When the autumn season arrives, there's only really one pub in Leeds that I want to head to and that's Mr Foleys Tap House. As a fan of comfy chairs and good quality cider, this fast became one of my favourite places in Leeds and I have now finally managed to get the husband to go there.
I've always gone to Mr Foleys with friends and guys from work and didn't realise that the Mr had never come along too. While he isn't as big a cider fan as me, he does appreciate a glass of the good and traditional stuff - don't talk to us about Strongbow apparently being cider - so I figured it was about time I popped his Mr Foleys cherry and took him out on a little date.
I've always gone to Mr Foleys with friends and guys from work and didn't realise that the Mr had never come along too. While he isn't as big a cider fan as me, he does appreciate a glass of the good and traditional stuff - don't talk to us about Strongbow apparently being cider - so I figured it was about time I popped his Mr Foleys cherry and took him out on a little date.
I've learnt my lesson when it comes to trying to get a table at Foleys. I absolutely hate standing up in pubs, but if you don't get to this one early, you'll have to fight to get a chair and table when someone else leaves. Knowing that it was going to be busy on a Friday night, I ran out of work a few minutes early to ensure we got somewhere to sit.
Luckily, there was a small table up on the balcony, which is by far the best place to sit so I claimed that. As soon as the group that were sat on the sofas finished their drinks and left, I moved over so we had what are definitely the best seats in the house: leather sofas and a winged armchair - what more could you want?
The main reason I love Foleys is that there is always a killer selection of flat ciders available, which suits me after getting my gastric band. All the ciders are lined up in boxes on a shelf on a bar, which each of them labelled with a name, cider type (sweet, med, med/dry and dry), area of origin, producer and alcohol content. Each of the ciders is served up in glasses with handles, which is always the best way to drink this particular beverage. They also serve mulled cider at this time of year, which is a must on a cold and wet day.
Luckily, there was a small table up on the balcony, which is by far the best place to sit so I claimed that. As soon as the group that were sat on the sofas finished their drinks and left, I moved over so we had what are definitely the best seats in the house: leather sofas and a winged armchair - what more could you want?
The main reason I love Foleys is that there is always a killer selection of flat ciders available, which suits me after getting my gastric band. All the ciders are lined up in boxes on a shelf on a bar, which each of them labelled with a name, cider type (sweet, med, med/dry and dry), area of origin, producer and alcohol content. Each of the ciders is served up in glasses with handles, which is always the best way to drink this particular beverage. They also serve mulled cider at this time of year, which is a must on a cold and wet day.
When it comes to picking a cider, I tend to opt for medium, medium/dry or dry, as the sweet ones are always way too sickly for me. I'll then pick the one with the best name and/or the highest alcohol content. This method has never failed me and I always end up trying something different. This time around, I chose the second-strongest cider, which was one from Somerset called The Hogfather and I wasn't disappointed.
The husband was a bit late due to work so I had to fend off would-be table thieves and managed to get through a pint before he turned up. When he arrived - shivering and stressed - he was immediately happy that I got the sofas and even more so that the place was warm.
He trusted my taste in cider so tried the same one, while I also picked out some food for him. They have a pretty great range of snacks and food on offer, with everything from nuts, pork pies and nachos available for a really good price. The Mr got a pork pie and a plate of nachos, along with a pint and a half of Hogfather, this cost just over £10, which is really reasonable. In fact, a pint of cider cost more than the huge plate of pulled pork nachos.
The husband was a bit late due to work so I had to fend off would-be table thieves and managed to get through a pint before he turned up. When he arrived - shivering and stressed - he was immediately happy that I got the sofas and even more so that the place was warm.
He trusted my taste in cider so tried the same one, while I also picked out some food for him. They have a pretty great range of snacks and food on offer, with everything from nuts, pork pies and nachos available for a really good price. The Mr got a pork pie and a plate of nachos, along with a pint and a half of Hogfather, this cost just over £10, which is really reasonable. In fact, a pint of cider cost more than the huge plate of pulled pork nachos.
Once we were settled with food and drinks, we were able to sit back comfortably and put the world to rights without being surrounded by a crowd of people or lots of noise, which is why I really love Foleys. It didn't take the husband long to see why this is one of my top places in Leeds or why I want to take family there when they head t'up north for a visit.
As a south-western girl who loves cider, home comforts and peace, pubs really don't get much better. If you haven't been to My Foleys Tap House yet, i suggest you don't wait much longer as it is bloody brilliant.
As a south-western girl who loves cider, home comforts and peace, pubs really don't get much better. If you haven't been to My Foleys Tap House yet, i suggest you don't wait much longer as it is bloody brilliant.
