Harvey Nichols is known globally as a shopping destination, and given that the Leeds store was the first outside of London to open back in the 90s, it's always held an esteem for fashion, fragrance and food across the city and beyond.
With Christmas around the corner, the thought of combining all three is far too appealing.
Whether you're window shopping, searching for the perfect Christmas party look or looking to splash out on a keepsake, shopping is hungry work - and the Fourth Floor Brasserie has all the decadence of downstairs, with three courses of festive treats on offer.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Starting with a blue cheese mousse, celeriac, pear, walnut pangrattato, chilli dressing, this beautifully-presented dish is packed with flavour, with the tangy blues complimented perfectly by the fruits.
Additional starters include a butternut squash velouté, cured mackerel on toast, pecorino with chipotle oil that gives 'winter warmer' a new meaning: the thick and creamy veloute is yet light with a bite, ideal for those cold snowy days in the city.
Now it wouldn't be Christmas without a turkey dinner, and in true Harvey Nichols fashion, this festive offering is as good as it looks. Roasted turkey breast with a mini braised turkey leg pie and flaky top, served with bubble and squeak hash, cranberry purée, red wine jus and cavolo nero kale.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
For those looking to skip on the meat this Christmas, the Tagliolini pasta, with spiced tomato sauce, wild mushroom, spinach, ricotta, macadamia pangrattato and garlic oil is the ideal order for that cosy warm winter feeling you find from flavourful dishes this time of the year.
Alternatively there's pan-fried hake with leek, saffron potatoes, fennel, bouillabaisse sauce, or every Sunday, Fourth Floor Brasserie has a roast dinner option with roasted sirloin of beef, Yorkshire pudding, roasted potatoes, seasonal vegetables and red wine jus.
The hints of the festive season are just as prevalent in the puddings, and certainly don't skip any corners when it comes to pairing sweet and savoury with traditional Christmas spices.
There's three options available: a classic Harvey Nichols Christmas pudding, served with vanilla anglaise and rum ice cream; mulled wine poached pear with brown sugar mousse, ginger cake, hazelnuts and apple ice cream or the orange posset, chocolate brownie chunks, passion fruit cream - each a palette cleanser that'll you'd better leave room for.
Leeds Christmas Markets is returning to the city centre in just two months' time and some major plans and changes have been announced.
Although Pop Princess Zara Larsson might want us to believe "Summer isn't over yet", it's safe to say that the recent downpours we've had across West Yorkshire disagree.
Leeds Christmas Markets are also ringing in the new season with a jam-packed video posted to social media announcing all the current plans and changes for its 2026 schedule.
This year, outdoor events company Thor’s Tipi are stepping up as the all-new operators of this Christmastime spectacular and are organising a celebration where 'even if you’re not from Yorkshire, you’re going to leave being from Yorkshire'.
Leeds Christmas Markets are returning to Leeds City Square from Thursday 19 November with plenty of Yorkshire-centric stalls / Credit: The Hoot Leeds
Although Leeds locals already know that Yorkshire is 'God's Own Country', the Leeds Christmas Markets team are making sure that the county is represented through its food, drinks and wider stalls.
In a video uploaded to its social accounts, foodie expert and Little Bao Boy Founder James 'Jimmy Chews' Ooi was given the honour of revealing all these exciting plans.
Informing everyone that "You best come hungry", Ooi noted that some of the phenomenal vendors taking part include La Grassa and The Savvy Baker.
Real Markets Yorkshire and Stump Cross Caverns are also getting into the Christmas spirit and setting up their own stalls at Leeds City Square this November.
La Grassa is just one of many familiar foodie faces returning to Leeds Christmas Markets / Credit: The Hoot Leeds
Rated restaurants and bars are contributing to the festive frenzy too, like Cabaret Thursdays at Italian restaurant Bibi's and beer garden destination Green Room are hosting singalongs at Leeds Christmas Markets.
There will be plenty of activities for families happening all around the unofficial capital of West Yorkshire like elf-themed scavenger hunts, various elves on various shelves and lots of live music.
If it wasn't apparent already, in the words of Jimmy Chews himself, there's about to be "So much Christmas that Mariah Carey is going to look like the Grinch".
Leeds Christmas Markets are returning to Leeds City Square from Thursday 19 November and there will be plenty of exciting announcements to the upcoming celebrations ahead of the big day.
Popular TV channel playing Christmas films 24/7 is now back on air in the UK
Emily Sergeant
Think it's too early for 'C word'? Never mind, you've already clicked on this article.
Sure, we may only be into our second full week of September, but given the fact the weather these past couple of days hasn't exactly screamed summer, it already feels like the festive season is around the corner - but whether or not you think it’s too early to be talking about Christmas, it’ll soon be too tricky to escape from.
Especially not when the famous TV channel showing festive film favourites non-stop is now back on air in the UK.
Yes, you heard that right - Christmas films, 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
If you’re ready to wave goodbye to summer, and in welcome autumn and winter with open arms, then there's arguably no better way of getting into the festive spirit than with the long-awaited and highly-anticipated return of the TV channel that's charmed audiences for over half a decade now.
GREAT! Christmas the UK’s biggest seasonal channel, and it's now live on Sky, Freesat, Freeview and Virgin Media.
You can expect almost four months of back-to-back seasonal movies.
The 24-hour feel-good and free-to-air channel will be bursting with non-stop Christmas spirit, and will be showing a heartwarming lineup of festive films - including some absolute fan-favourite classics that make it to screens every year without fail, alongside some cheesy Hallmark classics, new channel premieres, and so much more.
Viewers will find GREAT! Christmas on Freeview channel 51, Sky 319, Sky (Glass/Stream) 317, Virgin channel 424, and Freely channel 47.
Sophie Smith -
22nd November 2023 
