Alley Cats Leeds review: I tried this quirky bar in Chapel Allerton - and the cocktails aren’t for the fainthearted
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Known for its quiz nights, drag bingo and soundtrack of indie anthems, it had been on my list to visit for some time, having heard rave reviews. We visited on a bitterly cold Tuesday evening so it wasn’t much of a surprise to find the bar empty. After the warmest of welcomes from the bartender, who very sweetly apologised that we were the only ones there, we didn’t mind one bit.
The Harrogate Road bar is super cosy, jam-packed with merchandise, guitars and quirky pictures and lit with string lights and cute table lamps. There’s a TV with Netflix and a gaming console, as well as board games to play.
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Hide AdAlley Cats serves a range of American-style fast food and although we didn’t eat this time, the calorific menu looked mouth-wateringly good. There’s a great range of beers and spirits behind the bar, but we went straight for the new cocktail menu - priced at £10 each. There’s some interesting flavour combinations and boy, they pack the booze in.
I opted for the Adventure Thyme with Electric Rose gin, rose wine, fresh lemon, thyme, sugar and a splash of Absinthe. It was light and deliciously refreshing, not too sweet, with a very generous measure of gin and wine. You absolutely feel you’re getting your £10's worth.
My friend went for the Appletini with Boxer gin, Noilly Prat, house apple shrub and apple juice. This one is not for the fainthearted - it was so boozy that she struggled to drink it. We weren’t going to make a fuss, but the bartender noticed and offered to give her a replacement for free.
She ordered the Blossom Bubbles and Buttercup cocktail instead with Absolut vodka, Aperol, Yellow Chartreuse, fresh lime, lavender bitters and San Pellegrino Limonata. It was a hit, fresh with an interesting twist from the notes of lavender.
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Hide AdGranted, we went on the wrong day to really experience Alley Cats’ atmosphere – my friend is a regular and could vouch that it’s buzzing on quiz nights and at the weekend. But our conversations with the bartender made our evening and he went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable.
If you’re after a friendly bar where you’re made to feel at home, and a place where the cocktails really pack a punch, then Alley Cats is well worth a visit.