The Alchemist. Everyone’s go-to bar if you’re visiting Leeds and after a jazzy cocktail. Their Trinity bar is often crowded no matter what time of day you visit, which is why I’m glad they’ve decided to expand further and open up on rejuvenated Greek Street. The interior has a classier feel to it. After passing through the grand copper entrance there is a mustard and wood theme throughout; which sounds like it could be garish but actually looks elegant. I was feeling a bit peckish so I opted for just a starter and side. The Chicken Laksa Skewers jumped out from the menu and it was a great choice the chicken was tender and the Laksa was superb, delicately spiced and aromatic. It was beautifully presented and the shrimp crackers were ideal for mopping up the moreish Laksa. The side I opted for was salt&pepper chips. I just love salt&pepper everything. So it was nice to see them on a restaurant menu instead of being solely confined to Chinese takeaways. The cocktails… consistently awesome, the Cinnamon Apple is very special.
BBQ restaurants. They’re everywhere. Every ‘quarter’ of Leeds has one. Not that I’m complaining. The most recent addition is Smoke all the way from Steel City. They’ve opened a restaurant in the ‘Arena Quarter’ at the back of the Merrion Centre. After a visit when it first opened a couple of months back it’s safe to say this place is already a cut above the rest. It’s a spacious, inviting restaurant with no pretentiousness and very reasonable prices. I decided to go for The Pit Plate priced at £11, you choose a smoked meat and it arrives with twice cooked chips and a side of your choice. I’ve grown tired of pulled pork so I went for the turkey leg with a side of mac&cheese. It was huge, I felt like I was at a medieval banquet trying to tackle this leg. It was unreal though, the meat just fell of the bone and had a great smoky flavour. The chips were cooked to perfection, twice. The mac&cheese needs a little work it was a bit bland. I washed that down with a jar of their Smoke American Red ale, which had an interesting caramel tone. The staff were attentive but didn’t pander around which added to the relaxed atmosphere. If you’re after a bite to eat before a gig at the arena, this is the perfect place.
I was on the hunt for a new phone. But I was too hungry to concentrate; so we paid a visit to Caracas Grill, located on Duncan Street near Pieminister. Caracas is a small Venezuelan restaurant with a street food vibe with catchy Latin tunes. MEAT is their speciality, and they can certainly pull it off. You can opt for a Pepito which is a sub full of meat or a Parillas which is a bowl full of meat. Each comes with a side and a soft drink with the option to upgrade to an alcoholic drink. I ordered the chicken and beef Parillas. It was a hefty portion and the steak was cooked beautifully and melted in my mouth, but then the dish hero was the chicken, it was delicious especially topped with the house sauces which are readily available on each table. This friendly place is often overlooked however next time you’re out shopping I recommend going there to recharge. Authentic food at bargain prices.
I’ve visited Stockdales of Yorkshire twice already since it opened. The first was to sample their steak, I ordered the 10oz Sirloin. Cooked in a Josper oven it came out perfectly rare, it had the slight firmness that a sirloin should have but at the same time the knife just glided through the meat. It didn’t last long on my plate. The house gravy I ordered to accompany it was swiftly mopped up with moreish dripping chips. The second visit was to sample to the set Christmas menu, to start was Potted Wagyu Beef served in a Kilner jar with a little pickle tray and fresh bread, it was smooth and very tasty, my only criticism was that it didn’t come with enough bread as there was quite a lot of the potted beef to get through; however the staff promptly brought over more bread, happy days! The main, I will struggle for words to describe how good this was. A huge portion of Malt glazed beef cheek on a bed of bacon mash with crispy shallots. The cheek fell apart as soon as it was even brushed with a fork, the jus was rich but not overpowering, the mash was light and fluffy, and the crispy shallots; everyone knows how I’d have them sprinkled on every dish if I could. Sublime. The dessert was Black Forest Trifle and unfortunately I was left disappointed. Black Forest is one of my favourite desserts but this one wasn’t what I expected and the taste of the alcohol soaked cherries just overpowered the rest of the dish. It didn’t put a downer on the meal though, Stockdales certainly deliver a luxurious dining experience; with a menu designed by Michelin Star chef Antony Flinn the food stands out from other steak restaurants in Leeds. The menu has so much to offer and I need to plan a third visit to sample their Fillet Steak Tartare and Côte de boeuf.
Finally, Turtle Bay has made it to Leeds! I can’t keep away from this place, I’ve been several times since it’s opening last month, mainly for their amazing cocktails which are 241 every day 12-7pm , the music, atmosphere and not to mention the food. I’m still training myself when it comes to spicy food, I’m getting there; but it seemed I was not prepared for their goat curry, the flavours were awesome and the richness of the slow-cooked goat really came through, but the more I ate the spicier it got so sadly I was defeated and was unable to finish it. Luckily I had one of their Koko Colada’s to help cool me down. I’ve also tried the Jerk Pit prawns which were full of flavour, and also the pork belly with fries, which was quite a small portion compared to every other dish I’ve seen but it was delicious all the same. After 9pm the music gets louder and there’s more of a party atmosphere, at 10pm the 241 cocktails start again so it’s a great place to incorporate in to your night out!
Municipal Taste 