The Social

Reviews

• Alan K.

  star star star star star_border 11 June 2026

  Nice, big, comfy bar.
  Decent beers.
  I would have given 5 stars but for the staff which were a little on the disinterested side.

• Rowena H.

  star star star star star_border 3 June 2026

  I love this bar. It's one that I don't often think to go to, but fortunately my friends are better than me and suggest it often. It's the child of Sela and Brudenell, I hear, which makes perfect sense when you experience the mixing pot of good prices, great drinks, chilled and lovely staff, a fab soundtrack, and cool interior.
  
  Pretty much, right there, that's the summary. But that's a bit bland, so let me elaborate.
  
  I love that they have root beer for when I'm not boozing. I love that the bar staff are always on the banter. (Pro tip: it's always nice to tip your bar staff a shot if there's craic. Well, I used to appreciate that, anyway.)
  
  I love that the bouncers are not a-holes. I love the table arrangement so that it genuinely is a place to sit and shoot the sh!t with your friends, rather than crowd in a space that prevents you from talking. I mean, duh, they called it The Social.
  
  Okay, I promised less bland, but I don't know how to describe the qualities of this place better. It's comforting. When I think about the outings had, I have the good nostalgia -- the one where you feel a slight hit of oxytocin, akin to a warm hug, and the corners of your mouth turn up. It's good people, is what it is.

• Matt P.

  star star star star star_border 24 May 2026

  Cheap as chips. The inexpensive kind of chips. Not double fried parsnip with herb, fried in organic oil kind that you find in most bars. Thatchers Gold? Was about £3. Probably the least I've ever paid over a bar.
  
  So with such low prices it's horrid right? NO. NO IT IS NOT.
  
  It looks newly refitted, everything is clean and tidy and 'attractive' in that new bar/pub kind of way (though the toilets are horrid). Where it excels though is in the staff - they are LOVELY - I spent an entire Sunday afternoon at the bar with a friend and we were both impressed by the service levels and friendliness of those who were pulling those cheap as chips pints.
  
  Well impressed with The Social, and I'd go there way more if it wasn't the wrong end of town. Yes, I'm lazy. Though I'm not sure that it's important you know that in a review.

• Chris C.

  star star star star star_border 24 May 2026

  With stellar stew on offer, limited but brilliant beer, and free foosball this place has some real potential! Full review to follow shortly.

• Ben H.

  star star star star star_border 20 May 2026

  Turning up at 5pm on a sunday is probably not the best time to be testing out a new bar but oddly i think the experience said enough to warrent the review.
  
  Being the offspring of thems that brought you cellar bar and brudenell social club (to name a few of that happy family of bars) you'll be expecting a lot from Social. And for once i think they really did us proud.
  
  The beer is excellent, though perhaps a little light on choices, this is no real crime given the bars only a few weeks old. The staff are brilliant. Very friendly (and for regulars of cellar or brudenell perhaps even a little familiar... like i said happy family).
  
  The table football is free (and basically creates the hub of whole place, at least when we're there demanding opponents!)
  
  The foods good too. £3.50 for a bowl of stew, made fresh, with a huuge chunk of bread to go with can't be sniffed at.
  
  The place has a decent feel to it, reminiscent of not only this new area (cellar, sandinista, bellgrave) but also of the cafe bars of northern quarter in manchester. A place i've spent a fair bit of time in and achieves the same feel that this side of leeds seems to be striving for.
  
  The music was mostly ambient i have to say but there were some excellent tunes in the mix. I'd be really keen to see what this place is like when its busy. The clientelle just on a quiet night were my kind of folk and i think it could only get better.
  
  Off to a flying start Social, keep it up!