If you're looking for a quintessentially British Sunday roast just in time for Christmas, get yourself booked in.
With so many turkey dinners available across Leeds, it can be difficult to choose a restaurant that will match your needs: whether you love your roasties or yorkshire puddings, the Grand Pacific inside the Queens Hotel, have plenty of festive showstoppers, all served to the sound of contemporary classical music from the Grand Pacific Palm Court Orchestra.
Though the Sunday Roast itself is well-presented, the opulent setting, inspired by the iconic Raffles Hotel, will have you looking anywhere but the dinner table. The sophisticated art deco furnishings transport you to the golden age, whilst the food and drink menus fuse old and new to provide customers with a selection of classic cocktails and fine-dining options.
The Grand Pacific bar area. / Image: The Queens Leeds
Every painstaking detail is thought of, right down to the positioning of the giant chandelier, where the light cascades around the room and makes every plate sparkle, no matter where you're positioned.
The food itself appears to have been through a rigorous detail-oriented process and could not be further from a slap-and-dash carvery Sunday roast. To complement the meal, guests can choose from an extensive wine menu, as well as bottled lagers like Asahi, and cocktails, both alcoholic and alcohol free.
To get warmed up, choose from carefully-chosen starters like Salt-Baked Beetroot Tian with whipped goat's cheese and candied walnuts and Tiger Prawn Cocktail with Kimchi Marie Rose Sauce, or pay homage to the building's worldwide inspirations and try the Duck Gyoza with sweet potato, miso and hoisin.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Served on an array of silver dishes, the Sunday Roast is served as a sharing platter for two.
Small dishes of well-seasoned carrots and savoy cabbage, as well as a baked macaroni cheese (with one of the best cheese pulls around) arrive on a large silver tray, accompanied by roast potatoes and some of the creamiest mash around.
Guests are invited to add their own serving to a plate of pre-portioned turkey and a giant Yorkshire pudding. both of which are fresh and utterly delicious, especially when covered in the chef's roast dinner gravy.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
The mashed potato in particular summarises the decadence of the dinner: served in a silver basket with a tiny serving spoon attached, the butter-yellow dish is topped with chopped herbs that appear scattered by hand.
In January, the usual meat menu of beef or chicken will return to the Grand Pacific, with the same trimmings and side dishes as the festive Sunday Roast.
The Chocolate Torte and its melt-in-your-mouth sauce speaks for itself: a gooey, rich flavour hides between salted caramel, honeycomb and peanuts before being served with fruit and ice cream. Meanwhile the Coconut Rum Trifle is light, refreshing and beautifully topped with crème fraîche and edible flowers.
If judged by the Grand Pacific alone, it is clear that the grandeur of the building is mirrored in the food and service, making it the ideal spot to enjoy a Sunday Roast Dinner year-round- although the Christmas special well worth it.
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 -
12th December 2022 
