The Fenton - Leeds

Perhaps the best place to drink near the university, the Fenton is the sort of pub that combines locals and students perfectly. The locals who do frequent it seem to warm to the students or any youngsters, an experience which will come as a shock to you if you've already been in the not so friendly Pack Horse up the road. The downstairs area is split into two partitions, served by one bar full of chatty staff and one quality old school jukebox. There is also a tiny room with a pool table in but it's hard to get on for a game sometimes as the place is usually fairly lively on an evening. It houses live acts in the upstairs room, providing the tiny sort of venue that you can imagine a world-famous band starting of in. Beer and food are cheap too. Basically, it's got it all.

The main drawback of The Fenton is that while it’s pleasant during the day when it's calm, I can’t recommend it for the busier evening hours. Due to its size and the somewhat awkward layout of the bar, the experience might not be worth the trouble. Nonetheless, it remains one of my favorite stops along the Otley Run, even if I haven’t done it in years!

On the downside, the layout isn't great, and it's easy for the downstairs seating to fill up even when the pub isn't particularly crowded. The music was a bit loud for my taste, though that could have just been my bad luck during my visit. You can still hold a conversation; you'll just need to raise your voice a bit. If you're looking for a good pint that won't break the bank, along with a game of pool or some local live music, this is the place to be.

This place is a weird one for me. The first thing that hits you is most certainly the dank smell. I wouldn't like to point the finger, so I'll let you discover for yourself from whence that interminable musk originates. But anyway, that is the first item that you would notice on walking into The Fenton. But once you get past this, if you do stick it out, you discover an oddly laid out and cozy pub with plenty of character. They have a great little outside seating area for the smokers, if you can balance holding your pint down the very steep slight of steps. They hold regular live music events in the upstairs of the place. The bar staff are very friendly and attentive, and the drinks selection in nicely varied which I have come to expect of a pub nowadays. Even if I stick with a pint of lager, I at least like the option to move for a more exotic spirit or cask ale. Anyhow, I think the point is this: The Fenton is a nice, if a little pungent, place to go for a few drinks. But nothing stands out as magnificent.

I used to work next door to The Fenton, which made it ideal for post-work drinkage. I have, however, fallen over a number of times thanks to the annoying little step into the 'lounge ' area, so beware. The staff are super friendly, though, Wow is right. They hardly laughed at all when I fell over. Much, much nicer than the Packhorse, but The Eldon 's still my favourite :