◊
The city of Leeds is a hub for quality modern, quirky, quality and independent restaurants. If you thought you’d need to visit Manchester to get a taste of something unique, think again! The best restaurants and cafés are found right here, in the heart of Yorkshire!
Having lived here for more than a decade (when we’re not travelling), we have inevitably eaten in an obscene number of restaurants in Leeds. It is, by far and away, our favourite city for foodie-related happiness in the United Kingdom, outside of London. This is a list of our favourites that we keep returning to, over and over, ones that we recommend to anyone when they have the pleasure of visiting our home town.
We’ll keep updating the list when we return from our trips (and inevitably spend more money than we should on food). Check out our corresponding post for a list of our favourite cafés in Leeds.
◊
This post may contain affiliate links. If you book through these links we may make a small commission at zero cost to you. It helps us pay for the upkeep of this blog. Thank you!
BEST RESTAURANTS IN LEEDS – A MAP
Below is a savable Google Map of all the restaurants in their respective categories listed below.
To save the map to your Google Maps, click on the star icon by the title.
Select the screen icon in the top left to show or hide the breakdown of sections for this best restaurants in Leeds list.
Click on a tick box to hide/show a section.
OUR FAVOURITE RESTAURANTS IN LEEDS
BEST RESTAURANTS IN LEEDS FOR BRUNCH
Heaney and Mill | fantastic, traditional English breakfast options including veggie/vegan choices. Set around a lovely outdoor patio in the trendy suburb of Headingley, the service is top-notch and there’s an up-market vibe, especially at night with the outdoor lighting. There are decent lunch and dinner menus too, so book ahead, especially if the weather is expected to be nice! Find Heaney and Mill at 50 Otley Road, Headingley, Leeds, LS6 2AL.
Olive and Rye | a intricately designed, compact venue in one of Leeds city centre’s classic shopping arcades, with an original brunch menu and great coffee options. We think the staff here are the most welcoming in Leeds and the food incredibly decent value for the moderate prices. The presentation and vibes at this place are top notch – so book ahead on weekends because everybody knows it! Find Olive and Rye at Queens Arcade, 18-20 Briggate, Leeds, LS1 6LF.
Laynes Espresso | a decent-sized space near the train station, this Leeds café has a distinctive menu with some dishes you won’t find anywhere else, such as our favourite corn fritters and halloumi. The classic dishes are impeccable and the coffee is barista-grade. The lowkey but fashionable, fast paced vibes buzz with professionals grabbing a high-end brew and shoppers meeting for longer brunches. Find Laynes Espresso at 16 New Station St, Leeds, LS1 5DL.
BEST RESTAURANTS IN LEEDS FOR CURRY
Mowgli Street Food | miles apart from from the British-Indian Restaurant style curry associated with oily, greasy food, Mowgli serves up fresh, light flavours in a modern and fabulously lit setting. With so many fairy lights, the restaurant is genuinely beautiful – a perfect place for a date night or special occasion. There are plenty of vegetarian and vegan offerings and the service has always been top-notch. This is Indian tapas at its finest – we find every single menu item superb (often, dishes like pani puri are sketchy in modern Indian restaurants). Find Mowgli at 32 Boar Ln, Leeds, LS1 5DA.
The Cat’s Pyjamas | a cross between traditional British Indian and more modern fare, The Cat’s Pyjamas serves a varied, street-food-inspired menu in dynamic, contemporary surroundings, whilst also embracing the fashionable craft beer and cocktail scene. The menu is vegetarian friendly, prepared by all Indian chefs and I personally think they do the best okra fries in town! If I want an indulgent, Indian-style curry with all the trimmings, this is where we go. Find The Cat’s Pyjamas at 53 Otley Rd, Headingley, LS6 3AB and 5 Stainbeck Ln, Chapel Allerton, Leeds, LS7 3PJ.
Tharavadu | possibly the greatest, mostly highly regarded, restaurant in Leeds. The food at Tharavadu is something else, emphasising fresh seafood in Keralan style with lots of options for breads that are not usually available in other U.K. Indian restaurants. The food is subtly spiced, lightweight with the traditionally oily leftovers thoroughly absent. With this specialist, unique fare comes a higher price tag, however we think it’s worth every single penny. This is the restaurant we bring visitors to Leeds to (and our parents!). We always book ahead as, despite being set over two floors, this place is often heaving, even on weekdays. Find Tharavadu at 7-8 Mill Hill, Leeds, LS1 5DQ.
Bundobust | sat right next door to Tharavadu, this quirky, 100% vegetarian Indian restaurant/brewery could not be more different to its neighbour! It’s super-casual, with contemporary tapas-style street-food snacks on the menu to accompany their impressive craft beer selection. The small-portion design is fantastic for groups of people to share and the dishes themselves are inventive and imaginative. Beyond the food, this restaurant is all about the vibes, with a modern bar feel rather than traditional eatery. Grab a mango lassi if beer’s not your thing, you won’t be disappointed. Find Bundobust at 6 Mill Hill, Leeds, LS1 5DQ.
BEST RESTAURANTS IN LEEDS FOR EAST ASIAN FOOD
Mommy Thai – of all the restaurants in Leeds, this place could easily come out on top. We love the elements of Thailand they bring through their décor; the fans on the wall, the little metal water cups, the compact open kitchen and the boxes of stock lining the wall to the ceiling – five litres of oyster sauce anyone? It’s a quirky, intimate little place and the food is very reasonably priced – two courses at lunch for less than £8. They serve all the staple Thai dishes along with a few less-common ones too – like durian ice cream. Whatever you choose to order, do yourself a favour and get a deep-fried egg on top. Find Mommy Thai at 7 Duncan St, LS1 6DQ and 110 Vicar Lane, Leeds, LS2 7NL.
Viet Guy – a lovely reminder of our trips to Vietnam – there’s even a picture on the wall of the street we stayed in during our first few nights in Hanoi. Honestly, decent Vietnamese food is hard to come by in the North of England but this place totally delivers. There are plenty of great, traditional dishes and they offer seitan as well as tofu to give further options for vegetarians. They also do a great version of Nick’s favourite – Vietnamese coffee. Find Viet Guy at 159 Lower Briggate, Leeds, LS1 6LY.
Thai Aroy Dee – another of our favourite restaurants in Leeds city centre, especially when the salty, spicy Thai craving kicks in (which is concerningly often). This is, by far, the closest restaurant food in style, service and flavour to the actual food we have experienced in Thailand – plus their super-spicy options are actually pretty mind blowing! The service can be a little hit-or-miss, but this never puts us off eating here regularly. The lunch offer is decent as well at £8 for a good-sized starter and main. Find Thai Aroy Dee at 120-122 Vicar Lane, Leeds, LS2 7NL.
BEST RESTAURANTS IN LEEDS FOR PIZZA
Kirkstall Brewery Taproom & Kitchen | possibly the thinnest pizza base in Leeds and also the tastiest. A compact but distinctive menu offering many vegan and veggie pizzas, there is a banging choice of pizza toppings along with quality craft beers and ales too (it is one of Leeds’ best breweries after all). The current two-for-one lunch time offer on Mondays and Tuesdays is an added plus! Inside, there’s a variety of old pub memorabilia in a modern, high vaulted-ceiling area. A bigger draw though is the fantastic outside seating area which faces the sunshine all day – a rarity in Leeds. Definitely check these incredibly welcoming guys out and try a pint of the Virtuous. Find Kirkstall Brewery Taproom & Kitchen at 100 Kirkstall Road, Leeds, LS3 1HJ.
Rudy’s Pizza Napoletana | the United Kingdom is not well-known for especially cheap restaurant prices; however, Rudy’s is a huge exception to this rule and puts all other pizza places to shame with its value to quality ratio. They are known for their standard 14-inch bases, cooked for just 60 seconds in the wood-fired oven, visible across their open kitchens. The modern interior is spacious, the service casual and the menu varied. Add these factors to the bargain prices and you are onto a winner! Find Rudy’s Pizza at 2 New Station St, Leeds LS1 5DL, Unit 6-8, Arndale Centre, Otley Road, Headingley, Leeds, LS6 2UJ and 10-12 Stainbeck Lane, Chapel Allerton, Leeds, LS7 3QY.
Ecco Pizzeria | a friendly little independent restaurant serving up Neapolitan-style pizzas and pasta with seasonal, thoughtful ingredients. This restaurant is fantastic for sharing as their pizzas come by the half-metre, with both traditional and unique, signature options available. A rarity for almost any restaurant on this list, Ecco is absolutely on-it with regard to their dessert choices. The mango sorbet is as incredible as it is popular! Find Ecco at 93 Otley Road, Headingley, Leeds, LS6 3PS.
BEST RESTAURANTS IN LEEDS – OTHER
Lupe’s Cantina Mexicana | Mexican street food in a super-cute and vibrantly colourful, low-key setting. Lupe’s makes it onto our best restaurants in Leeds list for several reasons: the top-quality margaritas and the excellent array of menu choices (although not a huge variety for vegans). We’ve spent six months in Mexico and can confirm that the food is pretty accurate too – although you still won’t get your authentic Mexico City al pastor tacos! We love this venue, the staff and the vibe – the décor inside is super-Latin, full of colour and just what is needed in Leeds to brighten up your day. Find Lupe’s at 204 Cardigan Road, Burley, Leeds, LS6 1LF.
Döner Summer | a rare, totally vegan, incredible trash food establishment in central Leeds. I say trash food in the most complimentary way possible – this is indulgent comfort food ramped up to the max. Serving top-grade vegan burgers and incredible kebabs, that are genuinely better than their meat counterparts, there is nothing better after a few drinks (or even for a nice quiet lunch for that matter). Honestly, just check out the variety of dips alone – this place is a foodie heaven, even for a dedicated carnivore. We’ve eaten here often, but Döner Summer also have pop-ups at events in Leeds – even at Kirkstall Brewery, another entry on this list! Oh, finally, a little shout out for a simply fantastic business name. Find Döner Summer at 10-12 Call Lane, Leeds, West Yorkshire, Leeds, LS1 6DN.
Eat Your Greens | a unique, elegant restaurant in central Leeds, that’s serving up a responsible, thoughtful, constantly changing menu of organic produce and wines. The food here is exquisite – for a meal you’re going to remember in a year’s time, consider Eat Your Greens. If it’s not obvious from the name, this restaurant caters superbly well for vegetarians and vegans, although there are some dishes with fish or meat. The menu is modest and minimal on options, so fussier eaters might struggle, but each dish is so well thought out and constructed that I’d still recommend it. This restaurant feels kind of fancy, but comes without the usually associated price tag! Find Eat Your Greens at 42 New York Street, Leeds, LS2 7DY.
BEST RESTAURANTS IN LEEDS – THE AWARDS
Best Overall Restaurant | Eat Your Greens
Best Vibes | Bundobust
Best Pizza | Kirkstall Brewery
Best Value for Money | Rudy’s and Mommy Thai
Best Indian | Mowgli
Best Restaurant To Take Your Parents | Tharavadu
Best for Vegetarians | Döner Summer
–
RELATED POST | BEST CAFÉS IN LEEDS
FINAL THOUGHTS – BEST LEEDS RESTAURANTS
Leeds is full of great lunch and dinner options – to be honest, you can’t go that wrong really. The restaurant scene in Leeds matches the city’s vibrant, metropolitan buzz – exciting, progressive and ever-changing. This demanding city just doesn’t tolerate mediocrity – any restaurant that lasts in Leeds is worth your time.
There are definitely more establishments that may, one day, make the top list, but in 2024, these are our favourite restaurants in Leeds that we just keep returning to, time and time again.
We hope you enjoy them as much as we regularly do. Have a fabulous day (and meal)!
Hi, thanks for visiting our blog! If this post has been of help to you, or you’ve just enjoyed our random ramblings and musings, say thank you by buying us a coffee! It helps keep The Restless Beans blog up and running.
Thank you, Claire + Nick
