Leeds, Live it, Love it > Students

A city is nothing without a good dining out scene. In Leeds, standards are high across the city, and it’s little wonder — Yorkshire folk are renowned for demanding quality.

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A city is nothing without a good dining out scene. In Leeds, standards are high across the city, and it’s little wonder — Yorkshire folk are renowned for demanding quality.

“People are far more aware of what value for money really means,” says Tom Gibson, Food and Beverage Manager at city centre hotel Radisson SAS. “Everybody has to keep at the top of their game, which means a lot of creativity throughout the city.”

Radisson is one of many international names to have a base in the city, but another strength is its independent culture. The centre abounds with restaurants, bars, pubs and cafes set up by hard-working innovators whose efforts ensure that diners have plenty of choice. Best known of these is Anthony’s Restaurant, a previous winner of ‘Best Restaurant In The Country’ in The Observer Food Awards. Though prices are high, standards are impeccable. Chef Anthony Flinn was the first British chef to be paid to work at the world famous El Bulli in Barcelona, so a meal there is guaranteed to be a gastronomic adventure.

Another independent restaurant that offers fabulous food with a twist is Room, a purple draped space where classic dishes, like coq au vin or that 70s fave prawn cocktail, are given witty, and tasty, makeovers.

Though these gourmet destinations are very modern, there’s something very traditional about them too, as Room’s co founder and sales director, John Pallagi points out, “Leeds is at the heart of the UK’s farmland, so basks in the glory of fresh local Yorkshire produce. This is reflected in the menus of the diverse and exciting restaurant offering.”

And this being Yorkshire, if you want tradition, you’ve got it — whether that’s roast beef and Yorkshire pud in a country pub or good old fish and chips from one of the city’s fantastic fish and chip shops. One of Leeds’ best is Bryan’s in Headingley, where you can get everything from flaky battered haddock and chips to exquisite lobster. Business Development Manager Helena Fletcher is quick to agree that the city’s real strength lies in its diversity:

“Leeds offers diners the perfect mix of cosmopolitan high-class dining and good quality traditional food.”

There’s more to Leeds’ diversity than just ‘old meets new’. Leeds is a real cultural melting pot, which is great news for gourmets. You’ll find world-class Indian food at legendary places like Aagrah and the large Mediterranean community gives rise to a wealth of continental delis and great Italian restaurants like Casa Mia, Salvo’s and Bibis. For fantastic West Indian dishes look no further than Dutch Pot and Dr B’s on Chapeltown Road. Sushi and noodles are available city wide in eateries like Fuji Hiro, Sisushi and Tampopo, and Leeds is even home to the UK's only Ethiopian cafe outside of London!

In short, whether you’ve got an appetite for something traditional, modern, international or even a little of all of those, you’ll like what’s on the menu in Leeds.

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Sunday 20 Jul 2008

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