Kirkstall Bridge Inn: I visited the popular Leeds riverside spot that is raising the bar for 'pub grub'

Some boozers still serve up quintessential pub food, you know the type. It does what it says on the tin. It’s hearty and filling and soaks up some of the pints. It’s not gourmet but you love it anyway. There is a place for pub grub in the hearts of most British people.

However, there are plenty of pubs now raising the bar and going beyond what can be considered pub grub. Many are located right here in Leeds, a city brimming with culinary innovation not strictly limited to restaurants.

Kirkstall Bridge Inn is one of those pubs, serving up genuine treats in a beautiful setting. It has a charming interior that subtly nods to history, as well as a spacious beer garden overlooking the River Aire.

I went down on a Monday teatime, hoping to catch some of the British summer rays with a pint and a decent meal. What I got was sunburn, a refreshing pint and a meal that can be described as much more than decent.

I went for the spicy chicken burger, served with rosemary and sea salt fries, for £14. Although perhaps not a glamorous order, it was as good as any chicken burger I have had in years.

Over the years, I have sat in many of the modern ‘American-style diner’ joints that whip up painfully average burgers for eye-watering prices. Repeatedly, I have found them sloppy and lacking in substance, genuinely no better than what you can get at McDonald’s.

The bun at the Kirkstall Bridge Inn was packed yet arranged with care and I could actually manage to get my mouth round it. It had been tastefully lathered in spicy sauce, rather than drowned in it.

The chicken was crispy and seasoned to perfection, while the bacon (added for an extra £1) added to the satisfying crunch. I have eaten at establishments purporting to specialise in burgers that fell way short of the Kirkstall Bridge Inn’s standards.

Fries can sometimes be limp and dissatisfying but these were fries as fries should be. Crispy and loaded with seasoning, they were a lovely accompaniment to the stellar burger.

The dining experience was only added to by the quality of the beer. I went for a pint of Judicious, a tropical pale ale tailor-made for the summer. Staff were warm and friendly, working with smiles despite their fairly long trek out to the beer garden to deliver the food.

I also liked how the food came in takeout boxes, it’s a tidier way of doing things and just makes more sense than hauling plates and cutlery out.

The sun was out, the food was delicious and the drinks washed it down beautifully. There was a screen for Euro 2024 matches and a mixed clientele enjoying the weather.

More complex adjectives could sum up the Kirkstall Bridge Inn but the one that comes to mind is a simple one. It’s a happy place.