Leeds food news: Trinity Kitchen’s autumn line-up, Jay Rayner’s favourite and two new Michelin entries

New traders at Trinity Kitchen, a burger brand taking over the old Five Guys, a national critic name-checking a Leeds basement bistro and Michelin inspectors adding two more to the city’s list. Here’s what’s cooking in Leeds this week.

Trinity Kitchen serves up its autumn line-up

Trinity Kitchen has rotated its street food traders for the season, with five vendors in from today (Monday 28 September) until Sunday 22 November.

New to the line-up is El Piloto, bringing Mexican street food to the top floor of Trinity Leeds. Expect tacos filled with halal meat and finished with pickled onion, hot sauce and crispy shallots, plus quesadillas and loaded fries.

Shoot the Bull, the Yorkshire-based American steakhouse, is on burgers, with wagyu beef patties, cheese and salad in a toasted bun. Gluten-free and dairy-free options are on the menu.

Ka Bao is doing bao buns and gyoza, with fillings including sriracha, Korean BBQ and crispy fried tofu, and vegetable gyoza served with a dipping sauce.

Two familiar names are back. Spuds ‘n’ Bros returns with Canadian poutine, fries and homemade gravy topped with chicken, crispy onions or cranberry sauce, while Tikks Thai Kitchen is cooking from family recipes, from coconut curries to Thai fried chicken.

For drinks, Northern Monk’s Trinity Tap has craft beer, wine, coffee and alcohol-free options, along with pies and pizza.

Josie Towning, Food and Beverage Manager at Trinity Leeds, said: “For autumn we wanted to bring a mixture of warming dishes whilst also keeping things light and fresh with bao buns and tacos. As always, we pride ourselves on offering an exciting range of cuisines, bold flavours and a place where people can sit down and enjoy their favourite meals or even discover something new.”

The rotating traders sit alongside Trinity Kitchen’s permanent eateries: Archie’s, Rola Wala, Thatziki and Jerk Junction. More at trinityleeds.com.

Urban Fresh Burger to move into the old Five Guys on Duncan Street

The big Five Guys unit on Duncan Street, by the Corn Exchange, has sat empty since the chain moved up to the top floor of Trinity. According to The Hoot, it’s set to be replaced by another burger joint. We were secretly hoping for a bigger Sqew.

Urban Fresh Burger started in Doncaster in 2017 and now has five sites across Yorkshire. Its pitch is a lighter kind of burger made with fresh ingredients from local suppliers. The menu covers smashed beef, chicken and veggie burgers with unlimited free toppings, hand-cut fries, chicken tenders, boneless wings, mozzarella sticks and milkshakes.

There’s no opening date yet. We’ll update when there is.

Jay Rayner names Sous Le Nez among his favourite restaurants in Britain

Sous Le Nez has been serving French bistro cooking from the basement of Quebec House on Quebec Street since 1991. The name translates, roughly, as “under the nose”, which is fitting, given how many people walk past it every day.

Asked for his three favourite restaurants in Britain on Routes, the LNER podcast hosted by Jenni Falconer, the food critic Jay Rayner included the Leeds stalwart, praising its wine list and its staying power. “Nothing on the menu will surprise you but it is done very very well,” he said.

He also gave a nod to Domo, the Sheffield restaurant that has since opened in Leeds, for its lobster on toast. Leeds has done well out of Rayner lately. He reviewed The Highland Laddie in January and was full of praise for Zucco in Meanwood in 2024.

Two more Leeds restaurants join the Michelin Guide

The Smithfield and Inlamentation are among 22 UK restaurants added to the Michelin Guide this month, taking the number of Leeds-area entries to seven.

At The Smithfield on North Street, chef James Donovan was recognised for his “unadulterated, rustic British dishes”, with inspectors picking out the crab crumpet with bisque and the braised hogget shoulder, as well as the relaxed service.

At Inlamentation, chef Michael O’Hare runs a constantly changing menu of around a dozen small courses, which inspectors called creative and complex, with wine flights built to match.

They join Ox Club, Prashad, Forde, Bavette in Horsforth and the recently refurbished Box Tree in Ilkley.