The Soap Factory Leeds review: Here's what I thought of my drinks at this city centre hotel bar

It is not often that I go for a drink alone, but when I do, a hotel bar is the setting of choice. Washed in dim, ambient light and populated by businessmen from out of town, they bring with them a comforting anonymity.

They are the perfect venue to enjoy a book, sip a martini - maybe two - and not be bothered by the guest you wished you hadn’t invited.

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There is often a convivial barman, plush leather seating and a refined classic cocktail menu. I look for a bar with a modern interior, but that feels as though it has been there for years.

The Soap Factory, in Whitehall Quay, delivers on all fronts.

Immediately at ease in a cosy armchair, I leafed through a reassuringly concise cocktail menu. All the hits were there: Margarita, Negroni, Old Fashioned.

I started with a Negroni, my favourite drink. It was assertive and bitter, familiar in its strong flavours of orange zest, skin and pith. The bartender did not skimp on garnish.

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I flicked through my book and took in the spirit of the place, enjoying the drink slowly. It was a bustling weeknight with suited characters, mostly men, holding forth on the day’s business. I imagined all of their sore heads in the morning as they joined conferences and gave presentations.

Next, I wanted a Margarita. I’m often hesitant in ordering them because of their proliferation on the high street where they are usually of poor quality, but The Soap Factory’s Negroni gave me confidence.

I was right to trust my instinct. The smooth tequila balanced with sweet orange liqueur was satisfying enough for me to return to my book.

The only criticism I had was that it could have used an extra squeeze of fresh lime. But, more or less, it followed the classic recipe.

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Opened in 2017, The Soap Factory, nestled at the base of a rather corporate Novotel, takes its inspiration from the 19th Century Watson & Sons soap manufacturers, a stone’s throw away on Whitehall Road.

The architecture of the former soap works is reflected in the hotel bar’s clean, concrete walls which have been plastered with decorative ‘soap bubbles’.

The space is minimal and chic. Its open plan makes it the perfect venue to people watch, while its quiet pockets are ideal to disappear into with a good book.