Leeds & Yorkshire Dining

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J Baker's Bistro Moderne

Michelin stars don’t come easy. Chef extraordinaire Jeff Baker helped the now defunct Pool Court in Leeds to secure one but then owner Michael Gill upped sticks and retired to warmer, Gallic climes. And so the master moved onwards, and hopefully upwa...
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Good Food And Open Fires

One thing that is guaranteed to make you smile on entering a restaurant or pub dining room is the sight and the feel of an open fire, warming the cockles of your heart, if not the ones on your plate. So we’ve drawn up a ‘hot’ list of Yorkshire venues...
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The Pax

It may seem incongruous but there is a super Thai restaurant decked out in traditional style in the otherwise very traditional surroundings of The Pax Inn, Thorp Arch. But this is an incongruity worth a mention. This is an interesting experiment in t...
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Good Bars, Good Restaurants

Part of the pleasure of a good meal out is the quality of the experience immediately before – and perhaps after – the meal. Indeed, whether you’ve drooling in anticipation over the food to come or you’re really only there for the beer, the wine or pe...
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The Gray Ox

What a great little find. As you speed along past junction 25 of the M62, who would imagine that little more than a stone’s throw away is a lovely pub that boasts wonderful food and wine and a great selection of beer. But the Read This Article

The Cheese Course

For many diners, the best way to end a meal is to indulge in some cheese -- traditionally taken with port, but largely in recent times with coffee, wine or even beer. And whereas a restaurant would once served up a ubiquitous selection of Stilton, Re...
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The Beehive

There’s a buzz in the air in the picturesque village of Thorner. A transformation has taken place. What was The Beehive pub -- rich in memories but arguably poor on redeeming features -- is now a smart restaurant. It’s struck a balance of informality...
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Where To Wine & Dine In Yorkshire

You can generally pick out a good restaurant from its bins. . . the wine bins that is. The theory being that if the restaurant knows and cares about the wine that they serve, they’re likely to place just as much emphasis on the quality of the food be...
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The Restaurant Bar & Grill

One doesn’t come here anymore to hand good money over for pieces of paper or even foreign currency, neither to drop off your snail mail. The old post office is no more. Long live The Old Post Office! -- But now in the form of The Restaurant Bar & Gri...
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Dining Out In Bradford

Bradford is not known for its gastro scene, other than the obvious plethora of curry houses that have sprung up from a now long-established immigrant Asian population. But looking beyond the Indian restaurant scene – which contains some real gems – B...
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Lockwoods

Things are changing in sleepy Ripon thanks to the likes of young but talented chef Matt Lockwood. And not before time. Matt acknowledges that he himself held back from opening some years ago, feeling the timing wasn’t quite right. Now he sees it diff...
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Yorkshire’s Culinary Stars

For the dedicated foodie, the Michelin guide is the last word when it comes to quality dining. We might not take the annual release of the new Michelin listings quite as seriously as the French – where it can quite literally be a life-and-death affai...
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Salvo’s

It’s 30 years old and still going strong. Salvo’s -- Headingley’s favourite Italian (if not Leeds’) -- just goes from strength to strength. But it’s certainly not stuck in a time warp as it’s been through several upgrades since its 1976 beginnings. M...
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A Room With A View

A great dining experience amounts to more than just the food and drink. It encompasses the service, the atmosphere, the decor and the ambience, not to mention the company you’re with. And if you’re lucky, the icing on the cake is being seated at a ta...
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Angel’s Share

Not only does it have an unusual name -- taken from the small percentage of evaporated alcohol that disappears when distilling whisky -- but it has to be one of the more unusual restaurant/bars in the region. It is a little piece of Greece, a little ...
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Modern British, Old World Charm

It’s like having your cake and eating it. A really good restaurant in a great olde worlde setting, maybe a few beams, leaded windows. . .rustic with style. But these places can deliver on substance as well as style, excelling in modern British cookin...
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Aagrah

There is every reason to trust a restaurant group that has been dishing up good food consistently for 29 years. The very first Aagrah was opened by the Sabib family in Shipley in 1977. Nineteen years on and 1996 saw Wasim Aslam winning the 'Internati...
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Country Pub Dining In Yorkshire

Yorkshire is home to many a good traditional pub, and with the cask beer and the horse brasses and the quaint rural location often goes hand-in-hand a reputation for home-made pub grub. People travel miles to find such places, the survivors, that hav...
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A Swanky Night Out

Swank, bling, glamour. . .call it what you will, it’s nice to dine out occasionally at a restaurant that’s got that wow factor. You know the kind of place – it’s always buzzing with atmosphere, with interesting people, with a glamour that’s hard to r...
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The Blue Bicycle

Imagine a lady riding her bike through the Victorian streets of York, bumping over the cobbles as she mounts the humpback bridge that keeps the waters from the door of the corner establishment, where this lady proceeds to prop her bike. It is a blue ...
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Sukhothai

It was one of the best Thai experiences in the region. It had the most diligent and courteous staff. Its reputation went before it. So what’s happened?

There’s been a major change at <...
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Off-Motorway Dining, The Good-Value Venues

Why pay over the odds for motorway convenience, when there are convenient alternatives just five minutes away? They may be handy if you’re in a hurry, but motorway services come at a high, if not exorbitant, price for what you get. It’s not uncommon ...
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Wasabi

You’ve heard of restaurants being described as theatre, well it’s certainly true in this case. Chefs wear traditional Japanese costume, as does your waitress. The banging of steel blades on steel hotplates demands your attention. And if the blades do...
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Eating On The Beaten Track

This year it’s the 35th anniversary of the shooting of the classic film ‘The Railway Children’ and also the centenary of the writing of the book. So it’s perhaps an appropriate time to be looking at some railway-related restaurants, venues that stand...
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Orchid

Orchid is a fusion restaurant that has established over some years now a strong reputation in that very conservative area that is the heart of Harrogate. But what is new and dynamic is the recently arrived chef -- Kenneth Poon. Like a breath of fresh...
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Family-Friendly Venues

Let’s face it, eating out with the family can be an absolute nightmare. How do you please all the little people, while trying to make it fun, easy and enjoyable for yourself? Now there’s a question -- amongst the many! Where are we going? Are we near...
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Hob Green (March 2005)

This tucked-away country retreat in Markington, near Harrogate, boasts a restaurant with a reputation that brings its patrons from far and wide. It attracts those who appreciate old-fashioned ambience, decor and good service with hot food proudly pre...
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The Fruits Of The Sea (March 2005)

There are those who do and those who don’t. And those who do are likely to feel healthier, live longer, have better sex and be more intelligent. So what is this magic elixir we should all be interested in? It’s seafood, more accurately seafood rich i...
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Where To Dine Out In Style (December 2004)

With a plethora of new restaurants to choose from in the Leeds, Bradford and Harrogate areas, sorting out the wheat from the chaff is a more difficult prospect than ever. This month we focus on some of the venues that can offer you that special night...
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Bella Med (December 2004)

Morley is going places. Named after the moorland that once surrounded it, this suburb to the south of Leeds was picked out in a recent local radio poll as the most ‘up and coming’ town in the area. And the pick of the bunch on the dining front is Read This Article

Exploring The Food Chain (October 2004)

Love them or loathe them, chain restaurants are here to stay. They may be a world apart from that quaint little bistro, restaurant or gastropub, but at their best they offer consistently good food in pleasant and lively surroundings. On the plus side...
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Malmasion Hotel (October 2004)

Romantic, intimate, cosy, smart and sophisticated -- all adjectives that readily describe the restaurant within Leeds’ Malmaison Hotel. Here you can relax while feeling you’re in one of the better restaurants the region has to offer. It’s a splendid ...
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Where To Eat Italian (August 2004)

No arguments, one of our best-loved cuisine types is the ubiquitous Italian, renowned for its healthy attributes, great taste and versatility. We've warmed to this Mediterranean phenomenon like nothing else and our gastronomic landscape would certain...
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Le Bon Apetit (June 2004)

Candlelit tables, an open fire and original features in a traditional building make Le Bon Apetit a cosy little French restaurant which has stood the test of time. It’s busy at the weekend, with steady custom during the week and French owner/chef Phi...
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Gastropub Dining Around Leeds (June 2004)

For far too long, pubs have been a neglected part of our gastro heritage, labouring under a pie and peas image that is increasingly outdated. Landlords are turning into proper little restaurateurs, demanding that their food be taken seriously, and no...
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Country House Dining (May 2004)

What does it take to tempt the hungry gastronaut away from the city into the outer reaches of the countryside? The chance to eat in elegant surroundings. The opportunity to unwind, perhaps stay a leisurely few days, and take advantage of leisure faci...
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Anams (May 2004)

It’s an Indian restaurant -- but not as we know it. It opened in April 2003, on the street that is fast becoming the centre of Bradford's gastroland, and has all the credentials of being a landmark for Bradford's most discerning eaters. Read This Article

Live Music Dining Venues (April 2004)

Some days you just want to go somewhere different, somewhere you can eat, drink, relax and listen to some vibrant live music for a change. But where to go? Well look no further as we've listed some of the best live music joints around – whether it’s ...
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Harris's (March 2004)

Put a vibrant, modern bar-restaurant like relative newcomer Harris's in the middle of a traditional riverside market town in the Wharefdale valley and you have a very good reason to make the 14-mile trek out from Leeds. Wetherby is a quaint old place...
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The Taste Of The East (March 2004)

Finding an Asian meal round these parts is not so difficult as West Yorkshire is home to one of the UK’s largest and more established Asian communities. And you can bet your bottom Yen, Yuan, Baht or Rupee that there'll be a good few to choose from t...
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Est Est Est (February 2004)

Friday night is music night at Est Est Est, but then that is perhaps the case for most restaurants in an act of relief that the weekend has arrived. The background music is a little louder than usual. The atmosphere is a little more energetic than us...
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Where Veggies Dare To Tread (February 2004)

It has almost become a tradition in its own right -- after the festive feasting is over and in an act of mass contrition, we vow to shed those extra pounds and eat 'more healthily'. If you haven’t yet managed it, now’s the time to give some serious ...
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The Best Value Meal Deals (December 2003)

Whether you're a student just looking to save as much as you can to spend on beer or someone who likes a good value meal, there are plenty of money-saving choices around. Leeds is home to more students than most anywhere else in the UK and combine th...
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Hotel Du Vin Bistro (December 2003)

The rumour mill is hard at it that Harrogate has been blessed recently with a bistro to die for. Turns out it’s true -- Hotel Du Vin Bistro ...
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Weaver’s Restaurant With Rooms (October 2003)

How do you keep the customer coming back for more? Put them up for the night! A charming, Bronte-country hotel with an emphasis on the restaurant, Weaver's Restaurant With Rooms was originally a large barn connected to three weavers cottages. It’s de...
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Straight From The Chateau (October 2003)

They said it couldn't be done. They said it was a joke, but George Bowden -- chemist turned winemaker -- had a seriously good wine harvest this year, in Leeds. Yes, you read right -- Leeds, a city known more for its commercial clout than its winemaki...
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The Lounge (August 2003)

Business lunches were never so relaxed. Shoppers were never made to feel so welcome. And city breaks have never been so well catered for in what must be Leeds' swankiest new hotel. Set within the Light – yes, it’s hard to keep away from this part-new...
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Eating Business Class (August 2003)

An army never marches on an empty stomach if it wants to win the battle. So too the intrepid business traveller has to make sure he's right for the fight. Gathering the necessary gastro-intelligence is key to competing with the enemy and winning that...
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Where To Eat On The Street (July 2003)

At last! We've woken up to the potential of our streets as places we can relax in and eat off. Okay, tables help, as does the occasional use of an outdoor heater, but eating al fresco is more and more the fashion. All spaces are now considered fair g...
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The Wardrobe (July 2003)

You want it all -- drink, food, music and dance -- but you forgot to look in the wardrobe didn’t you! Well no excuses now we’ve told you, so go and take a peek. In The Wardrobe you’l...
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Coffee With Your Cash, Sir? (June 2003)

Something strange is happening to Leeds’ cafes. They’re turning into creatures we’ve never really seen before with venues across the city offering much more than just a cup of coffee. The range of services and activities available runs from snooker t...
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Life (June 2003)

I arrive with my friend at 8.30pm to be seated at our table in the restaurant area of the Life bar, café, restaurant, nightclub (max. capacity 1238) -- hub of the new ‘The Light’ leisure complex right in the heart of Leeds. The Life concept is one of...
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