Wetherby Restaurant Guide

“Very enjoyable tasty food and friendly service” underpin a formula that’s won enduring success for this stalwart cellar in the lower ground floor of a solid Victorian mansion which celebrates its 40th year in 2025. The traditional-ish cuisine aims for ‘Yorkshire on a plate’ and the sensibly priced and focused menu covers all bases, including a selection of steaks.

“Continuing to excel on every level” – Neil Bentinck’s city-centre destination just beyond the ‘Micklegate bar’ is our survey’s top-rated venue in this foodie city and one of the top-25 most commented destinations outside London in our annual diners’ poll. It’s “a small-plates restaurant where every dish on the eclectic menu is carefully crafted and tastes stunning” and “you don’t have to spend a fortune” either. (“Such a rare thing to find a restaurant where you could stick a pin in the menu any day and guarantee what you landed on would be absolutely superb”). “So many dishes are provided for veggies and all dietary requirements, with total flair”. “The only minus point is that the tables are very close together and it’s noisy”, but many diners “love the counter-top tables where you can watch the chefs perform their magic”. In early 2024, Neil expanded into the adjoining property adding a bar with walk-in tables; a private dining room with bar (seating up to 12); and a second dining area overlooking the open kitchen.

“You’d walk past and miss the food if you didn’t know about it” – this highly popular Keralan is “one of the best restaurants in Leeds” and “a must-try” if you like south Indian cuisine. (“We heard that this is where Virat Kohli and his wife choose to eat when there’s a Test Match in Leeds. If it’s good enough for Kohli, it‘s certainly good enough for us! We had an excellent meal here in April 2024, buzzy atmosphere, the best Masala Dosa we’ve eaten since visiting India. Waiting staff all delightful – an all-round wonderful experience”). Now after 10 years of operation, they are on the expansion trail having taken over a top-floor space elsewhere in the city that can seat 350.

2022 Review: Feedback remains limited but remains very positive for this Chapel Allerton Thai (part of a local group), which hits twenty years old in 2022.

Award-winning Master Chef Finalist, Great British Menu-famed chef Bobby Geetha and Team provides a stunning contemporary British cuisine inspired by world flavours.Fléur Restaurant was the finalist for best Brunch in Leeds. Reviewed as Top 3 best Bottomless...

2024 Review: “They always go the extra mile” according to fans of this city-centre outpost of Yorkshire’s nine-strong chain of well-regarded curry houses – a family-run business established in 1977.

“Consistent food and service” continues to win praise (although feedback was relatively limited this year) for this well-established “large and buzzy” Thai venue from owner Ban Kaewkraikhot (who ran a successful restaurant in Bangkok for eight years before relocating to the UK, and now owns three restaurants in Yorkshire).

This branch of a glitzy Manchester-based group closed down for several weeks last summer for an overhaul of its decor to combat too much copycatting by rivals of its super-successful Insta-friendly looks. It looks like it worked: the “lovely ambience” was singled out for praise in our survey this year – and the mashup of Chinese and Japanese cuisines earned consistently good ratings (if with the occasional accusation of “style over substance”).

“Consistently good food and service” again wins praise for this city-centre branch of Ban Kaewkraikhot’s small Yorkshire chain of glam-looking Thai eateries (although the odd reporter finds its approach “formulaic”). The business started in Chapel Allerton, but this is now the flagship, boasting a 200+ dish à la carte menu.

“Exceptional creativity from head chef Ian Doyle from Waterford” delivered “overall the best dinner this year” for one reporter in our annual diners’ poll at this accomplished address, which inhabits one of the oldest houses in the city, near the Minster. Although another diner didn’t think it was “quite worth the astronomical prices”, they nevertheless praised its “fabulous location and mostly excellent food”, awarding the cuisine full marks! In the evening the main event is an eight-course tasting menu for £125 per person although there is also a (slightly) less expensive à la carte option.

“A strong focus on fish, with venison from the ‘forest’” both wins praise for and helps explain the name of this popular bistro. We’ve maintained its rating, but change is afoot with chef-patron Stephen Andrews moving it in August 2024 to this new location – the downstairs of what was previously 1331 Bar and Grill building, in Grape Lane (previously owned by Stephen’s parents who ran the business for 20 years). No change is planned to the format, which started life as a pop-up concept in 2018 and has consciously adopted an à la carte rather than tasting approach (with a seasonal chalkboard menu now offering eight starters, four mains, plus four desserts). There’s also a bar area, a communal table and a courtyard outside offering a snacks menu which will include oysters and cured fish. Everything served is cured or butchered in-house.

This multi-tasking country inn “ticks all the boxes”: award-winning bedrooms, a pretty setting on the village green, and a “really well thought-out menu” now including summer pizzas al fresco (extra points for hosting the country’s tallest maypole). “All too rare these days, it works equally well as a village pub and as a very good restaurant”, and service is highly “personable” too – particularly if you get “a personal welcome and tour round on arrival from Claire Topham”, who made the name of the General Tartleton at Ferrensby alongside husband John, before the duo launched this venue.

A brand new country Inn, opened its doors for the first time in September 2020.The Lime Tree Inn is a family run country Inn made of seriously good food in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.Our menu is seasonal with everything made in house from quali...