Slate NQ, Leeds

Last week Lizi (aka my blogging wife) and I were invited down to Slate NQ on Merrion Street, Leeds to check their new place and a play a few games of pool. Slate NQ is new pool bar and restaurant in Leeds that offers a great variety of cocktails, artisan pizzas, italian meats and deli cheeses, as well as games on their 7ft and 9ft pool tables in the main room and private Tudor Lounge upstairs.

The Slate NQ building is a little bit like a replica Tudor House with traditional Tudor style panelling on the outer walls and dark wooden beams running through the interior. This design makes the bar look unique amongst all the high rise brick built bars in Leeds and it really stands out from the crowd. The bar features two outdoor seating areas - one at the front of the building and another on a balcony upstairs opposite the Tudor Lounge. These seating areas are really clean and tidy and have lovely views of the park situated behind Slate NQ. On a summery day, I can imagine this area getting packed rather quickly.

As guests of Slate NQ, on arrival Lizi and I were led to upstairs to the Tudor Lounge, a room which is available for private hire and consists of three 9ft pool tables and its own bar.  Lizi and I were both utterly useless at pool. Neither of us had really played before and embarrassingly had to ask one of the bar staff to help us set it up and talk us through the rules. Strangely our barman told us that he often gets asked how to play and how to set up pool tables. It made me feel slightly less humiliated and both Lizi and I were thankful for the help and the fact we had not felt judged at all.

After setting up the pool table, the barman took our cocktail orders. The cocktail menu consists of 12 unique Slate NQ cocktails as well as the classics. I opted for the called named 'Summer in Leodis' comprising of my two favourite alcoholic drinks, gin and pimms. Summer in Leodis is a mix of Gins and Pimms paired with lemon, apples juices, a homemade lavender syrup and a spoonful of blackberry jam. The drink is then finished off with fresh strawberries and blueberries. The Summer in Leodis is really refreshing and not too sweet or strong.

After our cocktails, Lizi and I decided to order pizza and I ordered the large Wild Mushroom pizza with wild mushrooms, fontina, garlic and olive oil. I must admit this wasn't the best pizza I have had - I found the garlic a bit too strong because it had a lot of raw garlic clumps on it, but the mushrooms were perfectly cooked and I loved the crispy base. The pizza was large enough to fill me up and left me feeling satisfied rather than sluggish after the meal. Despite not liking certain aspects of this pizza, I'd still recommend eating at Slate NQ as the prices are reasonable and it's a nice snack whilst you hang out with friends playing pool or drinking cocktails.

Overall I would visit Slate NQ again and I'm looking forward to taking my pool fanatic husband there in the next few weeks. Slate NQ is a reasonably priced bar and perfect for an after work treat.

Have you been to Slate NQ?