Scotland Restaurant Guide

“Always great”, this stalwart Italian has been delivering pizza, pasta and Sicilian specials since the 1970s, when the former cost just 70p, and was seen as an exotic treat. In 2023, John & Gip Dammone, who’d long since taken over the reins from their father Salvatore, finally sold up, going on to receive MBEs for their services – and happily the new owners – also brothers, symmetrically – haven’t messed with the formula at what is a deserved Leeds legend.

2024 Review: A “fantastic setting beside the River Wharfe” provides the perfect backdrop for “good Italian food and friendly service” from Alessandro & Sofia Elena Tocca, who have established a strong local following over more than 20 years. Their Italian take on the classic Sunday roast is a highlight of the menu.

This “relentlessly excellent” family-run spot on “an anonymous corner in Meanwood” is “starting to get the attention it deserves” as “a place where a kind of magic can be experienced in plates of delightful Italian food”. “Russell Norman lives on in north Leeds!” – a reference to the late founder of Brutto and before that Polpo in London, where Rosario Leggiero worked before opening Zucco with his chef brother Michael over a decade ago. Michael’s wife Clare is also part of the team, and their sons Matteo & Joe are being groomed to take the reins.

“What a delightful restaurant!” chorus the many fans of this “real French-style local bistro” that “oozes charisma and charm” – and provided several reporters with their “most enjoyable food experience of the year”. Opened in early 2024 by Yorkshire-born chef Sandy Jarvis (ex-Terroirs) and his husband Clement Cousin, who runs the front of house in “chatty, friendly style”, it has notched up accolades including a rave May 2025 review from the FT’s Jay Rayner, who hailed it as a “fantasy of French bourgeois life made real”. Top Menu Tip – “Cote de Boeuf, cooked to perfection”.

“Food and service are both exceptional”, say fans of Nand Kishor & Sanjay Gour’s Leeds follow-up to their renowned fringe-of-London Indian. It’s split over two floors, with a brighter downstairs and more cosy first floor. Dishes such as Saufiana Octopus with Fennel Salad and Grape Chutney or Salli Murgh (Chicken Thigh, Apricots, and Aromatic, Crispy Fried Potato Straw) mark out the non-standard collection, which can also be sampled as a five-course tasting menu.

2023 Review: In January 2020, chef/patron Kaoru Nakamura changed direction at his small Japanese venture in Meanwood to adopt an omakase-style format. Feedback so far is too limited for a rating, but the odd report we receive tips this as a contender as Leeds’s foremost dining experience. For £135 per person, you receive a selection of nigiri, sushi rolls and small plates with miso soup, tea and homemade ice cream. Other dishes (A5 grade Wagyu beef sashimi or spider roll) can also be pre-ordered as supplementary dishes. More reports please!