Two Leeds pubs named the best in the country as city crowned Britain’s beer garden capital

Leeds has been crowned Britain’s ‘beer garden capital’ - as two of the city’s pubs are named the best in the country.

The pubs scooped the two top spots in a new national ranking of the country's best outdoor drinking and dining spaces.

The Myrtle Tavern in Meanwood has been named the UK's highest-ranked beer garden, scoring an impressive 94.8 out of 100, while Kirkstall Bridge Inn came a close second with 94.6.

The ranking, carried out by Crown Pavilions, analysed the 2026 Great British Pub Awards Best Pub Garden finalists.

Pubs were assessed on factors including the quality and usability of their gardens, public reputation, review scores, independent recognition and evidence of outdoor features.

The Myrtle Tavern and Kirkstall Bridge Inn were separated by just 0.2 points.

Both Leeds pubs received maximum scores for garden quality and usability, as well as full marks for independent recognition and evidence of their outdoor spaces.

Myrtle Tavern’s top position was also backed up by its strong customer reputation, with the Leeds pub boasting a 4.5 Google rating and a 4.8 rating on Tripadvisor.

Kirkstall Bridge Inn was similarly highly rated by customers, with a 4.6 Google rating alongside a significantly larger number of reviews.

Here are the top 10 beer gardens and their scores:

1. The Myrtle Tavern, Leeds - 94.8
2. Kirkstall Bridge Inn, Leeds - 94.6
3. The Tartan Fox by Adam Handling, Newquay - 93.7
4. The Bulls Head, Cheshire - 93.7
5. The Tichborne Arms, Hampshire - 93.4
6. The Ship Inn, Cornwall - 90.5
7. The Mutton at Hazeley Heath, Hampshire - 89
8. The Fleece Inn, Worcestershire - 83.9
9. The Jolly Sailors, Norfolk - 82.9
10. The Acorn Inn, Dorset - 81.4