The Parcel Yard, Leicester

Recently converted from a cocktail bar called ‘Time’, this station side bar shares several architectural characteristics with its namesake at London Kings Cross, which suggests that its name reflects the building’s former use. The pub is laid out over a number of different levels with access from London Road and Station Street, but not from within the station itself. The main London Road entrance takes you into a raised seating area with a large window and smart comfortable chairs before dropping to an intermediate level where a few more seats can be found. The main part of the pub however, is to the rear where a large open space with bare floorboards and walls painted in neutral colours plus the occasional bit of bare brickwork, provides ample space for vertical drinking. The bar is on the right, with a row of padded banquette booths opposite and the odd table and chairs dotted here and there. At the rear there is a dimly lit space with some nice chairs around tables that were laid for diners, although this space was empty on my lunchtime visit, with punters preferring to eat in and around the main bar area. An eclectic mix of décor can be found throughout, including deer heads, farm tools and suitcases, but perhaps the most notable features are the various light fittings which include lamps made from top hats, champagne bottles and clusters of antlers. A large skylight above the servery provides additional light for a part of the pub that would otherwise be starved of natural light. The pub has been reopened by the local Steamin’ Billy brewery and three of their beers were available – Tipsy Fisherman (£3.30), Bitter and 1485. The Tipsy Fisherman seemed like a decent session beer and was a good start to an extended tour of the city. The barman who served me seemed very personable and we chatted about some of the other pubs worth seeing in Leicester. Some excellent station bars have opened across the country in recent years, and whilst this one doesn’t quite reach the levels of these, it still provides a good option for those wanting a swift one before catching their train and is doubtless an improvement on its former incarnation.

Parcel Yard page at the Steamin' Billy site - www.steamin-billy.co.uk

Three Steamin' Billy beers on offer on our visit and a steamin Real Ale Ray trying to order a Fishermans Tipple. Looks a small set up from the outside but once through the entrance the place really opens out. In spite of it being busy on our Friday eve PG visit, there was no problem at all waiting to get served. The train times displayed was an added bonus.

I quite liked this pub that is handy for the station. Well described below. Enjoyed the Steamin Billy 1485 here. A bit puzzled as to why the disabled toilet was downstairs, but there is another entrance on the same level as the bar.