Chance and Counters Leeds review: I tried the new Merrion Street board game bar where you can play Uno
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Chance and Counters wasn’t my first choice for a catch-up with a friend. We were turned away from one of the city’s more high end bars as it was fully booked, so we wandered over to Merrion Street and a new addition caught our eye.
Opened just three weeks ago in the old Yard & Coop restaurant, Chance and Counters is the city’s first dedicated board game bar and cafe.
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Hide AdWe were warmly greeted by a member of staff who let us know how things worked. Downstairs, a collection of more simple board games can be enjoyed for free over drinks or a bite to eat, while upstairs there are larger gaming tables and a bigger library for a very reasonable £2 per person, per hour.


The space hasn’t changed much from its former use, with an industrial feel and homely touches - exposed brick walls and quirky paintings, mis-matched tables and a pastel pink spiral staircase.
There’s a concise yet tempting food menu full of classic diner grub - burgers, wings, loaded fries and cheesecake. The range of draught beer and cider was fantastic and it was nice to see some local options.
I opted for the gin bramble, one of six cocktails on offer. It had a big hit of citrus and was super refreshing. My friend went for the peach long island iced tea which was a nice take on the classic with creme de peche.
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Hide AdWe enjoyed a few games of Uno before grabbing Dobble, a trickier version of snap. After ordering our second round of drinks - we both went for a single peach gin and tonic - we moved onto some nostalgic games of Guess Who, Operation and Pop Up Pirate which had us in stitches.


Our bill came to a pretty standard £34.10 - the cocktails were priced at £9.50 and the single gins were £6 each, with a 10% optional service charge added.
But unlike your standard bar, we had a whopping 500 games to choose from and plenty to keep us entertained for hours, with friendly staff on hand to guide us.
Whether you’re a board game fanatic or a novice like us, Chance and Counters has nailed what it set out to do - create a relaxed place to soak up the company of friends and put your phone away for a few hours.
Factfile
Address: 6-8 Merrion Street, Leeds, LS1 6PQ
Telephone: 0113 487 5930
Opening hours: Mon, closed; Tue-Thurs, 4pm-11pm; Fri, 4pm-1am; Sat, noon-1am; Sun, noon-10pm.
Website: www.chanceandcounters.com/leeds
Scores
Drinks: 7/10
Atmosphere: 8/10
Service: 8/10
Value: 8/10