Hyde Park Hotel

You'll hear the Hyde before you see it – the kind of proper student boozer that spills onto Headingley Lane with laughter and the clack of pool balls. Inside, it's unapologetically massive, with plasma screens dotting every corner and enough space that you can actually move around on a Friday night (revolutionary concept in Headingley). The pool tables are constantly busy, and the DJ knows exactly what a mixed crowd of students and locals wants to hear. The food goes well beyond typical pub grub – they've clearly put effort into a menu that works whether you're nursing a hangover or fueling up for a proper night out. It's the sort of place where you pop in for 'just one' and emerge three hours later having made friends with half of Leeds.