just a few stories to tell.
The White Swan owes much of its popularity to the fact it adjoins the wondrous City Varieties – the famous old music hall which over the years has played host to such luminaries as Harry Houdini, Buster Keaton, Morecambe and Wise, Russell Crowe and, perhaps most famously of all, a young Charlie Chaplin.
But what you might not be aware of is that the pub actually predates the theatre.
There’s been a drinking den of one sort or another on Swan Street since the 1760s, and it was an inn with a singing room above that led to the creation of what became the City Varieties a century later, thanks to local pub landlord and benefactor Charles Thornton.
These days, The White Swan is run by Leeds Brewery, which has managed to make it a popular spot for both the pre-theatre crowd as well as beer aficionados.
It has the look and feel of a modern gastropub while still maintaining an air of nostalgia.
Posters dating back to the music hall heyday adorn the walls along with those from more recent eras, while the dressing room-style lights behind the bar are a nice touch and another nod to its roots.
There are tables and seats outside allowing punters to look out on the cobbled street and soak up a bit of Leeds heritage tucked away from the nearby throng of city centre shoppers.
On the beer front, there’s a cracking selection on cask.
Leeds Brewery, through the likes of Leeds Pale and Leeds Best, feature prominently, but there’s also Hopton, an English pale ale and Ashford, a brown ale, both from the Thornbridge Brewery, along with a good choice on tap including beers from Kirkstall Brewery and the Yeastie Boys among others.
The mark of a good pub to me is one that appeals to different people at different times and The White Swan certainly does that.
Welcome 3/5
Atmosphere 4/5
Drinks choice 4/5
Prices 4/5
The White Swan, Swan Street, Leeds. LS1 6LG. Tel: 0113 242 0187.