Veritas - Leeds' very own beer and food Mecca

It’s been far too long since I went to Veritas in Leeds. Not that my absence has been detriment to its success, if my most recent visit was anything to go by. The place was packed.

It was a warm, inviting buzz rather than a rowdy din though, and I felt at ease as soon as I sat down. The service at this place is just one of the things that sets it apart, we took a seat in the dining section and within a few minutes a friendly member of staff was over to take our drinks order. They understand the importance of that first drink, put me at ease with a pint and I’ll happily muse over the menu for a bit without any trouble.

The waitress also new her beers, which is massively important when offering table service - just a few quick questions about what I fancied (dark, strong flavour) and she was recommending an excellent Saltaire Cascadian Black. Fast, friendly, flawless service from staff that were obviously rushed off their feet.

But we were there for the food, and on that front things definitely weren’t let down. We started with some obviously very fresh scallops with chilli, garlic and dressed rocket. Simple, well cooked, delicious.

For the main course I was seduced by the pork, black pudding and apple “Pie of the Day”, whereas Colette went for the deep fried Pollock with Tiger Prawns and Whitebait. The pie was good; nicely slow cooked and full of flavour but the gravy let the side down a bit and was slightly lacking oomph. The accompanying chips were great.

Colette’s seafood dish was the star of the show though. The battered fish and prawns were moist and tender on the inside but crispy on the outside, and the Whitebait was (rightly) unbattered and completely delicious. Salty and full of flavour these things would make the perfect bar snack alongside a pint.

Cheese board for me and some rich and sweet chocolate thing for the missus finished things up nicely. Perfect!

There are far too few places like Veritas. Where you can have a few pints of great beer, delivered by table service alongside a selection of great modern British food. Plus they have a deli inside the pub in case you just want some cheese or snacks to nibble on.

If you haven’t been then there’s never been a better time to give it a try – it’s a perfect place to drink, eat and relax when the weather turns cold.


I've written about Veritas, and a few other beer and food places in Leeds, before here.

2 comments:

  1. the all important question, what was on the cheeseboard and what beer did you pair with it?

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  2. I stuck with the black IPA. I dont know what the cheeses were exactly as I let them choose, I just requested "some strong ones". But I think they were a Yorkshire Blue, a hard ewes milk cheese, and a soft blue gorgonzola type cheese (but all are local). They were very good, although I'd have liked a bigger portion!

    Very good though and the black IPA worked a treat.

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