Bibis
With an entrance lobby that wouldn't be out of place in a plush Las Vegas hotel and themed 1920s decor, I half expected to see the place populated by characters from the Goodfellas movie, strutting around in pin-striped suits and plotting to burn the joint down 'for tax reasons', which would be a shame, in my view.
Instead, there are slick-suited waiters in droves, genial and welcoming, perfecting a casual yet appealing air of familiarity.
While we were still gawping at the decor, one of these individuals, uncorking a bottle of wine, said in an understated tone: "Good evening, sir, madam", as we passed.
The Wardrobe
June 2010
It’s obvious from perusing the
menu that they’re striving to
offer something close to the
offering of a restaurant – but
does the quality of the food live
up to these aspirations? The
answer is very much a qualified
yes.
From the minute we ordered
something to nibble on in the
form of some hummus with pitta
bread (£2.95) it was obvious that
this was the real deal since the
hummus was clearly home made
and delicious. It also came in a
very generous portion.
All Bar One
June 2010
The only issue is that it’s known as
somewhere that gets packed with
drinkers of an evening and diminishes
its profile as somewhere to eat. This is a
shame since, during the day, it’s actually
much quieter and convivial.
The menu is, in fact, a whopper. Salads,
burgers, flatbreads, main meals as well
as tapas-style mini dishes and a hearty
offering of desserts too.
Gaucho
May 2010
The interior is a mix of endless mirrors
and black woodwork interspersed with
large amounts of cow hide on the
walls and the chairs. The
latter is supposed to echo
the theme of the place as
an Argentinian steak
house, but it somehow
chimes more with rich
people with a penchant
for designer luggage clad
in animal skin and prints.
Then there’s the lighting
which comes courtesy of
a mix of mini-chandeliers and black
leather upholstery here and there. Put
together with the mirrors and the
cowhide it ought to amount to overkill
but it somehow manages to just stop
short of being vulgar.
Neon Cactus
SAT astride a
giant day bedeqsue
corner
sofa sporting
dozens of giant
cushions and a superb
view of cosmopolitan
Call Lane, there isn’t a
more intense
experience of cool
Leeds.
This thoroughfare really is a
rallying point for the city’s
cosmopolitan contingent –
everyone looks like they are
in band, or an artist, or, in
this case, just looking for
somewhere suitably urbane
to grab a drink and a bite to
eat.
Hob
Hob, primarily a kitchen shop, lies
on the development’s main
boulevard, just next door to Pizza
Express, opposite All Saints and a
stone’s throw away from the Royal
Armouries museum.
But many passers-by won’t realise
that Hob is also a cafe, with
complimentary broadband access
thrown in – a secret that Clarence
Dock residents, who seem to be the
regulars, would probably like to
keep to themselves.
The Roast
Over the past few weeks the
place has undergone something of a
metamorphosis, ditching the
predominantly neutral tones in
favour of great splashes of red
everywhere – from the light fittings
to the numerous tiles on the roof.
They’ve managed the feat of
turning a rather conventional space
into something rather hip with
bright, giant artwork; large, tatty
Chesterfield sofas and lots of lush
plants. It has more the feel of a hippyish
hangout now
Restaurant Bar and Grill
RESTAURANT Bar
and Grill remains
the Porsche of
restaurants. It’s
flashy, it’s among the best
(though not necessarily the
best) and everyone’s heard
of it, even if they haven’t
had the pleasure of
stepping inside one.
Like a starched housewife,
Oliver always visits slightly
objecting to it’s unashamed
sexiness, but ultimately can’t
help but be seduced by its
unapologetic charms.
Da Salvano's
GREAT GEORGE STREET, LEEDS RESTAURANT can win countless awards and even Michelin stars –but without bums on seats, good food means absolutely nothing. And nowhere does this message seem more relevant than at Da Silvano’s, a criminally underlooked Italian venue in Leeds city centre, which seems to be struggling to fill the tables despite our almostperfect dining experience.
City Inn
TO the casual observer the 13th storey Skylounge is clearly the jewel in the crown of Leeds’s newest hotel - City Inn. But while the upmarket bar with its panoramic view is certainly a gem, the City Café on the ground floor is this venue’s hidden treasure. A massive transformation has been under way at Granary Wharf for the past couple of years turning a scruffy car park into a sophisticated waterfront development, which is now nearing completion.
Chino Latino
WITH a name like a cartel boss in the latest Antonio Banderas film and an oversized Buena Vista Social Club picture adorning the entrance, you'd be forgiven for thinking Chino Latino was a cheap fajita joint with a penchant for tequila.
Kendells Bistro
"It's a comfortable, open plan setting while retaining a certain cosiness thanks to soft lighting and warm colours. It's also refreshingly unpretentious and relaxed which makes it a great place to have a meal that can last the entire evening. The setting is fairly informal and, as it sits near to the BBC offices, Leeds College of Music and West Yorkshire Playhouse, is bound to attract journalists, theatricals and trendsetters".
Harvey Nichols Fourth Floor Restaurant
HARVEY Nichols – surely the jewel in Leeds’ crown as the best shopping mecca outside the capital.
This glass-fronted temple on Briggate boasts the city’s best designer clothes, food hall and still – despite stiff competition from Anthony’s at Flannels – the best in-store dining experience.
Loch Fyne
CITY SQUARE, LEEDS
IT was one of those lovely mild (not warm)
summer nights when we descended on
City Square. First we got a drink and sat
al fresco – then, this being Blighty, we
realised outside dining wasn’t the best idea.
We were freezing.
The next best thing was a decent table inside Loch
Fyne with a great view over the square. Plus the
sashes were slightly open so we managed to get
some sense of the open air, without dying of
hypothermia.
Read the full review
Lounge
LOUNGE BAR AND GRILL
MERRION STREET, LEEDS
The Lounge has always been a bit of a mystery on the Leeds social scene. For some time it’s been sandwiched between the towny Woodhouse Lane and the increasingly fashionable section of Lower Merrion Street. So what punters have they expected to attract?
Malmaison
OLIVER is a regular visitor to this delightful brasserie. Nestling in the vaulted basement of arguably Leeds’s most chic hotel, Malmaison remains a real jewel in the city’s culinary crown. Why? Well, apart from anything else it just looks and feels so darn good.
Museum Cafe
We have dropped into this fairly new grazing spot before, shortly after the museum opened last year. Suitably impressed then, we decided to pay another visit to see if they’re still going as strong – and we weren’t disappointed. It’s staggering just how many different dishes there are on offer. It is, after all, just a bolt-on amenity attached to this civic gem.
Piccolino
It's curious, Piccolino is one of those Italian restaurants
which has been around for some time but has yet to
enter the local dining lexicon in the same way that other Leeds
restaurants have.
Everyone knows Bibis and Salvos, to pluck out two obvious examples, but I don’t know how many times I’ve
recommended this place to someone looking for a good night out and the response is invariably the same: “Where’s that?” It seems it has still to blip on the radar of the masses. More fool them. That’s not to say a sizeable number of people haven’t discovered the joys of this place. On the Saturday night we went in we only just got a table for two since the place was packed.
