Sela Bar

I've been to Sela a couple of times now (both with Leeds-based colleagues on a night out) and it hasn't let us down as a great place to finish off an evening in the city.

The fact that it's down a flight of stairs from street level really helps to emphasise the 'intimate' atmosphere - there are no windows so your senses are focused on the sounds of live music instead. On my first visit there was a reggae band playing, the second time it was a jazz-influenced band. We really liked the down-to-earth vibe in here; they don't take themselves too seriously which is always refreshing.

The bar offerings are also pretty impressive, they have literally dozens of beers from the UK and abroad (draught, cans and bottles). For non-beer lovers they have an ever-changing cocktail menu (expect to pay £6.50-£7).

They also offer stone-baked pizzas, it's just a shame that by the time we've gone there we're already full from eating elsewhere!

Handily placed alongside one of the city's top bars; North Bar - Sela tends to always seem to find itself amidst a list of my regulars on a night on the city's finer tiles. It's just so handy to walk out of North Bar, fresh from an organic cider, to find myself tottering down the steps into Sela and ordering a Modelo. Thank you barman.

A cool fresh funky bar, I don't know why it doesn't feature among my own personal favourites. Perhaps it's that, while it's a nice little bar, there's simply nothing to distinguish it from a lot of other trendy city centre nightspots. For me, it's lacking a bit of character and charisma. They do do a nice pizza though.

Went here last nite with my Hubby to use my LivingSocial Voucher for 2 pizzas/2 sides/2 drinks before it expired!

We were 2 of only 6 people in there so the place was a little cold but the eclectic mix on the Itunes made it quite upbeat.
8 other people had come in before we left so the Jan recession/diet monster has evidently not have set in yet!

Nice choice of bottled and draught beer (although 4 draught beers were off).

Ordered the Diavola & Pepperoni pizza, hummus & breadsticks and feta salad.
All the food was good- the pizza base just how we like it- thin with a nice crisp crust- the only thing i would say to improve them would be maybe 5 more mins cooking time to make the middle of the base less 'doughy' and hotter as they were nearly cold by the time we got them finished. What we ordered was more than sufficient for 2 hungry people!
The hummus was a little bland but my hubby said it wasn't the worst he had tasted!

All in all we will go back- they do a great Tuesday deal- 2 pizzas and 2 Peroni for £12- much better than the local 'pizza chain' offerings in terms of quality and a little more intimate and personal a service.

Quite a nice little hidden bar.

It's got a really good atmosphere and I absolutely love the mix of funk and soul music that's played. It's also not too loud so you can still have a conversation although it can get a bit louder at weekends.

It does lose some points for value for money as it can be a bit pricey! My girlfriend paid nearly £10 for two pints of beer ( which she is not letting me forget!! )

Sometimes you visit a bar several times before you realise that you actually like it.

I mean you go in and everything feels right. Nothing flashy, nothing loud and brash, just something reassuringly complete.

Sela Bar is one of these places. Firstly it's in a cellar so hidden from the hoi polloi above. It's nice and dark, but not scarily so and the locals seem friendly enough.

Music is funky, but not deafening and whilst the bar doesn't stock a huge range of beers or spirits that makes sitting down with something a much less complicated affair.

A simple range of pizzas won't set the culinary world on fire but then again that's not what you are looking for in Sela.

If you want a no hassle, friendly pint and quick bite away from the buzzing streets then this little gem will shine for you.

This is fast becoming one of my favourite bars. It always seems to have a good atmosphere whether it's late night dancing or just after work drinks.

Good location for a bar crawl around the local places which are all good.

A post-work Friday evening session began here this week, and I have to say I was quite impressed. When I've been here in the past it's been pretty late on but still at the point where drinks and chat are on the cards but it's been too loud for this. This usually puts me off permanently as I'm not a fan of small bars that seem to be built for drinking and chatting with lots of seating, but crank up the music far too loud for this.

On this particular occasion though I was pleasantly surprised by our visit. The music was at a suitable volume so we could all hear each other, the drink selection is always good, and the barman was a thoroughly pleasant and chatty guy. I've not tried the food yet, although I was tempted by the pizzas, which I think I read are served until midnight.

I've also been in before when there've been bands playing, and it's a pretty good little venue for it and has pretty decent sound.

Again though, it does turn into a sort-of-club type place later on, and I prefer somewhere with more room for dancing like Pinocchio, but as a place for drinks, chats and band watching, it's good stuff!

It's time to share the love once more. I've been back umpteen times since my last review, for their reggae night post Elite event, and for casual drinks, and the most recent visit was fantastic. We'd gone along to grab a pizza for tea, before board games night, and it couldn't have been a better plan. You know when you want something tasty, not too pricey, well made and that will generally make you feel happy? This is your spot. Their pizzas are second only to Ecco in Headingley!

I went for the meat feast option, and feared that it might be a little over meaty, so ordered extra cheese and mushrooms. A curious tactic, you might say, but it's the one I went for and I don't regret it. The only thing I will say is that the toppings, if anything, were a little more sparse than expected but the end result - bite by bite - was delicious. Perfect amount of everything in a mouthful, and the dough was exquisite. Soft, not too crunchy on the edges, and not overly doughy.

As for the atmosphere, I've yet to come across a bad bar staff, they're all lovely. The drinks selection is high end enough to offer something unique, but standard enough to give you a decent lager if you're not interested in a rare and crazy hoppy craft beer. I love the current art work on the walls - it looks like it's made up of found objects, like random bits of wood or drawers, then painted over in weird characters and dark colours. And the music is always sound - be it their live local bands, from blues to soul, or the playlist, which always feels cool and jazzy like the venue.

Basically, although I don't often think to say so, this is probably one of my favourite places in Leeds.

For some reason, possibly linked to a pathological dislike for anything that messes with the English language in 'amusing' and 'quirky' ways (Sela is, as I'm sure you can guess, located down a steep flight of steps), I don't visit this establishment very often even though I enjoy it thoroughly each time I do. An intimate, low-lit bar with local artists' work on the walls and candles on the tables, Sela is the perfect venue for cosying up on a date or enjoying a relaxed drink from the continental lager and cocktail-focused bar with friends. The frequent live music evenings are heavy on jazz and soul, and the biweekly 'Smirking Room' comedy sessions offer fantastic value for money at £4. Often overlooked in favour of its younger, hipper neighbour North Bar, you'll appreciate its relative calm when the crowds next door force you out.

Sela Bar is located in a decidedly trendy area at the top end of town, by other popular venues such as Sandinista and Mojo.


Sela Bar is a great venue for small music acts, particularly acoustic and jazz. This place almost lends itself to low lights and cigarette smoke (which of course we don't see any more). Nice bare brick walls and ambient lighting, and as with many places in the surrounding area the selection of drinks is pretty wide.


One of my favourite bars in town and somewhere I don't get to go nearly often enough!