Pub quiz nights in Leeds: where to play

Leeds has a proper drinking culture and a proper quiz culture to go with it, and the two overlap more than you'd expect. From a Woodhouse institution that's been going for years to a rooftop beer hall in a converted textile mill, there's enough variety here that you can pick a quiz to match the mood you're in rather than just taking whatever's on that night. Below are the ones we could actually verify are running, checked against the venue's own site rather than a listings page that might be years out of date.

A quick note before you commit an evening to any of these: quiz nights are genuinely one of the most changeable things in hospitality. A pub gets a new manager, the quizmaster moves city, a Monday quiz quietly becomes a Wednesday one and nobody updates the website for six months. We've checked each of the following against the venue's own page as of publishing, but ring ahead or check their site or social media before you set off, especially if you're travelling any distance.

The Chemic Tavern, Woodhouse

Tucked away on Johnston Street just north of the city centre, the Chemic has built its reputation partly on its Monday night quiz, which locals and students alike will tell you is one of the best in the city. It starts at 8pm, entry's free, and every team gets a slice of pizza from the pub's neighbours at Pizza Merano just for turning up. First place wins £20 and a 16-inch pizza, and last place gets a round of mystery shots, which is a nicer way to handle coming last than most quizzes bother with. There are no pre-bookings, so get there with time to spare if you want a table.

Source: The Chemic Tavern, pub quiz

Rita's, Woodhouse Lane

Rita's describes itself as the country's first beer hall for cocktail lovers, which gives you a sense of what you're walking into: leopard-print pool tables, a margarita-heavy drinks list, and a big, sociable room rather than a quiet corner pub. Its Big Quiz runs every Monday from 8pm, free to enter, with a £50 bar tab jackpot up for grabs plus mystery prizes for the winning team. It's a livelier, louder setting than a traditional quiz pub, so it suits a team that doesn't mind a bit of noise.

Source: Rita's, pub quiz

Headrow House, city centre

Headrow House is a converted textile mill just off The Headrow, with a ground-floor beer hall stocking dozens of beers from around the world and a couple of rooftop terraces above it. The Tuesday quiz, hosted by quizmaster Tim, starts at 6:30pm and is completely free to enter, with teams capped at six players. Prizes range from cash and free shots to tickets for gigs at the venue's own event space, and there's a wheel of fortune round thrown in as well. It's a good option if you want somewhere with a bit more going on than just the quiz, since the building doubles as a live music and events venue most other nights.

If your own local doesn't run a quiz, it's worth suggesting it to whoever's behind the bar. It costs the pub next to nothing to try, and it's an easy way to fill a quiet weeknight. If nobody's biting, there's nothing stopping you from building your own quiz and running it yourself, whether that's round a friend's table or in a room you've booked out for the night.

Bar Fibre, Lower Briggate

Bar Fibre runs its quiz every Wednesday from 6pm, and it's one of the better cash incentives we found in Leeds: £200 to the winning team, free entry, and half-price drinks plus fresh pizza running all night. It's a multi-floor venue in the Lower Briggate area near the Grand Theatre, with a different atmosphere on each level, so arrive a bit before 6pm if you want a table on the floor where the quiz is actually happening.

Source: Bar Fibre, quiz night

The Griffin, Boar Lane

The Griffin is a Grade II listed pub on Boar Lane that's had a substantial refit in recent years while keeping its old bones intact, and it runs a pub quiz every Monday. Tables are available from 5pm on quiz nights if you want to book ahead, and the format covers the usual spread of general knowledge, sport, pop culture, history and music, with an occasional wildcard round. The venue's own site confirms the night but doesn't list an exact start time or prize structure, so it's worth calling ahead or checking their page directly before you go.

Source: The Griffin, pub quiz

The Skyrack, Headingley

Out in Headingley, the Skyrack is a large, Grade II listed pub with plenty of indoor and outdoor space, popular with the area's big student population. It runs a pub quiz every Tuesday, with tables available from 5pm for anyone who wants to book ahead, and a format mixing general knowledge, sport, pop culture, history and music. As with the Griffin, the pub's own page confirms the night but not a specific start time or prize details, so check with the pub directly if you're planning to head over.

Source: The Skyrack, pub quiz

Six venues doesn't come close to covering every quiz running in Leeds on any given week, and that's deliberate: this list only includes places we could confirm are a genuine, ongoing fixture rather than every quiz that's ever shown up on a listings site. If none of these fit your evening, or you fancy running things yourself instead of turning up to someone else's quiz, our quiz creator makes it easy to put a night together from scratch. We've also written a longer guide on how to run a great pub quiz covering pacing, question difficulty and how to keep a room on side for two hours straight.