13 bars & restaurants new this June or coming soon
Life moves pretty fast, if you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss the opening of a new cocktail lounge, craft beer bar, or Venezuelan small-plates pop-up - can you imagine anything worse? Here are the latest bars and restaurants in Leeds, and a preview of what’s to come this June.
New this month:
George’s Great British Kitchen
We visited this thoroughly un-Modern British restaurant and found the experience to be all a bit 'lie back and think of England.' Take a peep at our full review here.
Open now. 52 The Headrow, LS1 6PN
The Lock Kitchen & Bar
Doubletree’s cocktail bar Sky Lounge provides unbeatable panoramic views of the city to accompany your drinks, and now they’ve added a ground-level bar and kitchen complete with a terrace overlooking the Leeds/Liverpool canal. The deli and kitchen serves up salads and sandwiches for a quick lunch, as well as grill dishes and smaller sharing plates for grazing, and there’s a condensed but varied cocktail list to keep you busy if you’ve got a little longer to spare.
Open now. Doubletree, Granary Wharf, LS1 4BR
Be At One
Leeds’ second Be At One opened at the end of May, hoping to quench our seemingly insatiable thirst for cocktails. Our Jenessa attended the launch party, had a go behind the bar and tried a selection made by the actual professionals - we have it on good authority that their Pornstar Martini is one of the best around.
Open now. 19 Boar Lane, LS1 6EA
Our Jenessa proudly presenting a cocktail she made all by herself at the new @BeAtOne_Leeds launch tonight, and a couple of other faves 💃🍹 pic.twitter.com/Tq3Tq1kL8D
— Leeds Confidential (@ldsconfidential) May 24, 2017
Opening in June:
Tattu
First announced almost a year ago, the wait for this upmarket Pan Asian restaurant to cross the Pennines from Manchester has been agonising. But, just like a real tattoo, you can’t rush these things - you have to take your time and do it properly; cut corners and you’ll and up with something you’ll regret that will probably get infected and start seeping puss after a few days. Er, maybe not that last part.
Expect high-end, modern cooking with quality local produce, premium cocktails, and opulent surroundings. And don’t act shocked when you can’t find sweet & sour chicken balls on the menu.
Opens Friday 9 June. Minerva House, 29 East Parade, LS1 5PS
Taco Bell
You might scoff at the inclusion of a fast food joint in the prestigious company of the other names in the list, but when you're stumbling home from Merrion Street or Belgrave or The Social after a few drinks and you spot this glowing purple beacon in the distance, the only thing you'll be scoffing is a Crunchwrap Supreme.
Opens Friday 9 June. Unit 1 & 1A St Johns Centre, LS2 8LQ
Issho
It’s like the old proverb goes: You wait ages for a Pan Asian fine-dining restaurant to come along, and then two come at once. Issho is restaurant group D&D’s take on high-end Japanese, located on the roof of Victoria Gate. We’ve sampled the menu a couple of times and tasted plenty to be excited about, and there’s even more in store after the opening (hint: fans of Kanada-ya and Shoryu prepare to rejoice…)
The chef behind it all is Ben Orpwood, who made his name cooking London, Australia, and Japan at the likes of Zuma and Sexy Fish. Look out for our interview with him next week where he tells us his personal recipe for instant noodles, and talks about how Leeds and Sydney aren’t all that different. No, really.
Opens Wednesday 21 June. Victoria Gate, LS2 7JA
Coming soon:
Côte
It’s been rumoured for a while, but the frontage-wraps around the vacant lot that formerly housed Mamas & Papas in Trinity Leeds have confirmed the location for this new French restaurant.
Expect simple, traditional brasserie-style cooking like asparagus hollandaise, Breton fish stew, nicoise salad, and steak frites - all underneath the Trinity roof, which might just start resembling the Louvre Pyramid when you've had a few glasses of Beaujolais.
Kitty Cafe
Things have gone a little quiet since its announcement in April, but the Kitty Cafe is still imminent. The Nottingham business has secured a premise in Merrion Centre and is planning to open this summer.
Mowgli
More Trinity news - Modern-Indian Mowgli has settled on a plot in the shopping centre after being rumoured for several different locations around the city centre. With Côte taking the vacant top-floor venue we’re struggling to think where they might fit in, though.
One for fans of The Cat’s Pyjamas and Bundobust, Mowgli is another of these modern curry-houses serving up traditional - rather than takeaway Indian food - with a heavy street food influence, and some banging cocktails.
Indian Tiffin Room
One for fans of The Cat’s Pyjamas and Bundobust, Indian Tiffin Room is another of these modern curry-houses, etc…
In fairness, this one has the bragging right of being featured in the Good Food Guide, so there’s reason to be excited yet. Planning application has only just been made for the 100 seater restaurant on Park Row, though, so don’t expect it for a few months at least.
Home
No official launch date set just yet, but the new fine dining restaurant from Masterchef’s Liz Cottam and Mark Owens - formerly of La Gavroche and The Box Tree - is starting to take shape. They held a Masterchef-style recruitment day for Leeds City College students a couple of weeks back, and came out of it with three new apprentice chefs.
Don’t be surprised if we’ve found out a bit more by the end of this month...
Red Door
A hideaway cocktail bar that’s part of Living Ventures group (Blackhouse, Gusto, The Alchemist etc) has set its sights on Call Lane. No launch date set yet for the bar that aims to “change the world one drink at a time” through all sorts of unique techniques such as garnishing drinks with balloons of flavour-infused helium, or serving them inside a whole disco ball.
No mention of where on Call Lane it’s moving into but, with news coming recently that The Black Swan is closing down, you have to imagine that’s a strong contender.
DISCO BALL SHARER✨ The most Saturday'est cocktail there could possibly be & also named #1 coolest cocktail in Manchester🥇 It's a MUST.
A post shared by Red Door Manchester (@reddoormcr) on
Leon
It was only a matter of time, wasn’t it?
