Nam Song Caphe will open this Friday, 28th June, bringing a splash of (mostly orange) colour to Merrion Street.
Taking over what was formerly Rum and Reason on Merrion Street, the new cafe and restaurant will serve up authentic Vietnamese coffees, bahn mi baguettes, bowls of pho and more.
Its founders already have two successful sites in Sheffield, but this new opening will be the first in Leeds.
A classic bahn mi from Nam Song / Image: Nam Song Instagram
From Friday, customers can enjoy a good range of teas and homemade cakes from the day menu, which also features breakfast items and a variety of Bahn mi.
Bahn mi filling choices include lemongrass chicken, nam song pork or garlic and sesame/sriracha/ginger tofu; with noodle salads and omelettes also on the cards at lunchtime.
Come the evening, the menu changes to feature Vietnam's national dish, Pho, as well as spring and summer rolls and a selection of tasty small plates like pickled pak choi and Bahn mi bread, which is griddled with chilli oil, salt and herbs.
Inside one of Nam Song's cafes in Sheffield / Image: Nam Song Instagram
On the drinks front, there's some proper Vietnamese coffee to be enjoyed here. Ca phe trung - a Hanoi speciality made with condensed milk and egg yolk mix - is a house favourite, but can also be taken without for those who don't like the sound of egg in their coffee.
If you fancy something a little stronger, there's also a good selection of cocktails (think coconut daiquiris and pineapple margaritas), plus wines, beers and spirits on offer in the evening.
One of the cafe's aims is to raise money for Vietnamese victims of the USA Agent Orange chemical warfare attacks, which took place from 1961 to 1971.
They work with the Kianh foundation (a UK/ Vietnamese charity) which runs a purpose-built center for children in Dien Ban, offering education and physical support for young people affected.
Nam Song cover the costs of a child's support therapy and care at the center every month and also has a collection on the bar for its customers to donate if they feel moved to.
It's been a long time in the making, but the cafe will finally open at the end of the week - just in time for the Bank Holiday weekend.
For this weekend, it's strictly walk-ins only with opening hours 12-11pm Friday, Saturday and Sunday. After that, they'll be opening Wednesday-Sunday.
Leeds has welcomed a whole host of new places to eat and drink recently, and there’s a lot to get excited about.
We all love our food and drink, and it's safe to say we love writing about it.
So please, allow us to indulge by telling you all about our top 10 favourite new openings that have popped up in and around Leeds over the past few months.
But fair warning, continuing to read on may cause extreme hunger...
Rotisserie Club
22 Wellington Street, LS1 4EA
Images: The Hoot Leeds
A new rotisserie chicken spot has landed in the city centre, serving everything from full and half roasted birds all served with their crispy house dripping roasties, as well as viral chicken Caesar wraps and rice bowls.
Dip or drench your chicken in their range of sauces and you’ve got yourself something worth licking your fingers over.
From the team behind Domino Club and Roland's comes Paper Plane, your newest cocktail bar that is a love letter to an analogue time where everything was made by hand.
The interior is inspired by 1970s Hollywood and Japanese listening bars complete with music played exclusively on vinyl to match, and the menu is perfectly curated, coming alongside its own martini menu served straight from the freezer.
After multiple pop-ups around the city, Acai Social Club has finally found a permanent home in Leeds, meaning getting your acai bowl fix is about to get a whole lot easier.
And the best bit? Unlimited toppings. There's also matcha, coffee and smoothies on the menu, plus new toppings dropping every week to keep things interesting.
Tahin
10 Kirkgate, LS1 6BY
Images: The Hoot Leeds
One of the city’s favourite Turkish takeaways is back in the city and we couldn’t be happier for their return.
Formerly located in The Core, Tahiis a family-run takeaway that is whipping up the freshest dishes for you to eat on-the-go. Even at 4pm they’ve got queues out the door for authentic Turkish flatbreads Pide, Za’atar, Shawarma and more.
With fresh chicken and lamb ready to be shaved, warm, welcoming faces to greet you and prices you just can’t turn down because most dishes are under a tenner.
Alfonso's Deli
New Road Side, Horsforth, LS18 4QD
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Famed for its toasted Cuban sandwiches, coffee and stacked deli subs, Alfonso's Deli has made a name for itself for serving some of the best sandwiches in the city.
And now they’ve opened a second site in the suburbs with Horsforth providing all the good stuff we know and love it for, plus fresh bakes which they’re making downstairs - oh, and you can also get yourself a cigar.
If you don’t know about Burgerism then get to know. The cult burger brand is famed over in the North West for their juicy, crunchy-around-the-edges smash burgers and now they’ve brought them to Meanwood.
Rizia's Bottega
114 Bolling Rd, Ben Rhydding, Ilkley LS29 8PN
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Rizia's Bottega, on Bolling Road on the outskirts of Ilkley, officially opened at the end of August following a soft launch, serving authentic schiacciata sandwiches, colourful salads, and light Sicilian breakfasts.
The new neighbourhood spot comes from the team behind Ilkley favourite Emporio Italia and has been created as somewhere locals can pop in for their morning coffee, sit down for a bite to eat, or pick up some high-quality Italian treats to enjoy at home.
One of Manchester’s most popular brunch spots, which always has queues down the street, has made its way across to Leeds at last.
Bruncho has opened on The Headrow, bringing its hit products like French toasts, Middle Eastern brunches, and iced matchas, to Leeds city centre.
Bruncho has also made a name for itself with its viral creations, including Labubu Dubai pistachio French toast (how many 2025 buzzwords can you get in one menu item?) and its collection of drinks served at -86°C. We're sure that their weird and wonderful creations will go down just as well here in Leeds.
Vietnamese powerhouse Pho opened a permanent spot on Boar Lane and it's serving up the likes of beef brisket pho, crispy spring rolls, three meat combo rice bowls, and chicken curries - yum.
Mandy's Barbecue
3 Sheaf St, Leeds LS10 1HD
Images: The Hoot Leeds
A new Yorkshire barbecue spot has taken over the kitchen at The Attic near Aire Park serving up sourdough sarnies by day, with fillings cooked over fire. Expect your lunchtime to be levelled up with BBQ rump steak, Korean chicken and plenty of other local produce on the menu. Then, come evening, things switch up with small plates - including jerk mackerel, BBQ sirloin with kimchi, and lamb neck.
Featured images - The Hoot Leeds
Eats
Leeds has welcomed a brand-new spot dedicated to rotisserie chicken
Clementine Hall
If you're a fan of all-things chicken, then this is the spot for you.
Introducing The Rotisserie Club, that's doing exactly what it says on the tin...rotisserie chicken.
Taking over the former Shokupan site at 27 Wellington Street, the new restaurant aims to bring a new go-to lunch spot to that area of town.
And we've got a very strong feeling it's going to go down an absolute storm amongst gym bunnies and office dwellers alike.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Brought to the city by Norman of Spuds n Bros fame and Luigi from Habitum and La Bottega Milanese, you just know you're in good hands.
The idea is to split the day between the two businesses, with Habitum taking care of the morning coffee crowd before The Rotisserie Club takes over from lunchtime. Sounds like a match made in heaven if you ask us.
That means early birds can get their caffeine fix before the focus shifts to a menu centred around rotisserie-cooked chicken.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Expect chicken-filled Caesar wraps, bowls, salads, wings and stuffed pittas, as well as half and whole chickens served with their signature house dripping potatoes.
You can dip or drench your chicken in their range of sauces, and then you’ve got yourself something worth licking your fingers over.
Not only that, but in the future they'll be opening in the evenings so you can have your chicken fix alongside a tipple or two.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
It's great to see two independent businesses team together to create something completely new in the city, and we can't wait to see how well it's received by food lovers in the city centre.
Move over Nando's, The Rotisserie Club is officially in town.
Georgina Pellant -
26th May 2021 
