The best things to do during the week and long weekend.
Yet again, it's a busy week in Leeds, despite being a five day week (we could get used to these four day ones). Whether you're celebrating pay day at the weekend or looking forward to some R&R as the kids return to school, we've rounded up all the best things going on in and around Leeds to get involved in.
Keep reading to find out what our top picks of things to do in Leeds are.
Sukhothai 2002 menu
Regent Street Chapel Allerton | Tuesday 26 April – Sunday 1 May 2022.
Image: PGHL
It’s been 20 years since much-loved Thai restaurant Sukhothai opened its doors for the very first time. To celebrate their milestone anniversary, the restaurant is throwing it back to 2002 and bringing back their original menu to celebrate.
Dishes making a comeback include the Gae Kiew Wan Gata Lon, succulent lamb stir-fried with green curry paste, sweet basil, lime leaves, green beans and chilli, served on a sizzling hot plate. The Som Tum Supparod Pla Tod consists of crispy haddock served with a spicy Som Tum salad and fruity pineapple.
Tuesday 26 April – Sunday 15 May 2022. Find out more here.
90s Bottomless Brunch at Manahatta
Merrion Street, Leeds city centre | Friday 29 April 2022
Image: Manahatta
Introducing a one-off bottomless brunch to the menu, Manahatta is set to host a boozy experience that’ll bring the likes of the Spice Girls, Barbie and TLC back to the DJ deck. Fancy dress is optional but encouraged: think scrunchies, crimped hair and sporadic neon and acid wash designs are likely to make an appearance on Greek Street, Merrion Street and in Headingley during this bottomless 90s party- the only rule Manahatta impose is ‘No Scrubs’.
Manahatta Headingley, Merrion St in Leeds and York will all host the 90s bottomless on Friday 29 April 2022 at 19.30pm, whilst those visiting the nearby city of Harrogate will have to wait until Sunday 1 May at 16.30pm to pair their old crimpers and capri pants with cocktails and Coors. Tickets cost from £30.95, but are extremely limited, so booking is heavily advised.
Royal Armouries, Leeds Dock | Saturday 30 April 2022
Image: Sausage and Cider Festival
There’s a multitude of flavours, spices, sizes and shapes on offer at the Sausage and Cider Festival and Leeds’ foodies are encouraged to take advantage of the vast options available. Hosted at Royal Armouries for a one-day-only festival, meet meat lovers and cider conesseuirs alike.
If that’s not enough, local musicians and some of the UK’s best tribute acts will be taking to the stage to keep visitors on their feet all afternoon and evening long. The final tickets are now on sale and with many slots now filled, you will be more limited if you’re booking last minute. From £15 each, find out which tickets are still available on the Sausage and Cider Festival website.
Waterlane Boat House, | Saturday 30 April – Sunday 1 May 2022
Image: Sabroso Street
This three day event will have plenty to tuck into all bank holiday weekend. Each day food, live music and the all important tequila shots will be lined up from 12pm, with free entry all day long. Bringing the food to Waterlane Boat House on the Saturday 30 April and Sunday 1 May is Sabroso Street, a causal Mexican in Farsley that’s big on flavour.
Produced in the highlands of the Jalisco Mountains in Mexico, Cazcabel Tequila is a Blue Weber Agave crafted spirit that’ll provide the perfect shot for the occasion. This said, they’re pretty passionate about tall drinks and cocktails too, so we imagine the pop-up Cazabel bar will stock everything needed to make the perfect sunny afternoon tipple: whatever your preference.
Saturday 30 April - Monday 2 May 2022. Find out more here.
SALT Leeds Bottomless Brunch
East Parade, Leeds City Centre | Sunday 1 May 2022
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Opting for a sophisticated selection of cheese and charcuterie, SALT has joined forces with The Cheesy Living Co., a local independent that strive to bring the tastiest, smelliest and most exciting cheeses from around the world to our city. Drinkswise, choose from classic sunshine-inspired drinks like Aperol Spritz and Blood Orange Margaritas alongside gin-infused Bramble cocktails and free-flowing Prosecco. Lager lovers will be delighted to see both Jute Session IPA and Yøn lager on the bottomless menu too.
Launching during the May bank holiday on Sunday 1 May with the added advantage of a Monday off-work the following day, the SALT Leeds City bottomless brunch is available at the set times of 12pm, 12.30pm, 1pm and 1.30pm, each lasting ninety minutes each with a cost of £34.95 per person.
Temple Arches, Leeds City Centre | Thursday 28 April – Sunday 1 May 2022.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
After a full line-up over Easter weekend, the newly-renovated Chow Down will be hosting a range of incredible events until September, there’s going to be so much to enjoy for 2022 at Temple Arches.
Hosting a summer themed haven with a new food village, three-tier sun terrace, DJ huts and crazy golf: Chow Down is the giant beer garden with far more to offer than just drinks. A nine-hole alfresco crazy golf course is making an appearance for the very first time for those looking to make a tee whilst sipping on cocktails and pints in the sunshine.
Of course, Chow Down’s foodie line-up is equally as important to Leeds as its musical headliners, and this year, there’s plenty of new street food to tempt you over to Temple Arches too.
Thursday 14 April – Saturday 30 April 2022. Find out more here.
Feature
The best places in Leeds to get pancakes on Pancake Day
One of the best days in the foodie calendar is hereand it's time to decide where you're going for the ultimate stack.
Whilst homemade pancakes hit the spot and attempting to flip them is definitely a laugh, it's always a treat to get out and about to celebrate the momentous occasion.
From thin crepes with lemon and sugar to pillowy, thick buttermilk stacks which are showered with a whole host of delicious toppings - there's a pancake dish for everyone to devour this Shrove Tuesday.
Keep reading for our top picks of cafes, restaurants and bars to visit this Pancake Day.
House of Koko
Chapel Allerton , Oakwood and Leeds city centre
Images: The Hoot Leeds
House of Koko are the absolute bees knees when it comes to brunch.
Their pancakes are fluffy, pillowy, light, perfectly formed and just down right delicious. The list of toppings is almost overwhelming and you can mix and match yours to your heart's content, we're talking bacon, biscoff, kinder bueno, toasted nuts, white choc chips, banana and even ice cream, the list really does go on but you'll be here all day.
Moose Coffee
Bond Court
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Given Canadian pancakes are a worldwide favourite, you'd expect the best pancakes to come from Moose Coffee. Made fresh to order, there's a stack of three dusted with icing sugar, dotted with blueberries and served with Canadian butter on offer as well as a Biscoff Stack made from three pancakes, biscoff sauce, vanilla ice cream, white choc shards, lotus biscuit.
Whatever your preference this Pancake Day, your combination of sweet and savoury is pretty much guaranteed to live up to the famous Canadian combination- maple syrup included.
Farmhouse
Lands Lane
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Farmhouse are basically famous in the city for their epic stacks of pancakes, fluffy and loaded with all the toppings it's just what you want this Pancake Day.
If Up North
Call Lane or York Place
Image: The Hoot Leeds
If you're a regular on the If Up North Instagram page, you'll know that these guys are big fans of pancakes. Given their obsession with posting their beautifully decorated variations online, we're confident that these pancakes will be lip-smacking, mouth-drooling good and packed with flavour.
Expect flavours like berry and Biscoff, fruits and cream, bacon and maple syrup as well as a whole host of different variations at any of their Leeds-based cafes.
North Star Coffee Shop
Leeds Dock
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Locally renowned for its coffee roast, North Star Coffee Shop is also a great contender for the best-looking pancakes around. Open from 8am this Shrove Tuesday, grab some fluffy pancakes topped with all the seasonal favourites they have on offer.
Galleria
Armley Road
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Running from Monday 16 February until Friday 20 February, you can bag yourself £1 pancakes with a huge range toppings like classic lemon and sugar, maple smoked bacon, fried egg and sausage, or singular toppings such as blueberries, avocado, IPA caramel and more.
You'll need to pre-book to secure your offer and when you arrive, pick up an order form from your server so you can select how many £1 pancakes you want, alongside your chosen toppings. Yeah, it’s really that flipping easy.
Laynes Espresso
New Station Street
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Everything Laynes touch turns to gold, and their pancakes are of course no exception.
They of course go perfectly with a heavenly cup of coffee served inside their dazzling bright yellow, life-affirming coffee shop.
10 of the best new openings coming to Leeds in 2026
Clementine Hall
Allow us to get you excited about the next one with a list of new openings coming to the city.
If you're feeling a little bit down in the dumps about 2025 ending then do not fear, because we've got a feeling that the next year is about to be even bigger and better.
There's already a great selection of restaurants, bars and shops gearing up to open up in Leeds during, so let us fill you in.
Salon Madre and Madre
Wellington Street
Image: The Manc Eats
Are you ready for a fresh taste of Mexico Leeds? Well you better be – because Madre, the day-to-night eatery that has made waves over in Manchester and Liverpool, is setting up shop on Wellington Street in due course.
Not only that, but their lively sibling Salon Madre will be opening next door on Friday 20 February. Expect tequila-fuelled nights, pool tables, lively DJs and Lucha Libre on the big screens. Madre will open one month later.
Trinity Kitchen 2.0
Image: Supplied
Trinity Leeds is embarking on a major transformation with a £15 million expansion, introducing a second food court called ‘Freight Island’ The upgrade will add around 72,000 sq ft of new space, including a stunning rooftop terrace overlooking City Square the perfect spot to enjoy great food with skyline views.
Burgerism
Meanwood
Image: The Manc Eats
You may remember when Burgerism had a delivery kitchen in Leeds, and ever since it closed we’ve had a Burgerism-shaped hole in our hearts. Well not any longer, because the Manchester-based burger chain has been given the go ahead to open a takeaway on Meanwood Road - hallelujah.
Dishoom
Taking over the old Flannels Site on Vicar Lane
Image: The Hoot Leeds
The legendary Indian restaurant group is coming to Leeds, and we’re absolutely buzzing about it. Dishoom is inspired by the Irani cafes of 1960s Bombay, which were meeting places for people from all walks of life.
Famed for their Indian twist on a classic breakfast (seriously, their breakfast naans are out of this world), Dishoom offers an all-day dining approach so you can get your Bombay fix from morning to noon and noon to night.
Planning permission is up for the restaurant to take over the former Flannels site on Vicar Lane, so fingers crossed it won’t be too long until we can all get stuck in.
Just when you thought the wine scene in Headingley couldn’t get any better, Once Upon A Vine is popping the cork on their third site - right in the heart of Headingley.
Expect hundreds of wines, plenty of bottles of fizz, and of course, a carefully curated local beer selection.
Uniqlo
Briggate
Image: Uniqlo
It’s happening…Uniqlo has confirmed it’s opening up right here in Leeds next year and we must say it’s looking very nice indeed. The Leeds store will be 1,100 square metres and will be located on Briggate in the old House of Fraser site. It’s part of a new expansion across the UK alongside new stores in Birmingham and Bristol.
A new Japanese grill and BBQ restaurant is opening up from Fern, the absolute mastermind behind Fern Modern Sushi. Opening up in the heart of the city on Vicar Lane, we can't wait for this one.
Dough Club
Burley Road
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Dough Club, a Manchester-based Detroit-style pizzeria, is planning to open up in Leeds.
Famed for their chewy, thick, cheesy crusts that are loaded with all the toppings imaginable, they’ll be opening up a spot on Burley Road for all your pizza needs.
MADE Matcha
Lower Briggate
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Introducing MADE Matcha, a matcha and açaí bar that has created waves in the foodie scene over in Sheffield since opening back in September last year. And it's pretty clear they're doing very well indeed, to be opening a second site in another city less than six months after launching is no mean feat.
Made Matcha will be opening on Lower Briggate in the Nice Things site and this pastel green paradise specialise in seasonal matchas that (almost) look too pretty to drink.
Lane 7
Albion Street
Image: The Hoot leeds
The independent bowling brand is set to open at Trinity Leeds in late spring, spanning a whopping 23,000 sq ft.
As well as 12 state-of-the-art bowling lanes, Lane7 will be home to other games including darts, pool tables, beer pong, golf simulators, and even an interactive 'Playground'.
Sophie Smith -
24th April 2022 
