Just around the corner from Leeds train station, this new underground cocktail speakeasy is well worth checking out.
Called Underbelly, it's tucked away underneath Friends of Ham - a little gem in its own right with a delicious menu of cheese toasties, delicious things on toast, charcuterie, and cheese boards.
Open on the weekends only, this gorgeous little drinking den is easy to miss but well worth seeking out.
Underbelly can be found underneath Friends of Ham / Image: Friends of Ham
Serving up some fabulous cocktails that you just can't get your hands on in the restaurant upstairs, choices on the menu include classics such as espresso martinis, daiquiris, margaritas and negronis alongside some signature 'Underbelly twists'.
The twists menu features a twist on the classic French martini, or as they're calling it here a 'Parisienne martini', made with plantation pineapple rum as the base alongside raspberry liqueur and pineapple juice.
There's also a divine sounding Pedro's iced tea, perfect in a heatwave, made with Element 29 vodka, Portobello Road gin, curacao, lemon and smoked cola and Pedro Ximinez sherry.
The Delirium Old Fashioned, made with Wild Turkey Rye and a Delirium red syrup / Image: Underbelly
Give it to me now. We also like the look of the afternoon tea, a sweet tea infused gin concoction made with added lemon, apple presse and soda. The perfect long and fruity drink on a hot day (and let's be honest, we've been having a lot of those lately).
Not for you? How about the Herbie's pub - another rum heavy cocktail made with Plantation Fiji, alongside watermelon, lime and pineapple juice, or the El Damasco, a tequila-based drink with apricots, lime and agave?
Last but not least, we have to talk about their Delirium old fashioned, which blends a red syrup made from the iconic Belgian beer with Wild Turkey's rye to create a distinct finish.
An example of some of the delicious charctuerie and cheese places on offer both upstairs and down / Image: Friends of Ham
Of course, if cocktails aren't for you (or maybe they're not for your friends), there is also a handful of beers on tap here including some bits from local brewery Kirkstall. Starting from £4.80 a pint, you should be pretty happy with the craft selection on offer.
Out favourite thing about Underbelly, though, has to be the fact that you can also order food from the restaurant upstairs - a charcuterie board and those bar snacks are the perfect set-up for a night of drinking if you ask us.
Find Underbelly underneath Friends of Ham at 4-8 New Station St, Leeds LS1 5DL.
Feature image - Friends of Ham.
Eats
Neighbourhood Leeds bistro hailed as ‘a bit horny’ and ‘brilliant’ by national critic Camilla Long
Food critic Camilla Long visited Leeds for her latest review for The Times with her sights set on Horsforth's finest - Bavette Bistro.
Ever since opening back in 2024, Bavette Bistro nestled in the leafy suburb of Horsforth has made waves across the country for its sheer brilliance.
It's pretty much received five star reviews across the board and been handed awards from left, right and centre. And rightly so.
The Good Food Guide crowned Bavette the best local restaurant of 2024, and Michelin handed them a well deserved Bib Gourmand - so it's safe to say it's not just us who think it's really something special.
So it was only a matter of time until The Times popped in for a review, and this one is truly glowing.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
The review labels Bavette as "warm, unmannered and unpretentious" as well as "authentically French".
Long describes the food as "gorgeous, confident, surprising" with a menu that "isn’t too long" and "filled with sturdy, noble dishes, whiffing mightily of the sea and the soil."
It continues: "All of it made with generosity and cheer, served fast by nimble waiters, with a long, if slightly eccentric, wine list. To bang out French dishes with this much fiddly detail and to do it to a full room is not easy. Yet all four courses came in under two hours, for about £75 a head, which in London terms is nothing.
"It’s not that this place was perfect, it’s that it was decidedly not perfect. A bit too much chat about the menus; the oeufs in the meurette not quite runny enough. But the point is: it didn’t matter. All of it came charmingly together. It felt relaxed, just right."
The review is then wrapped up with a pleasing five stars, the cherry on top of the cake.
It's a review only restaurants can dream of, and we can't think of a more deserving team - congratulations Bavette.
Team behind Headrow House and Belgrave to take over and reopen Woodside just one year after opening
Clementine Hall
The foodie-favourite restaurant and bar is now under new management.
The eagle-eyed amongst you may have noticed that Woodside has sadly been closed for a few months.
We certainly have, and ever since December we've had a Woodside Sunday roast-shaped hole in our hearts that's been gasping for one of their glorious Marmite glazed parsnips.
But luckily, it has now been confirmed that Woodside isn't going anywhere as Superfriendz, the team behind Headrow House, Belgrave and many other top Leeds spots will be taking over. Hallelujah.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Woodside opened at the end of 2024 from the owners of The Brunswick and The Melbourne.
Labelling itself as a 'neighbourhood eatery and bar', Woodside quickly became a favourite amongst Leeds foodies and was known for its smoked meats, great cocktails and stellar Sunday roasts (do I need to talk about the parsnips again).
The menu was fresh and innovative, with oysters topped with kiwi granita and an incredibly garish banana split standing out as highlights.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
We hope that the new management continues to maintain Woodside's brilliance, but mainly we're just so glad that it's sticking around.
Superfriendz take care of a whole host of spots in the city, including proper Leeds favourites Headrow House, Belgrave Music Hall and Waterlane Boathouse.
Announcing the news to Instagram, Woodside said: "After a longer-than-expected winter break, Woodside is back and will reopen on Thursday 19th March!
"Your favourite neighbourhood bar and eatery returns with the same warm welcome, but an all new management team.
"We can’t wait to see you so keep your eyes on our socials for news on great food and drinks, big screen sports, quizzes and more.
"We’d also like to thank Sam and the original team for all the hard work that went into setting-up the venue. We hope we can do it justice."
Georgina Pellant -
23rd July 2021 
