I was so excited when one of our local bars changed ownership and was being refurbished. It's in a handy location and has great views over the part of Leeds where I live. The food and drink is great too.
I've visited twice and I'm not going back. I know some others feel the same.
Why?
It's a sensory overload.
There is no zoning, to make areas which feel distinct...so the place feels like one big room. The sound really carries in that one big room, so much so that you almost feel like you're at a football match. It's a proper din!
Now, I don't want a quiet bar all the time...far from it. I love people around me. It's a much better atmosphere that quietness for the most part. But this place is just too much. My ADHD means that my senses can get overloaded and it can make me feel on edge.
The chairs and tables are pretty close together, presumably to pack in as many covers as possible. You find yourself trying to maneuver around other tables to get to the bar...which, when you get there, you have to wait for quite a long time and then shout to the server to make yourself heard.
You'd expect this from a busy city centre bar on a Friday or Saturday night. Noisy groups of people enjoying themselves and getting drunk. But this kind of sensory overload isn't what you'd expect from a local bar on a weekday evening.
It doesn't take the place to be full to feel the effects of the lack of thought about how it all feels.
I'm hoping they will find their feet, tweak the design and I can return. Fingers crossed, the food is lovely.