Pub of the week: Tapped, Leeds

This American-style brewpub is impressive on a number of levels. First off, the vast copper vats at one end of the spacious, light ground-floor building and the snaking pipes carrying the newly-brewed beer to the unique dispensing system.

Second off, the jaw-dropping 27 draft beers, plus 100-odd international bottled beers.

Bringing up the rear but definitely not last is the pizza. Everyone knows it’s a great combo but it’s even better when the pizza is made in front of you and is seriously one of the best I’ve had this side of Naples (and the dough is made from the beer yeast!)

But the beer takes centre stage. Their Pilsner is hoppy, clear and very pleasing, the house wheat beer (Weiss) is a perfectly good bitter but the Paradiso is possibly one of the best ales I’ve tasted; lovely floral notes, very quaffable.

They take beers from local and regional breweries too; Jaipur from Derbyshire-based Thornbridge, Kirkstall in Leeds, Ilkley and the Northern Monk brewery in Leeds.

Owner and brewer Jamie Hawksworth learned his trade in Prague and opened his first brewpub Pivni in York in 2007 before rescuing the glorious Victorian waiting room next to Sheffield Station, creating the Tap – another mecca for beer lovers.

Hawksworth expected “lad & dad” drinkers but actually the demographic is much wider; it’s good to see a really mixed bunch of folk on a warm mid-week lunchtime; shoppers, tourists and seasoned Camra types.

And that pizza; seasoned chef Big Dan’s stone-baked beauties go down a treat with a glass of Paradiso.

About The Author

Amanda Wragg

Mandy Wragg is a freelance food journalist, writing and inspecting for the Yorkshire Post, Alastair Sawday, the Morning Advertiser, the AA, Cool Places and David Hancock's Inn Places. She co-writes www.squidbeak.co.uk, an independent guide to eating, drinking and staying in Yorkshire.

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