If there's one new restaurant you've got to try before the new year is out it's The Agora. Whilst…read moreit isn't fine dining in the strictest of senses, compared to say, Kendell's Bistro or Brasserie Forty 4, it is a fantastic place to eat. There's a few reasons, which I'll go into, but let me explain -the five star rating spans the whole experience. So, the staff. Every time I've visited this delightful restaurant the greeting has been most warm and the staff have been attentive. If there's something not on the menu at that time they've suggested alternatives and you're always greeted with a smile. The décor and ambience is lovely; it's spacious and classy without making one feel as though you've to be overly dressed up. Then there comes the food. Everything I've eaten here has been delicious. Their grilled houmous is some of the best I've tasted and the boreks are to die for. The lamb dishes are delicious and they make a mean moussaka, if that floats your boat. Basically, it's all fresh, mouth watering cuisine, cooked beautifully and above all they feed you like a king. On top of that the food seems to be really healthy, so you can eat until you burst on their fantastic lunch time deal, without feeling as though you've a small loan to take out. You can eat on a budget without having to accept sub-standard food, which feels like a rarity these days. Add to that the home made desserts, which are fabulous, and you're on to a great meal out right there. As for drinks, you can always partake of some of the usual wines and beers, but my choice has to be that home made lemonade. Simply delicious and I'll be sending spies for the recipe.

Oh I'm sad :( I really, really wanted to like this place. So many friends have recommended it, and…read moreI want to support independent restaurants. The owners are really friendly, and it is cosy, but despite that, dinner was a disappointing experience. We decided to take advantage of their 3 courses for £14.95 offer, and - credit to the owner lady for her honesty - she dissuaded us from ordering extra houmous, saying we wouldn't need it. She was right - the portions are extremely generous! We started with halloumi which was really really good. Then we had platters for our mains (£3 extra on the deal, they told us upfront, and it's fair because they are HUGE). Boyfriend's meat platter was apparently quite tasty. My veggie platter had some nice moussaka and rice on it, but everything else wasn't so good sadly. The keftedes and falafel had been deep-fried for so long that they were really crunchy and just tasted of salty fried-ness rather than what was inside. The feta roll was also so oily I couldn't eat it. The briam was quite nice but nothing special honestly. We were feeling really full by this point so we got the bill rather than having dessert. Unfortunately because we hadn't had three courses we were charged full price for the dishes, and they are quite pricey! There was a sign on the wall saying two courses are £12.95, but this didn't seem to apply. To be fair, perhaps we should have enquired about this, but we'd already made a fuss over getting our drinks, so we wussed out. Service was quite slow, and we had to ask twice before our drinks came out - well after the starter had been served. Rowena's right though, the home-made lemonade is really gooooooood. Unfortunately we both felt pretty ill that night - not in a food poisoning way, but I think just massive indigestion from greasy food. I didn't finish my veggie platter, but I found myself wishing I'd skipped the keftedes and falafel entirely. Gah, I feel horrible giving just two stars, because they are really friendly. However I have to be honest and say I don't really want to eat there again - especially given all the other great places there are to choose from in Headingley. I've heard the desserts are amazing, so perhaps one quiet lunchtime I should pop in for some cake and a lovely lemonade and give these guys another chance.

Tried several of the dishes with friends including the grill and meze. The quality, taste and…read morepresentation were outstanding. This is by far the best Persian restaurant in Leeds/Bradford and the staff are lovely and accommodating. Very reasonably priced, especially compared to other places giving inferior lower quality dishes. It is also nice to see they offer special Persian dishes not found elsewhere and they cater well for vegetarians and vegans. Great find. Must visit!

From the owner: We are a small family-run restaurant serving Persian Mediterranean Cuisine full of big flavours…read more Our dishes are meticulously cooked daily using only the freshest and finest ingredients. As well as our fiery Persian grill, we offer a variety of delicious dishes including vegetarian and vegan options. Our authentic gourmet menu is luscious and full of healthy options. We would love to have you visit and dine with us or takeout our gorgeous dishes and barbeque grill to enjoy at home

I've always been a fan, enjoying the odd one off night in the bar downstairs, and a wee bite to…read moreeat. But it wasn't until meeting the lovely Rachel C for an evening bite that I realised their secret weapon. Now, this is something that I don't think I've ever ordered before - not just here - but in general. I just can't recall. I'll go a lasagne, burger, sandwich and so on any day. But... A salad?! Never! Just not the thing that gets my tastebuds excited, however, having had a large lunch I wanted a light dinner and the goats cheese salad seemed appealing somehow. My. Word. Don't underestimate that bad boy, it'll take you buy surprise, and rub it in your face when you can't finish a plate of the lovely lovely goodness. Let me explain: You get a full bowl of leaves. The plate is packed with salad, fresh, crisp and bouncy, and delicately drizzled with a thick balsamic. Then come the plentiful tomatoes, cucumbers, and other such little healthy treats. And the final bit of boom is the goats cheese and pine nuts. Huge thick slices of the creamiest, tastiest cheese you could wish for. It was delectable! So, you know the rest. Dare's an ace spot for coffees, snacks, lunch, dinner, and has an excellent meal deal. (Two for one on early bird - which means you can be paying as little as four quid for dinner.) But the secret to this spot? That goats cheese salad, man. It's game changing.

Dare cafe certainly feels like the classiest cafe to get your lunchtime eats in Heagindley. Bare…read morebrick walls with local artists' works hanging, sleek glass exterior, cool little tables and chairs - it's nicer than any of its competitors, and it knows it. The food, like the interior, is also head and shoulders above the competition. The nachos are a definite highlight, but it is arguably the salads which make Dare a stand-out eatery. A choice of Mediterranean mixtures that all go down a treat (especially when you choose to add extra ingredients) have rightly given Dare the reputation of being the best place to grab lunch in Headingley. One word of warning, however - the place gets very busy at peak times and the tables are rather crammed on top of one another, so if you're after somewhere to seduce, or even have an important conversation, I'd give it a miss.

Greeted warmly and we chose our table out of the main flow of the service staff. Menu extensive and…read morevaried; we sought recommendations which were freely offered. Descriptions were accurate and modifications requested were honored. As the 'after work crowd' filled the restaurant, the noise level increased as patrons were lively and congenial. We asked for a takeaway box and meal for a family member not able to accompany us. As we departed we were again warmly received and assured that we would be welcomed back. I highly recommend not only the friendly staff but the authentic food from the Mediterranean region. -as a N American, the political discussion was appropriate and humorous.

There is somewhat of a dearth of Greek restaurants in Leeds, which makes the fact that The Olive…read moreTree falls just short all the more disappointing. My visit here was during a particularly busy service, which may explain the fact that the waiter seemed to forget about my table once or twice. This disappointment was quickly forgotten as we munched through the meat meze which was definitely the highlight - tasty, huge and authentic. The kebab I had for my main was similarly impressive, and the portions were big enough to stop me from considering a dessert. The atmosphere was a little bit flat however, and the service didn't improve through the night. The prices (as we noticed when we got the bill) are actually rather steep for such a restaurant, and it is usually impossible to park anywhere near the place due to its Headingley location. So, while the food was splendid, nothing else about the place came close to the standards set by the chefs. Pity.

I sooo wanted to love Moorish. I'd heard great reviews on here, it had a good write up in the…read moreYorkshire Evening Post, and it's a loical business that I wanted to support. The decor was lovely, a really nice homely feel whilst still being cool. The service let us down enormously though. We waited 30mins for our order to be taken then a further 30 mins for our starter and even our drinks to arrive. It was a busy night, maybe that was it, or maybe it was the fact that 2 of the staff sat down tucking into their dinner rather than serving the heaving dining room of guests. The food was very good, we opted for a mezze to start. Then a mixed grill and a lamb and goats cheese bouvlak. The bouvlak was lovely, the mixed grill was ok too, even if we did see the 2 dining staff putting 2 of their leftover sausages back on the grill. It's cheap, a nice atmosphere and the foods ok, but we won't be going back. It was a huge disappointment.

Moorish has to be one of the best hidden gems in Hyde Park. It's a tiny, pretty restaurant next to…read morethe park, specialising in Moroccan/Mediterranean food that is remarkably delicious. Try the lamb and goats' cheese bourek; just avoid the vegetable version as it tastes like flavourless mash. Everything is prepared in the small kitchen by undoubtedly loving hands, as it really is more-ish! (sorry.) The prices are pretty good, the bourek (a kind of filo pastry filled with meat and cheese) which is very filling will set you back around £5.50, just remember to get your desert, baklava from Maumoniats International Supermarket, down the road. I made my housemate try these delicious middle-eastern sweets and now she's hooked!

Right. I know I gave them 4 stars before, but I went back in for dinner today and I have to revise…read moremy earlier star rating. I had the kibbeh tonight as a starter. They have two types: round ones, and pointy egg shaped ones. The round ones are made of potato on the outside with a spiced mince on the inside. The mince in the round ones was as good as my mum's. The potato soaked up a little more oil than I would have liked but was still super crunchy and very very delicious. If I had had some lemon/lime to squeaze over it to help cut the oiliness it would have been perfect. Maybe that's just the Kenyan way of eating them! The pointy one had a mince in it that was flavoured with sumak and tasted wonderfully like sucouk - Lebanese sausage. I had the lamb kebab with khoubz for main and hubby had the mixed grill with chips. If anything, my lamb today was even better than the last time. It was just past medium, unbelievably succulent and juicy, and took me to my happy place. I think this place is going to prove very disasterous for my waistline. At least it won't dent my wallet though. Two huge meals (I saved my second kebab to have tomorrow - it tastes almost as good cold!) and a starter for just £13.50 with their student discount. I think I'm going to end up being a regular!

You don't want to miss out on this restaurant! Wonderful people!! The owner set the mood by helping…read moreus order for the best experience. We had a huge group and the mixed plates were enough for us all. The food was insanely delicious! You can tell they use fresh ingredients. The atmosphere is relaxing and romantic! Such a great place!

One of the many supposedly bijou eateries on Hyde Park corner, La Cafetiere (imaginative name isn't…read moreit?) is the sort of place that values style over substance. Due to its location in the student area and near the retro shops, the place tries to give out the air of somewhere totally unique and independent, but it only succeeds in creating an atmosphere of falseness and pretension. It's the sort of place you'd expect to find failed artists and poets mulling over their next move, and, indeed, on my visit for a coffee, I clocked a couple of people of this breed. It's not all bad however: the coffee cups are huge, giving you scandalous value for money.

It's been a bit chilly lately and I was really fancying a chicken shawarma to remind me of my trips…read moreto the much warmer Dubai. This appeared to be the only place selling them so I thought we would give them a go. When we arrived, the ambience and smells were so good we switched to moroccan mode, going with a mixed meze and the aubergine tagine (which I was a bit dubious about). The meze was the usual babaganoush (nice and smoky), humous, olives, pitta etc, but with a bit of chicken shawarma on the side to stay with the mission objective. All the food was excellent but the aubergine tagine was so good I will definitely go back and order it again.

This charming little slice of Northern Africa next to Hyde Park is perhaps the best of the cafes…read moreclumped together around the crossroads. Inside, you'll find Moroccan rugs and Algerian furnishings creating a unique atmosphere in which students and working folk on their lunch breaks enjoy the large but selective menu. It is not just the décor which gives this place its unique sense of authenticity - the food itself echoes North Africa, from kebabs and tapas to spicy meat and humous sandwiches (try the kofta kebab), and it's all served quickly and cheaply. L'Oranaise provides a refreshing change from the usual in an area in which the eateries are increasingly becoming all too familiar, and more importantly, it gives you a real feel for North African culture and cuisine.