English Pub Food at The Griffin, Leeds City Center, UK
Pubs dot across every town and city of the UK and are a part of the traditional local culture. Usually frequented for a few pints of beer or just to relax over a beer and local pub food. On weekends, most of the pubs are buzzing with people of all ages who are there unwinding and chilling.
There are 180 pubs and bars in the Leeds City Center. We dropped into The Griffin, a pub that’s set in an 1872 hotel, on a Saturday afternoon. The pub was bustling with locals spending the afternoon with friends and colleagues for a pre-Christmas celebration. The atmosphere with fairy lights, people wearing Christmas jumpers, Santa caps, or Reindeer hair bands gave it a happy and cheerful ambiance. The wait time to order a drink at the counter was about 10 min, which is long for a pub, it was that crowded! Typically, all pub counters have a few craft and branded beers, Guinness, a famous Irish beer, and a choice of Ciders on the tap besides a wide range of spirits and cocktails.
For drinks, we ordered a Rhubarb and Ginger Pinkster gin with Fever Tree Mediterranean tonic water, Coke Zero, and a half pint of Birra Moretti.
We came in not for the drinks but for the English pub food. The menu had popular pub food like fish n chips, steak and ale pie, burger, steak, and BBQ/ roast chicken and pies. It also had small plates and sharer trays to mix and match as a meal or to munch with the drinks.
We ordered Fish n Chips, Crispy Squid, Garlic Prawns, and Battered Halloumi fries. The food was much better than the usual underrated pub food.
Fish n Chips — cod fillet was of perfect thickness, the batter was well coated, and the fish had been cooked at the right temperature as there was appropriate crunchiness in the coating & no smell or feel of oil, like in some small fish n Chips joints. Served with thick-cut fries and mushy green peas. It was very well prepared and one of the better fish and chips that we’ve had.
Crispy squid — salt pepper and herbed batter crisply done was very nice. Crisp on the outside, soft and crunchy on the inside. It came with a sweet chilli glaze and a little garnish of fresh chives. We liked it a lot.
Garlic prawns — I’m allergic to prawns, and my wife loves them. She described the dish as “ exquisite”. In her words, “The sauce was creamy, buttery, and garlicky, reminding me of a nice French white sauce. The Berry dressing on the rocket leaves is interesting”. She put the prawns on the sourdough and enjoyed it.
Battered Halloumi fries — perfectly crispy on the outside and firm halloumi cheese on the inside. Very well topped with chili jam, sour cream, and pickled watermelon. Chili jam is a UK creation inspired by South East Asian flavours. The pickled watermelon added a zing, and we were tasting it for the first time. Overall, it’s a winner.
We didn’t linger on too much due to the crowd, though we were enjoying the buzz.
- Food: 8 — exceeded expectations, though we had to wait a good 40 minutes as it was so busy!
- Ambience 9 — a typical pub environment
- Service 7
- Value for money: 7
- Would we like to come back again and recommend The Griffin to friends and family — Yes
Which memorable pub have you visited, and what is your favourite pub food?
