53 Degrees North, Halifax

You would never expect to find a luxurious lounge and cocktail bar tucked away on the corner of one of the mills at Dean Clough in Halifax. The Halifax lounge is sister to the one in Leeds. The Halifax bar has high vaulted ceilings paired with luxury fabrics along with a backlit glass brick bar. It is certainly not the norm of what you would find elsewhere in the town.

The cocktail menu includes all the usual favourites. Apparently they are one of the biggest sellers of Laurent Perrier in the north. Outside there is a Japanese terrace and garden where you can sit enjoying a cocktail under the sun, ideal for summer days!

They say it is one of the most stylish bars in town and they are probably right. When inside it is hard to believe you are in Halifax, you would think you were perhaps in London. The crowd the Halifax attracts is a good mix of all generations. There are booths too that can be hired.

During the daytime and early evening there is a food menu which includes New York style artisan sandwiches, hot dogs and pizzettes.

On certain weekend nights they have world class DJ's such as Hacienda legend Graeme Park. I went along on one of these nights and mingled with a stylish, well dressed crowd. I always wondered what happened to the people who used to go to Bed and Gatecrasher in Sheffield to their Hed Kandi nights, now I know that they have all discovered 53 Degrees North. It was a friendly atmosphere with guests coming from Halifax, Huddersfield, Bradford and even as far as Oldham and Manchester.

Stylish but certainly not stuffy, this is a hidden gem that I am glad to have discovered.

Number 1, E Mill Court Yard
Ground Floor, Dean Clough, Halifax HX3 5AX
www.riccis53degreesnorth.co.uk