The explosion of cafe/bars within Yorkshire has been one of the biggest success stories of recent times. From a time when the options were a cafe, a pub or a formal restaurant a much more exciting option has emerged. Cafe/bars have filled a need in Yorkshire for relaxed socialising and have worked incredibly well in all their various guises. They offer food, drink, a low-key atmosphere, a great spot for people-watching, and sometimes live music. they are a phenomenon of the past two decades and deservedly on the map in Yorkshire.
Primo's
May 2010
TO give it its full title:
Primo’s Gourmet
Hot Dogs...but that
doesn’t quite do
justice to this new
cafe/diner inside the Corn
Exchange.
For a start they don’t just offer
hot dogs they also do salads,
bagels, smoothies, shakes plus
great ice cream, coffee and cakes
– more about the sweet stuff
later.
Napa
May 2010
WHEN you’ve hit on a
winning formula don’t
tinker with it. Right?
That’s certainly the
philosophy Arc Inspirations group
have followed with this venue, one
of the latest additions to the Street
Lane dining scene in upmarket
Roundhay. And it’s right – up to a
point.
Just under three years ago they took
the template for their other
numerous eating and drinking spots
around Leeds – mostly in Headingley
and Chapel Allerton – and slotted it
into an area where they knew the
affluent locals would lap it up. And
boy have they lapped it up.
Pin
AT first glance this
backstreet drinking spot
doesn’t look like the kind of
place that does food at all.
There’s no dedicated waiting
staff, no kitchen in obvious
view and just small tables,
devoid of cutlery.
The owners have also
intentionally gone for a very
basic, albeit smart, interior,
but it’s one that somehow
belies the fact that they offer
quite a good menu, for lunch
and dinner.
Toast
OCCASIONALLY Little Oliver gets
wind of a particularly interesting
twist which he simply has
to sample.
One of the special things
on Toast’s menu is their
“Build Your Own Platter”
option , which is nothing
new, granted, but the way
it’s executed makes it
exceptional.
Indie Joze
Indie Joze is an institution in Leeds. Thousands of Loiners hold dear memories of this bijou little eaterie because it was among the first of a fledgling wave of venues which sparked the now widespread cafe culture.
Angel's Share
THIS salubrious north leeds suburb has more than its fair share of bars and restaurants and is now a real alternative for those wanting to eat or drink outside of the city centre.
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.
Pickled Pepper
Now what do you imagine when you think of a deli/cafe/bar? Bare brick walls? Floorboards? Lots of fridges filled with various pasta salads and little nibbly bits?
Seven
QUITE the most cosmopolitan little hideaway you’re likely to find, Seven
is an absolute gem in this corner of north Leeds.
Large windows overlook a small treelined courtyard just off Harrogate Road, the main thoroughfare of Chapel Allerton. Inside there’s a minimalist decor with simple pine benches and tables for furniture.
Yum Yum
The last time Little Oliver dropped into this cosmopolitan grazing spot he wasn’t that impressed. Not great service and food that wasn’t much better made Yum Yum distinctly humdrum.
