Luis Bar @ Fernandes, Wakefield

Easily missed unless you have the trusty PuG map,this is a calm oasis for the discerning drinker.The Beir Keller was closed on our Friday 5pm visit,so we carried on up the stairs to the first floor Real Ale Bar,with it's interesting decor and collection of pub signs.The vaulted ceiling with twin galleries at either end is a feature,as is the fireplace to the right of the bar.An eclectic rock track was playing at a sensible volume and the friendly barman was quick to offer tasters to aid ale choice.The ten real ale handpumps were offering two from owners Ossett (Citra and Blonde),Pied Bull Matador,Oldershaw Pioneer and Allgates Barley Brook as the rotating guests, with four from the home brewery Fernandes (my Good Night Vienna was in good form) and a single Fullers ,who have a supply agreement with Ossett,in the shape of Seafarers.A very decent selection to swing the bat at,with a handpumped cider on as well. One of our party wanted to catch a World Cup match,so with a slightly heavy heart we pushed off after one pint.I will spend a lot longer in here on my next visit to this GBG stalwart.It's a must visit when in Wakefield.

A bit hidden away in a side alley, but definitely one to seek out. Main upstairs bar has a pleasantly rustic feel, with a number of old pub signs providing some character. Ground-floor bierkeller closed when I visited briefly on a Friday lunchtime. Plenty of choice from a total of 11 handpumps, so I opted for halves of Wentworth Rock Spalt and Rum for Cover (from the in-house microbrewery) totalling £3.00. Very good.

This two floor bierkeller/ale house is a bit of a challenge to find if heading from the town centre, although it is just a short walk from Kirkgate station. On our Sunday evening visit, the ground floor bierkeller was shut, so we ventured upstairs into the main bar, with its fine dark wood and exposed brick interior and impressive vaulted ceiling. The room has been broken up somewhat with some large booth-like sections filled with comfortable bench and standard chair seating, whilst a number of barrels provide somewhere for vertical drinkers to rest their pint. The whole room has been decorated by a great number of full size pub signs, which look fantastic and act as forms of partitioning in places. The pub is, as the name suggests, the tap for the Fernandes Brewery - a subsidiary of Ossett - and accordingly they were well represented on the satisfyingly long row of hand pumps, with Fernandes Ghost of Louis, Challenger, Taverners Bitter and Avanother, Ossett Brigantes and Pale Gold, Gales HSB, Empire Moonraker Mild and Elland Mr Sun to choose from. I sampled the Ghost of Louis and Moonraker Mild, both of which were well kept and very enjoyable. A decent looking bottled beer selection was available as well, although I don't recall seeing any beer menus, so perhaps it's not that extensive. I really liked the look and feel of this place and got the impression that it's the sort of pub where most visitors would quickly be made to feel welcome. The highlight of a good day drinking around Wakefield and one that I would gladly revisit at the next opportunity.