By
G.
Posted on 25/06/2008
This five-roomed Edwardian gem has retained original features while not resting on its laurels.
The Venue
With its striking red, white and black sign outside, this pub built in 1901 stakes its claim as one of Bradford’s finest. It has five different rooms and the landlord has maintained its turn-of-the-century charm.
All the rooms have their own character. There’s a stone floor and a green painted stone-clad fireplace in the front bar, alongside black and white pictures of how the pub used to look on the walls.
There’s a wooden floor and a pool table in left-hand room with a painting of a Trappist monk pulling beer from a keg, and framed drinks posters and mirrors on the walls alongside beer towels. There’s a picture of the Mona Lisa too, which looks at you as you walk around the room (the sign of a great painting Dud, according to Peter Cook in that famous sketch).
Another room is like your favourite ever living room - it’s all green leather banquettes, wood panelling and it’s filled with beautiful pink and violet armchairs with orangey cushions and table lamps with tassels.
The big back room is partially wallpapered in a flowery patterned Edwardian parlour-style print, but is dominated by two enormous Guy Peellaert-style canvasses painted by a local artist and depicting dead rock, pop and soul stars. So you have Jimi Hendrix and John Lennon hanging out with Bob Marley in a bar with a piano and Dusty Springfield featured next to Frank Zappa.
There’s also a 150-capacity basement bar which is used for live music on Friday and Saturday and which has its own entrance.
And, as if that’s not enough, there’s a tiled corridor which leads to the sanctuary of a cute, stone beer garden surrounded by plants and bricks and featuring Singer sewing machine tables. And another thing: this place also functions as a 17-bedroom hotel.
The People
A real mix of folk pop in to sample The New Beehive’s delights - and some come along just to gawp at the paintings in the back bar. Real-ale drinkers mix in with office and manual workers - and students come down to see New Yorkshire’s finest on its live music nights.
The Food and Drink
On draught you’ve got Leffe, Carlsberg, Guinness, Erdinger, Okocim. Staropramen, Beck’s, Strongbow, Saltaire’s Cascade Pale Ale, Ossett’s Silver King and Kelham Island Brewery’s Best Bitter.
And in bottles, as well as the usual range, there’s Chimay Red, Liefman’s Kriek, Duvel and Delirium Tremens. There’s no food unless it’s for a private function.
The Last Word
A sensual sensory overload, The New Beehive Inn gets away with everything it tries and with bags of style to spare.