This is a tough review…read more Not because I'm unsure if I like the pub or not but simply because I fear that my review might attract people to the place and I love it just the way it is. The Chemic Tavern is in the Woodhouse area of Leeds. Woodhouse is not known for it's excellent pubs and neither is neighbouring Hyde Park. They both mainly consist of student pubs with no soul and flat Carlsberg. Not good. The good people at The Chemic Tavern have managed to remove themselves from these other kinds of pubs and have created something bloody lovely. First things first - the beer. They always have a great selection of ales on. Timothy Taylor's Landlord is always there and then usually two or three others. You then have a selection of decent lagers, wines and cocktails - all reasonably priced and well maintained. It's just nice to walk in to a pub, stroll over to the bar, look at the options and not think to yourself 'ahh bugger. .' but instead think 'ooh, what shall I have first?'. The staff are legendary. It seems all to often nowadays that being polite and having a friendly chat with your customers is a bit too difficult for a lot of places. Not with The Chemic. On every visit I have been made to feel like a returning friend and I love that. You instantly feel welcome and relaxed. It appears The Chemic only hire nice, chatty people. This is a very clever move - albeit a very obvious one. The music is always good too. There's no jukebox but you will often hear Motown, Blues and good Indie tunes. They have live music nights there as well, come to think of it. Ska nights, Irish nights and other things will go on in the back room that also features a darts board and an array of board games (if you fancy a geeky night down the pub, playing Trivial Pursuits). The other really nice thing about the place is that everyone who drinks in there appears to be very happy. I think this is because they're all aware that it's the best pub in miles. The Chemic appears to only attract people (and lots of them at the weekend) who are there to have a nice, enjoyable drink (or six) with their mates. I could go on and on but I fear it would just end up sounding like that I was considering proposing marriage to the pub. Which is obviously a ridiculous idea. . . isn't it? Yes, of course it is. How would I fit The Chemic in a church for a start? So I will end this review by adding that the pub has an amazing fish and chip shop (Arkwright's) next door and you're allowed to buy food from there and eat it inside the pub. Good stuff. So if you haven't been here before and you like proper pubs, I urge you to check this place out. Not too many of you, mind. .

Hands down my favourite pub in Leeds. Friendly staff and customers, good beer, fun events and -…read moremost importantly - dogs! I will always go out of my way to visit the Chemic if I fancy a relaxing evening. The entertainment they put on too is top notch - local acts and some from further away, including folk music and open mic nights where anyone can join in. It's also next door to the best chip shop in Leeds (which is veggie friendly!), and you can take your chips in to enjoy with a pint. If you're looking for a lovely place to have a nice evening, you couldn't go far wrong with the Chemic.

Visited Vice and Virtue in Leeds as an alternative to The Man Behind The Curtain with the hope that…read morebroader fine dining options could allow more variety when visiting the city. The venue is intriguing as a former strip club and adds character to the restaurant. The restaurant is decorated in a 1930s vibe with jazz and blues music playing in background which contributes to the overall atmosphere. Tables are far enough away from each other for privacy. The ambiance was somewhat spoiled by a wine fridge in a corner at the end of the restaurant and an open kitchen which didn't really seem to have too much behind it. Service was extremely friendly although perhaps a bit over eager in its politeness to the point that it felt forced. Not a complaint but rather a constructive opinion. Menu options included a 5, 7 or 10 course tasting menu. We went for the 7 courses which seemed a happy medium. Before the first course, we were presented with a gyoza which was tasty with a hint of lemongrass although nothing special. Living in Asia, gyoza are easily found in the supermarket freezer section and do not taste vastly different. Although I'm nitpicking, on the basis that everything should be done right, it should be pronounced "ghee-oh-za" not "geye-oh-za". On top of the gyoza was a pea stalk which didn't really seem to add much but turned out to make an appearance in numerous courses that followed. The first course was Heritage Tomato Salad, with olives, black truffle oil, goats cheese and croutons. We were told that the tomatoes came from the chef's Mother's allotment, which was nice touch - it's always good to know that ingredients are sourced locally. This dish was a highlight. The different tomatoes provided texture and it achieved a summery tangy flavour which was wholesome yet refreshing. Delicious! Next was Whitby Crab Salad with miso, carrot and orange, leek (all in the form of purée) and game chips. Another delicious course and beautifully presented. Although I am sure it wasn't, I couldn't help wonder if the crab came from a can. Pea stalks made their second appearance and again didn't really add anything to the plate. Black Pudding Pakora followed with parkin, rhubarb gel, pea purée, whiskey smoke and scallop. The plate was brought to the table with a glass dome over it full of smoke which allowed for a dramatic introduction to the dish. Again, beautifully and artistically presented. I like that a Yorkshire touch was given to the course with parkin crumbs. The black pudding seemed to be over cooked and almost burned to a cinder in some parts to the extent that it was brittle and crumbled on contact with the fork. I'm not sure if it was supposed to be like this or not as it still tasted good with the accompaniments on the plate. Overall a dominant flavour as would be expected from the black pudding but not really hitting the mark. Again pea stalks made an unnecessary guest appearance on the plate. Course four was salmon with vanilla mayo, baby beets, caviar and wheatberry salad. Again, top marks for artistic presentation with a burst of different colours on the plate and the obligatory vanilla mayo drops spread around the plate. All very tasty with complimentary flavours. The salmon might have been slightly over cooked but not a deal breaker. The lack of pea stalks was welcomed. Organic sous vide sirloin was the final "savoury" course and was accompanied by foraged herbs, red cabbage, coquina, pickled beetroot, oyster mushrooms and mustard. Surprisingly the sirloin was buffalo - a first for me. Unfortunately if I hadn't been told it was buffalo, I would have thought it was beef and couldn't really tell any difference even with the knowledge. Another artistic plate with puréed veg and intentionally placed drops of sauce. On my first cut of the buffalo, it seemed that it was going to be tough and chewy but luckily it was a perfectly tender cut that was cooked just to the right amount of pinkness. The foraged herbs which provided a crust around the buffalo were dominated by oregano which prevented a full appreciation of the meat flavour. Pea stalks... And onto dessert. Round one was a sticky toffee cake topped with vanilla and a raspberry gel together with ice cream and meringue. Not an impressive start to the sweets with cake lacking anything special and reminding me of the type of cake found behind clear plastic flaps in motorway service station restaurants. Well presented though. The second dessert was dark chocolate and rose brownie with brittle, hazelnut, praline, salted chocolate ice cream and bilberry. All very tasty in a

Exceptional food and cocktails, fine dining 10 course tasting menu with complementing cocktails and…read morefine wines. Go for the prestige package if you can afford to push the boat out. You won't be disappointed. Exquisite food from Leeds chef Luke Downing and Ross was a brilliant host.

Comfy cosy dining area within the shopping center…read more Superb selection of roasts, I opted for Lamb. Must try when in the area. Utterly satisfying! Perfect with local brews and fresh ice cream for dessert. Excellent service as well, totally recommend!!

Whitelocks is such a fabulous place. You can sense the heritage of the pub from the ginnel, from…read morethe old fixtures, original windows, and winding thing staircase up to the loos. You can even sense it in the crazy old Victorian looking toilet - in the ladies', at least. The bar makes me feel small, as it's raised up, and the ales make me feel happy. The Saltaire they've got on tap at the moment is nectar, but I'm sure all the current range is delicious. I came here for Sunday Lunch with the Yelp crew, and it was marvellous to spend the afternoon here. Luckily, we managed to grab a table at just the right time, since it seemed packed only a few minutes later. (Golden time to arrive must be around 2pm.) Pints have gone up in price from when I last came - over £3 - but I really did enjoy my ale, so perhaps it was worth it. It's just so darned quaint inside! Love the articles on the stairs, that's a great touch. And the alleyway tables here seem a bit roomier/cleaner than their fellow ginnel pubs. Only complaint really was the food. Don't get me wrong, it was tasty, huge, and nicely cooked, but there were just a few problems. The first being somehow our order was a little behind, so we ended up receiving ours much after other folks who'd ordered theirs after we had. The other was that the potatoes were a little underdone for my liking, and I wasn't much a fan of the Yorkshire. However, the rest of the table were delighted with theirs (perhaps I lost out there!) and the meat was cooked beautifully. (Beef with a touch of pink. Very nice.) Also, curiously, there was roasted beetroot - no complaints with that, it was really interesting! Regardless, it still remains a favourite spot, albeit a not-oft visited one. I'll certainly be back for more beer, and the service was supremely friendly. Always nice to get a smile!

Service was great. A great atmosphere and general nicely finished restaurant. As to the food..steak…read morereview...I ordered the premium ribeye and it was very lame. I cook better steak at home for 1/3 the cost. Ive had some amazing steaks around the world at some exclusive restaurants and this wouldn't make the top 1000...the side of vegetables tasted great if that helps?

Had a marvelous dinner at Blackhouse. It was our 2nd night in Leeds and this place did not…read moredisappoint. Food was delicious not 1 issue. Replaced my mint mushy peas (shhh don't tell the English) with a OMG Devine salad. We had a spot of tea, a sundae and a cup of coffee after dinner. Just a quick walk from our hotel. Recommend 100%

This was apparently the 2nd time I've been to The Reliance but, as I can't remember the first time…read moreno matter how hard I try, I'll have to review it from my most recent experience : ) The building itself is charming, a good open space with huge windows that I imagine can lend themselves very easily to an afternoon of people watching. The seating and tables are a nice mishmash of styles that give the place homely, arty feel but not one that is bordering on try hard- although a handful of the clientele DID look like they were trying very very hard to be as cool as possible. I especially enjoyed catching glimpses of the hip young Turk who was sat opposite me under the newspaper stand, who simply scowled over his coffee and looked for all the world as if he'd just had a personality exorcism and was trying to work out his place in the Zeitgeist. Go hipster! Go hipster! Anyway, enough of the angry little wallflowers, let's get to an actual useful review shall we? Drinkswise there seemed to be an enticing list of wines, beer and cider that immediately titillated the boyfriend and made him stroke his beard with glee. So far so good. Unfortunately I was still smarting from his Gin seduction techniques the night before so could only face a Diet Coke. Must try harder next time. We ordered lunch and I plumbed excitedly for the Fish Platter- with the promise of a hunk of mackerel, prawn cocktail, granary bread and (joy!) potted salmon. Adrian decided he wanted to rip apart a pig so leaped at the gammon and how I wish I had done the same. Ade's gammon was a succulent pink slab of juicy, fresh pork, topped with a perfectly cooked fried egg and absolutely fabulous double fried chips. It looked, smelled and tasted fantastic. But why was I eating it? Well, my 'Fish Platter' arrived and it was (for £7) the most disappointing portion of food I think I have ever had. Sad face all round. For my £7 I got a 2cm x 1 cm nugget of mackerel. Simple. Smoked. One mouthful. It was 'okay' and had it been a 2cm x 1cm nugget of white truffle I might have felt I'd got my money's worth. But it was mackerel. The cheapest fish in the world. Next on my tiny platter for mice was a mini jam jar of 'potted salmon'. Potted fish should a) be cold and b) contain fish. What I got was five or so 0.5cm 'cubes' of cooked salmon swimming in a jar of melted butter. The jar was hot so either this was the salmon that SHOULD have been going into the fridge to create 'Potted Butter with a Flake of Salmon' OR it was yesterday's potted butter that had been put in the microwave. I fished out 2 or 3 minuscule lumps but the effort of trying to fork tiny cubes of hot salmon in a jar of hot butter is really not worth it. At this point, having eaten the mackerel in one bite, I decided to focus on the tablespoon of prawn cocktail. It was okay. Fresh and nice sized prawns- the 4 or 5 that were in there. I chose to eke out the portion by spreading it on my 'granary bread' except my 'granary bread' was actually a stingy single slice of plain old shop bought brown bread. One slice. Quartered. So, in conclusion.....if this had been lobster cocktail, white truffle and a small jam jar of caviar I might have felt the portion size to be more than adequate for seven English pounds. As it was I was presented with nanograms of three of the cheapest fish dishes a restaurant can produce, the portion sizes only serving as a slap in the face given the price I had been asked to pay for it. So, I wasn't happy. The three tiny things tasted fine, just plain old fine as plain old food is apt to do. I then proceeded to plough into the boyfriend's chips and anything else I could lay my hands on. I did consider saying something about the portion size when the (charming) waitress came to clear my plate but it seemed rather moot at that point. The food was fine, it was the portion that was insulting. So instead I decided to review it on here and make this suggestion..... Do indeed order the Fish Platter but when you order say "My friend Angelina said this was quite tasty but she said I should ask for a decent portion please." You may also want to slip in that potted fish and meat are cold. Otherwise it's just potted hot butter and not half as tasty. So why the 4 stars? Well, as I wandered to the ladies I made a point of looking at the food on everyone else's plate and it looked FABULOUS. Clearly I picked the bum dish. Other diners were gorging themselves on pastas, meats and sandwiches that looked absolutely delicious, big hearty portions, glistening with all the appropriate juices, sauces and cheesy toppings. The fish made me sad, I strongly suspect any other main course would have given me a raging lady hard-on. And the clincher for the 4 stars? The pud. Banoffee Pie. Oh sweet Mary, Joseph and All the Saints we have SALVATION. A veritable SLAB of perfect cake, inch deep cream, luxurious toffee, fresh banana. You saved yourself this time Reliance!

I had heard good things about The Reliance, but found it to have the usual expensive pub food.read more

Don't get me wrong - I feel privileged heading into Leeds city centre, knowing that there's more…read morebars worthy of my thirst than I count using not only fingers, but toes too. Ran by the same people behind popular-with-the-cooler-than-sin Faversham, A Nation of Shopkeepers was always going to be a haunt for the young, hip and trendy. However, don't let that stop you from popping in if you were young, hip and trendy decades ago... 'Cause good hearty traditional grub, I know, is appreciated by all. It's the little things too; like getting a 7-inch vinyl with your order number on it and the enthusiasm of the staff serving up your sizeable portions, as well as those pouring your choice of a plethora of fine beers, ales and of course, soft drinks. A very tasty Fentimans' 'curiosity cola' for me, please. Decked out in vinyl, stickers and weird but wonderful illustration - there's a funky, relaxed atmosphere to the place by day. There's a spacious courtyard too and even though summer seems to have passed us by, there's big umbrellas to shelter from any unsuspecting downpours. At night, the freshest disc jockeys in town - and from across the country - come out to play at nights such as Kill The Rhythm (Fridays, fidget/electro/house, free) and No Bones (Saturdays, think indier than the New Musical Express, £3). There are also regular gigs from new bands you might just have heard of - and if not, will have soon when Radio One's Jo Whiley gets her mitts on them. And we haven't even mentioned Johnny Casual's weekly music quiz yet (Tuesdays, £2 per team). He won't be happy...

A fair while ago now, my girlfriend and I attended a Drink 'n' Draw in this here establishment when…read moreI was fairly new to Leeds. The people attending were something of an insular lot, but after a few doodles later on sheets of huge paper sprawled out over the tables, one guy sat next to us. He didn't put pen to paper however, he simply observed my scrawling, ordered a burger, scarfed it, and after no more than two shared anecdotes either way later, he made his contented exit stage left. Years later I can understand why that mysterious burger consuming nomad was drawn to Nation merely to refuel; the burgers are just that darn tasty and potentially the best in Leeds. The fries are double cooked so you get that intense "oh this can't be good" salty but delicious flavouring and the burger patties are all well seasoned. Their sizes range from a good hearty meal to humongous hostage taking situations where you'll be too heavy and sluggish to escape the proprietors clutches for hours. Sneaky really. Not that I mind whiling away an afternoon in this eclectic indie hangout now that its been fully refurbed and exposed yellow foam no longer stares back at you from the comfy sofas. The back area has almost a rustic indie diner feel to it now with matching dark wood furniture and plenty of eye catching objet d'art and occasionally projector based entertainment. Nation is honestly my default go to Leeds bar of a night out, perhaps because it was one of my first, but also because they stock my favourite standard bourbon and the ever so slightly too-cool-for-school staff make a great change from the norm. Plenty of live music events keep the venue lively, and a huge beer garden outside makes it a great place to bring a large troupe of friends to and not be without seating. I'm probably a lifer really at this stage as long as they keep it in good nick this time around. Who knows how many more solo burger devouring pilgrims will arrive if they do.

If you have the good fortune of visiting Leeds as I did, be sure to put this restaurant on your…read morelist. I had a late lunch here with a group of friends, five total and we all had the same wonderful experience. From the welcoming hosts, to each and every server, everyone was friendly, polite, professional and extremely knowledgeable. The food was terrific and the menu has so many interesting dishes to choose from. I opted for my favorite sushi and kimchi rice with vegetables on the side. Delicious. It's super beautiful inside also with great lighting in the day but not so bright you don't look cute. It's very sexy too for a date. I did see a few kids in there but they weren't loud and it didn't take away from the sexiness of the vibe. I also like the different types of tables they have. Some chairs but also cushy booth style bench too. The ceilings have beautiful flowers and the floors are like a stained emerald glass looking mosaic style. The bathrooms are clean and interesting to visit. The men's room has a statue so realistic you have to question is it really a person? Beautiful full bar and the perfect music. I have been to The Ivy in LA and while it's beautiful, yummy food and all, the difference here is the Asian theme throughout take it to another level. A wonderful experience and I can't wait to go back.

The ambience is decent. This restaurant tries to be more than what it is, and I found the food to…read morebe mediocre, at best. Compared to food I have eaten in local pubs, The Ivy was twice as expensive and less tasty. I was hoping for a better experience, but the inattentive staff and average food was quite disappointing. As a tourist, I was later taken to Weatherspoons, and the food was much tastier and 1/3 of the price.

They host some really cracking events, it's worth noting that it isn't just music- I've seen some…read morereally quality cabaret here. The drinks are decent, full bar and reasonable prices too- it's worth checking out what they have on.

We came here for a friend's birthday last night and although I knew where it was, I'd never been…read morebefore. It reminds me a bit of Bradford's Love Apple in its set-up, in that it's a bar, restaurant, music venue and club all rolled into one. Our table was set up in a bit of an awkward place, along the side of the bar, beside the small booths, which meant that initially we got a great view of the stage (and the music provided by the Jen Low Band - very Dave Matthews they were), but from about 9pm people kept eyeing us up because clearly we were in their way, and so they simply stood in front of us, banged into our seats to get to the bar, and generally made us feel a bit like we were imposing. Hot Steve and I had already had a massive lunch so we passed on the starters, but did have a small bowl of olives for £2. For my main I had courgettes stuffed with ratatouille and Ribblesdale cheese for £10, and Steve had the sea bream with fries (£13.50). A bit pricier than I'd usually pay, particularly given the conservative portions, but then it did mean that we had room for puddings Mine was the prettiest pudding I've ever eaten (pistachio meringue with chantilly cream and strawberries - £4), and Steve's rubarb crumble and custard was very tasty too - also £4. So without drinks it was just over £30, and we got to listen to live music. We headed downstairs for the free Chichino gig (I had never heard of them, as I am not down with the kids, but it was a lady in leopard print leggings and a sweatband playing the funk out of a keyboard with a backing band - 'live house' apparently), but only stayed for one drink as it was a bit busy and we were full of food and also it was all a bit too surreal for almost-sober people like us. I'd like to come back - it's a nice place for a relaxed, long evening over a tasty meal and a bottle of wine, and less so much for a big party of people I think.

When I was a lass you could go out and buy yourself a house, three cars, a new nose and facial…read moreconstruction and still have change left over for a fish supper out of a fiver. Okay, maybe I'm not quite that old but it's about time I hit some chip shops. I've a darts match to get in training for so need to gain at least five stone. So it's Tingley Bar Fisheries first up. Just off the main road through Morley and towards Tingley, you'll have probably passed it more than you realise so I stopped for a slap up meal and a nice bit of rola cola to wash it down with. Now there are certain things you need from a chippy and well cooked (not burnt chips) are one for me and they pretty much delivered on that count. What they didn't deliver on was great customer service and the queues didn't go down that quickly. Don't get me wrong they weren't horrendous, but I've had better. You can get your usual chip shop food stuff and so I wouldn't say avoid it here, not at all. It's just not one of the winners of the best chip shop in Leeds for me. having said that, if you need some good old fashioned British grub and you need it now (then go see a Doctor or...), stop here and fill your boots. Take your refills with you as well or have they stopped that now the war is over?

The best restaurant and takeaway in the whole of Yorkshire by a country mile price…read moreWise and value.where else can you get a three course meal with great waitress service For less than seven pounds yes seven pounds Always doing their best to help we love em yummy

I've only been here in the day time for a Sunday lunch. I came in with my friends around 12pm on a…read morebusy Sunday, perfectly acceptable time for a spot of lunch.... We waited and waited for time before we were taken to a table and seated. We were told that the kitchen had ran out of beef so we could only choose chicken...fine, we like chicken...anyway...we ordered the food and drinks. Our drinks arrived. Fifteen minutes later we were told there was not enough food to make Sunday lunches anymore and they were very sorry but our orders would have to be cancelled. As you can imagine from three hungry lunching ladies, we were not very happy. Needless to say, we never visited again.

So, opening week of Les Mis- we couldn't get into the cinema so had to default to eating out…read moreinstead. With the Baltic temperatures we didn't really want to venture too far from Vue so ended up in Revolution. The Mr has eaten here on a few occasions and has mixed feelings about it. With a 50% off all food offers I thought we'd give it a go. The actual bar/restaurant was busier than a few places we'd walked past (recession, what recession?!) and to take advantage of the 50% off food promotion you had to book so we booked in for 25mins later and also had to get a special code from following them on Twitter & Retweeting their tweet- bit faffy eh! We had a drink each while we waited and took in the atmosphere. A large birthday party were seated just before us which is never good but as we'd browsed the menu before we knew what we wanted to ordered almost immediately after sitting. My friend had- Peppercorn burger: Coated in cracked black pepper, topped with melted cheese and served with a rich, creamy peppercorn sauce. And I chose- Denver steak fries: Golden fries with strips of tender steak in peppercorn sauce and cheese, then grilled 'til it's all gooey and melting. We didn't have to wait long for our food to arrive piping hot and just as described! We both enjoyed our food and the service wasn't so shabby. One of the waitresses did seem to drop more than she successfully carried though which made us jump every time she did! As far as the food/experience goes, it was just as expected but a few things let it down. Dirty looking glass for my drink, the clumsy waitress, other diners that has issues with their food & drinks being quite vocal with their complaints, and the fiddly way of getting the promotion. For a £8.61 food bill for 2 full bellies I'd go back!