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Dining in Europe > Leeds
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in Great Britain > Leeds
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Leeds city centre boasts an excellent range of drinking and dining
establishments to suit all palates and pockets.
Dining
Gastronomes could head straight for either of the citys two
Michelin-starred restaurants; Pool Court at 42 or Rascasse. Other fine
dining establishments include Leodis, Harvey Nichols Fourth Floor, Sous
Le Nez en Ville and Brasserie 44 (neighbour to Pool Court at 42).
A wealth of outstanding, slightly less informal restaurants are
scattered across the city. Delicious Mediterranean/British food can be
had in and around the Exchange Quarter at Brigg Shots, Calls Grill,
Shears Yard, Arts Café, Oporto and Velvet.
According to The Sunday Times, The Cactus Lounge, next to the West
Yorkshire Playhouse, is one of the countrys top four Mexican
restaurants. For fine French food and wine, visit the subterranean La
Grillade. Quality Italian food is served at The Italian Job and the
long-running Bibis. Shabab and Darbar both serve good Indian cuisine.
Chinese, Thai and Japanese restaurants are mainly clustered around the
Grand Theatre and at the top of Vicar Lane. Try Canton Flavour, off The
Headrow, for lunch with a difference.
Excellent café bars are in evidence all over Leeds. Try Moderno,
Metz, Cuban Heels, The Elbow Room, Revolution, Milo or Norman ' all in
and around the Exchange Quarter. Chain outlets, such as All Bar One, Bar
38, Henrys and Parisa are clustered around the Headrow and in the
financial quarter. Soul Kitchen, also in the financial quarter, deserves
a special mention. Café Rouge, Est, Est, Est have branches in the city.
There are two branches of Pizza Express. Unlicensed eateries, such as
Roots and Fruits and Kadas Coffee Lounge are of excellent quality.
In the outlying areas of Leeds, visit Citrus in Headingley, Feluka or
Grove Café ' both in Hyde Park. These are all unlicensed. The Ferret
Hall Bistro in Headingley serves quality English food. On the citys
outskirts, close to the BBC and the University, Strawberry Fields serves
delicious wholesome food and has a good choice for vegetarians. For
Italian, The Flying Pizza in Roundhay and Salvos in Headingley are both
popular, long-running establishments well worth a visit. Leaving the
city via Kirkstall Road, you will find TGI Fridays, Frankie & Bennys
and Quinceys. Tariqs and Nafees serve up the customary curries in
studentland.
Drinking
Bar life in Leeds is booming. There are distinct areas to the city and
if you follow this guide, you can't go far wrong:
The area around the Corn Exchange, known as the Exchange Quarter, is
filled with great bars. Choose from Metz, Milo, The Townhouse, Po Na Na,
Pitcher and Piano, Fudge, Cuban Heels, Oporto, Velvet, Norman, Queens
Court, Moderno, Arts Café, Revolution, Café Junction, The Elbow Room,
Hakuna Matata, Break for the Border and Dimitris.
Call Lane should form the backbone of your bar crawl. Several bars now
have late licenses ' Revolution, Norman and The Townhouse . Clubbers
should head for Liquid, Think Tank, Po Na Na or The Elbow Room. Many of
this places are chameleon-like changing from sedate café bars, to
thriving evening quality drinking establishments.
Travel away from The Exchange Quarter up Boar Lane. Bars like Yates'
Wine Lodge, Square on the Lane, Observatory and Bar Censsa line the
route. After this, you can head up to Majestyk or Planet Earth for a
dance, a kebab and an early morning fight for a cab.
Travel up Park Row away from City Square and you're deep in the
financial district. There are bars and restaurants here which will keep
you amused enough. Parisa, The Firehouse, The Old Monk, All Bar One and
O'Neills are all on or around Park Row or East Parade.
On and around The Headrow, try Art Wimpennys, LS One, Bar 38, or The
Slug and Lettuce. There are more pubs and bars clustered around the
Civic Hall and library. The Town & Country Club and The Underground
are up the hill opposite the Town Hall.
Go down The Headrow, towards Eastgate, turning off at the Odeon
cinema. Lovers of quality independent bars, you're back on safe ground
now. Try North, the fantastic Mojo, Le Beatrute, The Atrium - another
bar with late license and club. The Mint Club (home of Basics on
Saturday night) is on Harrison Street and Club Heaven and Hell is
opposite The Atrium.
So, theres plenty of quality dining, drinking and dancing to be done
in the city. Head for the area which sounds most to your taste. There
are other hidden gems around the city like The Wardobe, Whitelocks and
Josephs Well. New places open every week, so bookmark wcities to keep
up.
E. Hill
Entertainment in Leeds
If you read any of the big British papers you'll know that, all of a
sudden, Leeds is the nations new place to be and be seen. Over the past
few years, Leeds has been changing. The canal-side and railway bridges,
that for years had been reminders of Leeds' fallen industrial past, have
been revamped and now form a chic industrial backdrop for Leeds' new
cultural centre - the Exchange Quarter.
Leeds is changing and growing with enthusiasm. Its got the feeling of
a place where things happen. This guide will make sure you know where to
get in on the action.
Art
Leeds' has never been known for its art ' except perhaps Henry Moore.
Over the past few years, as Leeds has been growing, art has been
overshadowed, while Leeds' businesses and nightlife have taken the
limelight. But now, Leeds artists are now beginning to get noticed. The
Leeds 13 - a group of art students from the university - managed to get
on national news a couple of years ago for staging a scam during their
finals and since then degree shows have had a raised profile. Between
May and June, you can visit final degree shows from students from The
Metropolitan University, The College of Art & Design and The
University of Leeds. The rest of the year you can visit one of Leeds'
galleries: The Henry Moore Institute, Leeds City Art Gallery and the
Yorkshire Sculpture Park (near Wakefield), are all well-established art
centres that are open all year round. There are also occasional shows by
local and touring artists: East Street Studios have a reputation for
their exhibitions and their latest one, F.K.A.A. (Formally Known as
Art), was a great success. Keep checking wcities.com for details of
whats on.
Clubbing
At the weekend, people come from all over the country to go out and get
down at Leeds' best clubs. Majestyk is the biggest and most popular. Its
great if you're with a big crowd. Nights change all the time, but here
are some pretty sure fire Saturday night hits: Speed Queen at the
Warehouse on Saturday is a speed garage night with a kitsch twist; The
Orbit at the After Dark in Morley is one of the best industrial techno
nights in the country - hardcore and banging if thats your thing; Basics
on at Mint is a renowned house night in a stylish venue; and you can be
sure that whatever is on at The Wardrobe; The Underground; or The Atrium
will keep you grooving all night long.
Shopping
Everybody knows about the sophisticated shopping in Leeds. Harvey
Nichols and The Victoria Quarter are the cream of classy shopping. But
for a real Leeds experience go around the corner to Leeds Markets, a
bustling Yorkshire bazaar. It is worth visiting the Corn Exchange, just
to get a real feeling of Leeds' heritage - did you know that Marks and
Spencer started trading here? They had a little stall and everything
cost a penny!. The ceiling is a beautiful glass and steel arc and they
now have some origami art dangling from it. Make the most of Leeds'
ethnic diversity by leaving the city centre and having a look around.
Hyde Park has some good sari shops and the famous Maumoniats
International Superstore. Bobbys sweet centre in Harehills is probably
the best in the city. Leeds' own little China town is just getting
established near the bus station and its supermarkets are packed full of
beautiful, colourful things. Chapeltown has shops that sell everything
from everywhere - though they don't stay open for long.
Theatre, Opera and Dance
Leeds has a small theatre scene but what it does have is good. The West
Yorkshire Playhouse is one of Leeds' greatest modern institutions. They
have recently started their own small theatre company who produce most
of the plays that are shown here. They show contemporary productions and
popular modern and traditional plays with a new twist; including
Shakespeare and Oscar Wilde. The Grand Theatre is the only place in
Leeds to see opera and the reputable Northern Ballet Company performs
here too. There are some smaller theatres that show contemporary plays,
dance, music and host touring companies. Try the Leeds Metropolitan
University Gallery and Studio Theatre and The Riley Theatre.
Comedy
Leeds' biggest comedy night is Pam and Janet at The Warehouse on Sunday
night. They get some big names, as well as some of Leeds best new
comedians - like Daniel Haythorn, a rising star of absurd and clever
comedy. Liquids monthly evening of comedy, Knock Knock, is getting great
reviews and you can catch some laughs upstairs at the Feast and Firkin
on occasional Wednesdays.
Cinema
Leeds is developing a reputation as one of the UKs film and photography
hot spots. It is one of the only cities outside London where you can see
the work of new filmmakers, learn about the history of film, visit a
historic cinema or just get the popcorn in and kick back while you watch
the latest blockbuster. West Yorkshires interest in film is indulged by
the recently renovated National Museum of Photography, Film &
Television, in Bradford. This remarkable place attracts people from all
over the country, who come to learn about the history of film, moving
images and new media in an exciting interactive environment. The
innovative Leeds Film Festival has now become a regular fixture in
October. New films, shorts and classic films are shown all over the city
in all sorts of venues. As well as cinema screenings, films are shown in
the trendy Exchange Quarter bars so you can eat, drink and take in some
culture all at the same time. If you feel like a night at the movies
there is an array of venues to choose from. The massive Warner Brothers
complex, and The Showcase - both serving up all the latest releases in
true American style (with popcorn, and ice-cream and a bit of glitz). If
you are in town, The Odeon is handy. For something a bit different, head
to one of Leeds' classic cinemas. The Hyde Park Picture House was built
it 1914 and still has its original façade. Velvet curtains, faded
décor and traditional gas lamps mean its the perfect place to watch
arthouse, classic and top quality films. The Lounge and Cottage Road
cinemas in Headingley are also great venues for a cosy evening of film.
Live Music
Since the Beatles took on the world, the North of England has been the
home of English music. Although there aren't any Leeds bands topping the
charts at the moment, all the big bands play in Leeds because they know
they will get a warm welcome. If you want to see the biggest names, have
a look at whos playing at the Town and Country, The Met or The Cockpit.
Up and coming acts make names for themselves at Josephs Well. And if you
just want to drink your pint to the sound of some live music The Fenton,
The Grove Inn and The Royal Park Cellars deliver just the right mixture
of music and relaxed surroundings.
If you're in the city in the summer, you might catch Rhythms of the
City (July-August). It is a month-long summer festival with all sorts of
entertainment and world music.
Drumming, dancing and all things different
Leeds might have some good bars, but if you really want to make the most
of Leeds try one of these more adventurous activities ' you'll have fun:
Learn to play big African drums on Tuesdays at Trade for Change; Or, for
some real dancing, try the Northern School of Contemporary Dance on
Wednesdays for Afro-Caribbean dance; The Boston Exchange has Salsa on
Tuesdays; and The Wardrobe has dance classes twice a week (theres Tango
on Tuesdays and Salsa on Thursdays). If you just want to relax somewhere
with some real atmosphere The Royal Park Cellars is the place to go.
Dining in Europe > Leeds
Hotels in Europe > Hotels
in Great Britain > Leeds
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