Hardens Guide to the Best Restaurants in Leeds
Hardens guides have spent 32 years compiling reviews of the best Leeds restaurants. On Hardens.com you'll find details and reviews of 61 restaurants in Leeds and our unique survey based approach to rating and reviewing Leeds restaurants gives you the best insight into the top restaurants in every area and of every type of cuisine.
Featured Leeds Restaurants
1. Prashad
Indian restaurant in Leeds
137 Whitehall Rd - BD11
“They could convince me to go vegetarian” – so good is the “well-prepared and authentic” Gujarati food at this West Yorkshire legend (est. 1992). First timers say “everything is delicious, slightly novel without being scary”: “it opened my eyes to several new Indian dishes I hadn’t tried before”. And “you just don’t notice there’s no meat or fish… impressive!”
3. Sukhothai
Thai restaurant in Harrogate
17-19 Cheltenham Pde - HG1
“Always a vibrant dining experience!” – Ban Kaewkraikhot’s outpost of her Yorkshire group of traditional Thai venues (which started in Chapel Allerton in 2002) continues to draw a regular fan club for its comprehensive menu of authentic-tasting dishes.
4. The Tannin Level
British, Traditional restaurant in Harrogate
5 Raglan St - HG1
Founded in 1985, this local stalwart wins praise for its “sympathetically prepared local ingredients” (realised in fairly conventional style) and “clearly competent staff”. Top Tip – “great value early-bird dinner”.
5. Aagrah
Indian restaurant in Leeds
St Peter’s Sq - LS9
2022 Review: One reporter says it all about the “very busy city-centre flagship of this excellent local chain of Indian restaurants” – “there’s a wide range of traditional and excitingly different dishes. Highly recommended!”.
6. Sukhothai
Thai restaurant in Leeds
8 Regent St - LS7
2022 Review: Feedback remains limited but remains very positive for this Chapel Allerton Thai (part of a local group), which hits twenty years old in 2022.
7. Tharavadu
Indian restaurant in Leeds
7- 8 Mill Hill - LS1
“You would walk past it if you didn’t know how good the food was inside” at this “buzzing” curry house (one of the city’s most commented-on destinations) not far from the railway station (a favourite, it is claimed, of former India cricket captain Virat Kohli). The “slightly chaotic vibe is part of the charm” and it delivers “authentic south Indian tastes” with “absolutely delicious Keralan flavours” (“had probably the best dosa ever and an amazing range of fish curries dominate the menu”).
8. Tattu
Chinese restaurant in Leeds
29 East Parade, Minerva House - LS1
Rooftop blossom and dark clubby decor help create a scene-y atmosphere at this popular branch of the upmarket national Chinese chain, which expanded to include a London outlet this year. One or two reports accuse it of “style over substance” but ratings overall are decent for its dim-sum and small plates selection.
9. Sukhothai
Thai restaurant in Leeds
15 South Parade - LS1
2022 Review: Thailand-born chef turned entrepreneur Ban Kaewkraikhot launched her luxury brand in Chapel Allerton 20 years ago, before opening this “large and spacious” city-centre flagship and another branch in Harrogate. She also founded the Zaap Thai street food brand, with five branches and a ready meals offering.
10. Fleur Restaurant and bar
restaurant in Leeds city centre
Inside the lights - LS1
Award-winning Master Chef Finalist, Great British Menu-famed chef Bobby Geetha and Team provides a stunning contemporary British cuisine inspired by world flavours.Fléur Restaurant was the finalist for best Brunch in Leeds. Reviewed as Top 3 best Bottomless...
11. Red Chilli
Chinese restaurant in Leeds
6 Great George Street - LS1
2019 Review: “Consistently good food” arrives “in enormous portions” at this four-strong northern chain’s city-centre basement venue, kitted out with 1920s Shanghai décor and specialising in palette-tingling Sichuanese cuisine.
12. Iberica
Spanish restaurant in Leeds
Hepper House, 17a East Parade - LS1
For a “really enjoyable, reasonably authentic Tapas experience”, all served in a “buzzing” environment, many would recommend this national chain’s four London branches (in Victoria, Canary Wharf, Farringdon and Marylebone). “Uneven” service can make them “a bit hit ’n’ miss” (especially in SW1) but one constant is “a particularly strong list of Spanish wines, many by the glass or carafe”.
13. Sous le Nez en Ville
British, Modern restaurant in Leeds
Quebec Hs, Quebec St - LS1
For its many regulars, a meal at this “always-consistent French bistro” with a “great wine list of interesting bottles, including aged classics” is “the highlight of any trip to Leeds”. The large basement venue has hosted business lunches and evening celebrations for more than 30 years.
14. Fuji Hiro
Japanese restaurant in Leeds
45 Wade Ln - LS2
2022 Review: “It’s still got it serving top noodles!” – this well-established Japanese canteen in the Merrion Centre continues to please its small but ardent local fan club.
15. Zaap
Thai restaurant in Leeds
16 Grand Arcade - LS1
“Delicious and fresh-tasting” grub served in a space “decorated like a Bangkok street market – there are even a couple of tuk tuks you can eat in” – adds up to a “cheap ’n’ cheerful, tasty Thai street-food experience in the centre of Leeds”. “Although it often looks packed, it’s not difficult to get a place straight away – service is prompt and efficient”. Launched in 2015, it now has spin-offs in Headingley, York, Newcastle, Nottingham and most recently Sheffield.
16. MEATliquor
Burgers, etc restaurant in Leeds
Bank St - LS1
“Dead hippie sauce is a must” at these “very loud” operations, which “remain at the head of the gourmet burger pack” for many fans with “lots of options available”. After 14 years of growth from a food van to a national chain with 10 venues in the capital, they “don’t seem to have lost their way yet”. “The dark and grungy ersatz New Orleans interior vibe” is of the love-it-or-hate-it variety.
17. Rosa's Thai Cafe
Thai restaurant in Leeds
Upper Dining Terrace, Trinity Leeds, Albion Street - LS1
2021 Review: The “lovely Thai food” at these reliable cafés is “impressively authentic given that they are a chain” – “excellent value” and “fast”, if occasionally let down by “iffy service”. Founded in 2008 by Saiphin and Alex Moore, who inherited the name of their first East End site, the group has 18 branches in London and expanded to Liverpool, Manchester, Reading (delivery only) and Leeds following the sale of a majority stake to US investors. The couple also have two spin-offs, Lao Café in Covent Garden and the new Chinese noodle bar Hoh Sek in St Katharine Docks.
18. Crafthouse, Trinity Leeds
British, Modern restaurant in Leeds
Level 5 - LS1
2022 Review: This large, smart and impressive venue from D&D London, on the fifth floor of the new Trinity Leeds shopping centre, is enclosed in floor-to-ceiling windows with great views over the city, oak and marble interiors and an open kitchen. The cooking is generally considered “good” or better, with a decent set menu as well as more lavish à la carte and tasting menu options.
19. Bundobust
Indian restaurant in Leeds
6 Mill Hill - LS1
“Very tasty authentic Indian vegan and vegetarian street food” is paired with a “great beer selection” at the Leeds branch of the Manchester-based winner. “Could just as easily be in the ‘best Indian’ or ‘best cheap eats’ category”. Top Tip – “you have to try the okra fries!”.
20. The Man Behind The Curtain
British, Modern restaurant in Leeds
Lower Ground Floor Flannels - LS1
“Pure gastronomic theatre and drama” has won national fame for Michael O’Hare and – after some ups and downs in feedback over recent years – his moody and “romantic” basement in the city centre reestablished itself this year as the most commented-on venue in Leeds in our annual diners’ poll. From a 10-14-course tasting menu, “the food pushes the limits of taste like at the Fat Duck and some dishes go a little far (oyster in a dessert?)”. Not everyone’s super-impressed, with the odd reporter feeling that “while the food’s good, it’s clear that everyone involved fancies themselves too much”. Significant disappointments are notable by their absence, though, with most diners feeling the place is on dazzling form.
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