Bradford – Record Cafe

I still haven’t dealt with my blog post backlog from Leicester, but since I’m now in Bradford, I’d better start first with my little adventures here. This is the Good Beer Guide listed Record Cafe on North Parade, a mixture of Spanish restaurant, craft beer bar and record shop. That’s an intriguing mix by any measure.

The beer list, which I thought was nicely put together with a range of beer styles. There’s also an ample list of cans as well, with some interesting and decadent imports from the United States.

The service was excellent, with the staff member being friendly and engaging. I asked him which other pubs I should visit in Bradford and he gave me a few suggestions on top of the Good Beer Guide ones. He also suggested a venue over the road and checked with a group of customers in the pub when it opened, which was handy. The group probably thought I was following them when I then visited, but they were pleasant when I did, well, follow them.

Anyway, the beers I had were a half pint of each of the Henry Hops from Mikkeller and the Brownie Hunter from Wilde Child Brewing Company, a micro-brewery from Leeds. The first was a keg beer and was fine, but the latter cask beer was excellent. It was full-bodied, smooth, inevitably decadent and if it had a slightly stronger aftertaste to carry on that beautiful flavour of chocolate fudge brownie then it’d be near perfection. Possibly a little too sweet for some, but absolutely not for me, a lovely lunchtime treat (and actually better than most desserts as far as I’m concerned).

This is the sort of bar that I’m delighted is in the Good Beer Guide, as otherwise I’d have perhaps avoided it thinking that it was primarily a restaurant. It isn’t, I’d say that it’s a primarily a bar with food options and records for sale as well. Bradford should be proud of this pub, all nicely done.