Leeds is bursting at the seams with new openings, and we're here to tell you all about them.
The start of 2025 has brought a whole lot of newness to the city, from a brilliant new bakery to a gorgeous independent book shop, it's giving us lots to brag about.
But if you've been living under a rock for the past two months (and to be honest we don't blame you for doing so), then allow us to show off for a minute about five of our favourites.
So, without further ado...
Next Chapter Books
Ground floor of The Corn Exchange
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Whether you fancy yourself as a bit of a book worm or reading more is one of your goals for 2025, then you’re going to want to pay a visit to Next Chapter Books.
Located inside the wonderful Corn Exchange, this cosy spot celebrates women-led books and businesses and it's truly something special.
Serving up coffee and soon wine, we can’t think of a better way to browse books and to interact with like minded people.
BAKE
Mustard Approach, Lockside, Holbeck, LS1 4EY
Images: The Hoot Leeds
From the mastermind behind Things In Bread and Doh'hut comes BAKE, a nostalgic British bakery concept serving up all your classic bakes with a refined twist.
We're talking cheese twists, vanilla slices, chicken bakes and weekly specials which will get you forgetting Greggs ever even existing.
Get there early though, because it's so good that their bakes are selling out day in and day out.
Aesop
25-29 County Arcade Victoria Leeds, LS2 7AU
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Aesop has chosen Leeds for its first ever northern store, and we're very excited about it indeed.
This beautiful new store has everything you already know and love about Aesop including their iconic soaps, incense, shampoos, home fragrances, hand creams and skincare - the list goes on.
So if you're feeling a bit smelly, get yourself to Aesop and they'll sort you right out.
Sostrene Grene
4 Commercial St, LS1 6AL
Images: The Hoot Leeds
The iconic Danish homeware store has finally landed in Leeds, and yes we have already spent most of our pay check in there.
From crafts to crockery to cooking equipment, and with a gorgeous range of stationery and gifts too, here’s where you can buy yourself loads of well-deserved treats and still have money to spare at the end of it.
If you’re looking for somewhere new to visit this weekend, make sure you check it out.
Green Room
36 Wellington St, LS1 2DE
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Everyone's favourite night time venue is back and literally bigger and better than ever before after a sparkling new refurb.
We're talking an extended bar area, a groovy basement cocktail bar as well as improvements to their already amazing rooftop terrace.
It's the place to be for a great night out in the city, go check it out for yourselves.
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.
A new female-founded business has opened in Leeds and it’s a trinket-lover’s paradise
Clementine Hall
Lisa Angel has just opened inside the Victoria Gate and it’s an Aladdin’s Cave full of jewellery, prints, gifts and everything in between.
The best part? It’s a female-founded brand that has chosen our wonderful city for their first Yorkshire site. We absolutely don't blame them.
Founded in 2004 by Lisa hand making jewellery which she sold at craft fairs local to her Norfolk home, the business has gone from strength to strength every since.
The brand is now a recognised part of the British high street landscape, boasting seven other stores across Norfolk, Suffolk, and the Midlands.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Shoppers can expect beautifully handcrafted jewellery, unique trinkets and wonderful staff who are open to have a natter.
It's the perfect shop for when you don't exactly know what to buy that someone special, just pop in here and you'll be hit with a wave of inspiration immediately.
We could've genuinely spent a good hour in there and come out with a much lighter wallet.
Lisa herself spoke about the opening: “As an independent retailer, we are thrilled to launch in a destination with such a reputation as Victoria Leeds.
"We believe retail should remain grounded in inspiration and discovery, and we look forward to bringing just that to the vibrant city of Leeds, in our first store in the north.”
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Managing Director James Moody said: “We're incredibly excited to be opening our first northern showcase store in such a prestigious location.
"Victoria Leeds represents exactly the kind of vibrant retail destination where we can bring the full Lisa Angel experience to new customers. This is a significant milestone for us as we continue to grow our retail presence."
Clementine Hall -
21st February 2025 
