Tastes & Tipples: The Establishment bar in Wakefield is classy on an industrial level

The landscape for a night out in Wakefield is shifting.
The Establishment, WakefieldThe Establishment, Wakefield
The Establishment, Wakefield

The Express is looking back at its Tastes & Tipples series where our reporters visited some of the best cafes, pubs, bars and restaurants in the city.

We are looking back now because the city needs your help to prosper again. This is what reporter Nick Frame had to say about the The Establishment in Wakefield.

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Westgate became a byword for boozy bedlam back in the day, but that reputation is being slowly ushered out of the city like a bouncer directing a drunk out of a club.

Quality over quantity is the optimistic new buzz term, and The Establishment is quite literally, at the heart of this movement. Slap-bang in the middle of Westgate, where better than to raise the flag for rejuvenation and respectability?

Positioned next to Unity Works, it looks the part with its glass frontage and Chesterfield leather sofas.

These are the place you can eat for less in Wakefield this monthThere’s a nod to its industrial past as the old Co-op building too, the bare-brick walls and stained wooden floors all add to the working-class elegance.

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At the helm is new bar manager, 31-year-old Tom Baker who agrees that attitudes are shifting. He said: "There’s been a bit of a reputation for Westgate over the years but this is a bit more premium than that.

"There’s a new lease of life, pardon the pun but we’re already quite established from when it opened and there’s a good base of customers already.

"There’s a lot of hidden gems in Wakefield and you’ve got to look down these back streets to find these independent places that are doing a really good job."

Some of the chain restaurants that are offering the discount this weekThe Establishment is working hard to ensure there’s no shortage of substance to match its style. There’s a new-found eagerness to push the real ales (Tom’s background includes Ossett Brewery) while there’s a focus on gins, rums and cocktails - where master classes to become a budding Tom Cruise are even on offer, while stonebaked pizzas are also on the menu.

For a more up-tempo night, there’s the room at the back with music, and there are plans to make use of the rear terrace as the summer approaches.

This story was originally published in 2018.

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