An ambitious Indian restaurant inspired by the coastal areas of the subcontinent’s southern states opens in Leeds this week. Ma-Hé, in the Marrion Centre in the city’s central Arena Quarter, is a debut restaurant from founders Manoj Varma, a spirits consultant with property interests in India, and Leeds-based lingerie entrepreneur Mason Asgha of Delta Connex. […]
D&D London is closing four of its restaurants, including Radici in Islington and Klosterhaus in Bristol (pictured), as part of a “strategic review” of its portfolio. The company, which parted ways with co-founder Des Gunewardena in September leaving his former partner David Loewi in charge, has 36 venues, including outposts in Paris and New York. […]
Opera North is to open a destination restaurant at its new headquarters in Leeds city centre this summer. Kino will accommodate up to 100 covers on three floors, with an evolving line-up of local pop-ups and guest chef residencies. The restaurant is in the Howard Opera Centre in New Briggate and Harrison Street, which opened […]
Gino D’Acampo is planning to launch a string of Italian restaurants under his Luciano brand this year, with venues in Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds and Sheffield all in the pipeline. The celebrity chef, pictured with Cheshire reality TV star Christine McGuiness at the opening this week of Luciano – named after his first-born son – in Alderley […]

Marina O’Loughlin in The Guardian is the latest critic to give Soho’s new Flavour Bastard a good bashing. “Not so much flavour bastards as thoroughgoing, unremitting, absolute taste tossers.” “Staff appear to be less amused and more terminally embarrassed… when they’re not explaining the concept to us at ludicrous length. The dishes are, apparently, bastardised in a tedious, […]

D&D London has announced plans for a double restaurant opening in Leeds this spring at the new Victoria Gate shopping, eating and casino development. Japanese restaurant Issho and Manhattan-style bar and grill East 59th will divided a rooftop space between them – each with an outdoor terrace. The kitchen at Issho – which means “together” […]
It’s the vaunted Northern Powerhouse in action: Bundobust, an Indian veggie street food and craft beer concept that launched in Leeds two years ago, has crossed the Pennines to Manchester. The new branch is significantly bigger than the Leeds original, and opens on December 14 near another new arrival, Shoryu Ramen, in the fast-growing Piccadilly Gardens food hub […]
A nightclub entrepreneur aims to remix Chinese dining with Mans Market, a new speakeasy-style venue in Leeds that opened this month. Ray Chan, who grew up in a Chinese takeaway in the Leeds suburb Horsforth, founded the Candypants nightlife events outfit. Mans Market is his first foray into the food sector, and he promises a […]
An ambitious Mediterranean restaurant featuring innovative chef swaps with twinned businesses across Europe is scheduled to open at Weetwood Hall on the outskirts of Leeds in February. Convive is the brainchild of veteran Yorkshire restaurateur Martin Pickles (left in photo) and his old friend Martin Hicks, managing director of Weetwood Hall. The pair met when they were both […]
TV chef Gino D’Acampo is parking his pasta machine on Jamie Oliver’s lawn with the announcement that his third My Restaurant will open in Leeds city centre by the end of the year – directly opposite Jamie’s Italian. Billed as “the UK’s favourite Italian chef”, D’Acampo made his name through TV appearances including a victorious […]