Eat & Drink

Leeds is a haven for foodies, and a real destination for visitors looking to drink award-winning craft beer or sip some innovative cocktails. Whether you’re looking for a quick sandwich and coffee, an informal lunch with friends, an unobtrusive high-end venue for a business lunch, an intimate location with great food for a special date night or just the perfect piece of fast food - the city has it all.

Over the past decade, the city has become a real destination for great food and drink. Home to pioneering innovators in haute cuisine like Man Behind the Curtain and HOME, artisan breadhouses and bakeries like Porterhouse Co, Nova and Leeds Bread Co-op, weekly and annual food festivals like Chow Down and Leeds Indie Food, some of the nation’s best coffee shops like Laynes Espresso, Mrs Athas and North Star Coffee Shop, and great regional food from countries all around the world, the city has something to tick every box.

Leeds was once the home to the Tetley Brewery, which operated between 1822 and 2011, when it sadly closed. This spurred on the development of a whole host of smaller breweries though, and the Leeds beer scene has never been stronger. Leeds Brewery were one of the first, followed by multi-award winning modern breweries like Northern Monk and North Brew Co. It is not all just beer, either. Jake’s Bar on Call Lane distills its own spirits in its inhouse copper pot still ‘Tabitha’, and Leeds is home to numerous gins. The cocktail scene is thriving too, with innovation and unique experiences coming courtesy of bars like The Hedonist, speakeasies The Domino Club and Poison, and the beautiful Below Stairs. 

The food and drink scene in Leeds is so exciting that the city attracts lots of festivals and one-off events to the city, too, from Beer and Bratwurst extravaganza Oktoberfest to nationally renowned Leeds International Beer Fest, the innovative Cocktail Experience to the Rum Festival and the Gin Festival. It is always worth finding out what exciting events are coming up in Leeds’ food and drink events calendar.

Innovation and diversity are two hallmarks of Leeds’ food scene, with so many new independents and pop-ups showcasing the best Leeds has to offer, as well as established favourites committing to finding the best local produce to put on their menus. This pioneering Leeds spirit is summed up by the innovative Meatless Farm Company, founded here, who now stock massive supermarkets and big restaurants with their planet-friendly meat alternatives.

There is great food from every corner of the world available across the city. Find plenty of foodie haunts in historic Kirkgate Market, home to hotspots like Manjit’s Kitchen – amazing Indian on-the-go, Fat Annie’s – local homemade hot dogs, and new opener The Owl, a unique new gastropub from a Michelin star-winning chef and HOME’s co-founders!

Find modern Italian at places like Sarto, Zucco and Salvo’s, contemporary Chinese at Wen’s and Tattu, and enjoy food from across the Indian subcontinent throughout the city, with specialists serving up dishes inspired by Kerala, Gujarat, Punjab, and beyond. 

Despite all the above, we haven’t even begun to scratch the surface on Leeds’ multi-national, diverse, exciting and innovative food scene! 

All this before we even mention drinks. Leeds has the best of both old and new. Traditional pub Whitelock’s has been pulling great pints (and serving up hearty grub to match) since 1715, but Leeds also has the most contemporary and innovative bars, like secret cocktail bar The Domino Club (enter through a secret door in a working barber’s shop) and innovative cocktail experience Below Stairs. The city boasts some amazing local breweries too (established names like award-winners Northern Monk, North Brewing Co. and Kirkstall Brewery Co. as well as newcomers Anthology, Zapato and Wilde Child, to name but a few), so there’s always a good drink to be had.

Whether you fancy something quick and informal, a long and lazy lunch or a special and intimate evening meal for two, Leeds can provide something for all budgets. It’s hard to choose, but we’ve singled out some of our favourites below: