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The Best Music Cafes and Bars Across the UK

Support indie music venues! Check out our very favourite spots from all over the UK

A dimly lit cafe with a rustic interior featuring exposed brick walls, colorful murals, and industrial-style lamps. Patrons sit on both high and low tables, some engaged in conversation while others appear to be enjoying their food and drinks.
Image © Belgrave Music Hall & Canteen via Facebook

There’s nothing better than discovering your new favourite music venue…unless that venue also happens to serve up some top-notch grub. We decided to compile a list of establishments that have won our hearts by combining two of our greatest loves in life: music and food. Whether it’s a burger and beer you fancy while nodding your head to Loyle Carner, or a vegan wrap while moshing to new-wave punk, there’s something here for everybody!

Belgrave Music Hall & Canteen 

A bustling bar with warm lighting, filled with people socializing and enjoying drinks. Some patrons are seated at tables, while others stand and chat. The ambiance is lively, with a mix of conversations and laughter. The decor includes exposed brick walls and trendy furnishings.
BelgraveMusicHall.com

1-1A Cross Belgrave St, Leeds, LS2 8JP

Within Leeds’ bustling Northern Quarter you’ll find the beautifully restored 1930’s 3-storey building which has now become the proud home of Belgrave Music Hall and Canteen. The venue aims to provide artists and performers with a unique platform to showcase their blossoming talents, which means you can catch all sorts of live music here, as well as comedy, films and art exhibitions.

This isn’t, however, just a live music venue - you may notice it’s Belgrave Music Hall and Canteen - as you can also get all sorts of grub from various street food pop ups or the venue’s culinary residents, Dough Boys (who serve pizza by the slice) and Patty Smith’s Burger Co. You’ll never go thirsty, either, as they boast an extensive selection of premium craft beers and cask ales, plus delicious cocktails, tea and coffee, which you can enjoy on their spectacular roof terrace!
 

Hagglers Corner

An outdoor restaurant with wooden structures decorated with string lights. Patrons sit and stand, gathering in small groups. The space includes plants and a partially covered deck area. The ambiance is warm and lively, suggesting an evening social event.
HagglersCorner.co.uk

586 Queens Road, Sheffield, S2 4DU

Whether you want to attend an exciting creative workshop, see a brilliant new band, or you just have a bit of a sweet tooth, Hagglers Corner is the place to go. As they are located in the heart of Sheffield, where there is undoubtedly a lot of untapped talent waiting to be unleashed, you’re sure to catch some fantastic gigs, whether it’s afrobeat, bluesy rock or folk you’re in to. Gigs take place in their intimate café space, or across the whole venue. The owners are half Icelandic, and have their own Kaffihus (Icelandic for coffee house) which offers a delicious selection of homemade food and cakes, and cater for vegans too. 

They are also fully licensed to serve alcohol.

Bar Loco

A person with shoulder-length hair passionately sings into a microphone on a dimly-lit stage, surrounded by purple and blue lights and mist. The background features faint outlines of stage equipment and props.
nevolume.co.uk

22 Leazes Park Rd, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4PG

Bar Loco is a great little drinking hole for musicians, artists and students alike, with an international, bohemian vibe and sincerely friendly staff. In addition to their regular reggae open mic and quiz nights, they also host occasional genre-spanning events with acoustic folks, live electronic music and sometimes gypsy-jazz jam nights.

They are also a restaurant and offer an extensive menu of various burgers, wraps, nibbles and tapas for very affordable prices, and we’ve heard that their pizza and pastas are some of the best in Newcastle. They’ve recently started doing brunch as well with a full English breakfast, eggs and homemade granola available, and from 10am they serve Bucks Fizz and Bloody Marys. In addition to all of that, they have fantastic real ales, beers, wines and other adventurous drinks to get you feeling merry.

The Gallimaufry

A band performs on a vibrant stage adorned with colorful, abstract murals. The lead singer, wearing a white outfit and cap, sings into a microphone. Band members play various instruments including keyboards, guitar, drums, saxophone, and bass guitar. The lighting is warm and lively.
TheGallimaufry.co.uk

26-28 Gloucester Rd, Bristol, BS7 8AL

In a city that is habitually creative and quirky, there are interesting music venues at all far corners - but The Gallimaufry stands out. Every Monday, they host a friendly and relaxed open mic night, so if you fancy showing off your new song go ahead and join them and they’ll treat you to a drink. Throughout the rest of the week they welcome talent from far and wide - “expect folk, jazz, funk, blues and beyond”, including from a lot of up and coming talent, many of whom have become quite well known, such as George Ezra.

As if that wasn’t enough, on the weekends they have vinyl DJs playing anything to get you dancing “from classic to modern soul, disco to electronic, 80s to hip hop.” The Gallimaufry is also a restaurant/bar/café (is there anything they can’t do?), who offer dinner, brunch, delicious tapas and Sunday roasts and they have a weekly rotation of local beers and ales.