Eats

Dijon Boys: The new must-try small plates spot taking over Meanwood

If this is the foodie menu you can produce within six months of starting a business, it'll be SO exciting to see how Dijon Boys grows in the coming years.

Sophie Smith Sophie Smith - 5th October 2022

Tucked away inside a cosy cocktail bar in the heart of Meanwood, Dijon Boys has been cooking up a storm since opening their kitchen inside Number 8 Cocktails.

With ever-changing specials and a considered menu of seafood, meat dishes, veggie options and dessert small plates, this style of dining is perfect for sharing with your nearest and dearest.

The idea is you choose a range of dishes to suit each individual palette and share between the table. With so much to choose from, there truly is a dish for everyone, and the selection will have you fighting over the last slice of just about everything.

On the main menu, expect tender meats like the Tandoori chicken thigh in a rich dahl and raita; lamb osso bucco with polenta and salsa verde or opt for a 60z bavette steak cooked in a garlic puree and chimichurri.

Meanwhile on the seafood side, you'll find plenty more options to choose from. Think trout ceviche with avocado and calamansi or mussels in a Thai green curry sauce and palapa, or there's always the catch of the day (options like crab ravioli with a crab bisque and seafood stew make an appearance, but this regularly changes).

Image: The Hoot Leeds

Read More: All the new openings coming to Leeds this month | October 2022

Every time you walk through the door, you have the opportunity to taste test a brand new range of dishes, and explore a varying combination of flavours with your chosen company.

To accompany the meaty small plates, there's a gorgeous selection of vegetarian options that prove veggies never have to be a boring second thought ever again. Taking British staples like carrots and transforming the flavours with hints of soy, marmalade and anise in a glaze is just one example of this.

The potato terrine is far from your average carb portion, served as a crispy on the outside, revealing soft sliced potatoes, these are the creamy delight that will firmly stay in your mind long after finish every last crumb.

Image: The Hoot Leeds

Those looking for a light bite should grab the pear and goats cheese carpaccio from the specials menu whilst you can to start or end their round of small plate, the delicate dish is beautifully presented, but it's light yet creamy flavouring makes it ideal for cleansing the palette.

Specialising in their namesake, all the cocktails at Number 8 Cocktails are ideal for a sweet, sour and boozy tipple to pair with any of the dishes- there's rum with honeycomb, classic Margaritas and a fruity modern take on the Victorian gin-based Floradora that comes highly recommended too.

With a DJ playing late into the night combining old school records with lively beats to create an intimate ambience, this is the perfect spot for a cosy Saturday night out of the city centre.

Image: The Hoot Leeds

The former stomping ground of much-loved The Hungry Bear restaurant has only been home to Number 8 Cocktails for the past year but it feels as though it's always belonged in the quiet suburb. The cocktail bar is a true Meanwood staple, and the addition of the Dijon Boys has only elevated the space further. You'll feel right at home here, regardless of whether you're heading for a bite to eat, a quick afternoon drink or checking out the latest records upstairs inside the Meanhood record shop.

Bringing quality dishes to a relaxed setting is something that the Dijon Boys have been wanting to bring to the table for a long time, and with 18 years of combined experience between them, they know a thing or two about how fusing the two options.

Dijon Boys Jamie, Cameron and Nicko. / Image: Dijon Boys

Read More: The British fusion chefs opening their first kitchen in Meanwood

The impressive achievement of taking on a permanent kitchen residency only six months after starting their business appears to be through a series of successful pop-ups and before taking on their own venture, through mentorship and guidance from local restaurants.

At just 22 years old, the trio of chefs are showcasing an exciting new offering here like nothing else in the local area, and we can't wait to see where the new venture takes them in the years to come.

Feature Image- The Hoot Leeds

Eats

A pub in Leeds has been crowned the third best in Britain by The Good Food Guide

Clementine Hall Clementine Hall

A Leeds pub has been crowned one of the very best in the country by The Good Food Guide.

The trusted guide has just released its 100 Best Pubs in Britain list, and we're very chuffed with the results indeed.

Taking the coveted number three spot is our very own The Highland Laddie, a 100-year-old city centre institution that reopened in April 2025 in the hands of new owners Sam Pullan and Nicole Deighton.

These guys also run the Empire Cafe, so you just know it's going to be good.

Last year they soared straight to the top of the list and were crowned the best pub in the whole of Britain by the guide.

Images: The Hoot Leeds

This time, the Queen's Arms over in Eccles came number one followed by The Cow in Notting Hill.

We still think bagging third place is quite the achievement, and if you've visited The Highland Laddie yourself you'll know just how much of a special place it is.

Don't just take our word for it, The Good Food Guide labelled the Laddie as 'a true pub with a genuine community vibe'.

They also said: "Reenergised by the team behind the Empire Cafe in 2025, this is everything that a proper English pub should be – 'oh, and they have a mustard menu!'

"Inside, the Laddie ticks all the boxes, preserving the essentials of a traditional old-school boozer and maintaining a genuine sense of community while letting the good times roll. As for the food, it’s ‘both high-end and accessible’, pulling in ideas from all over, whether you fancy a freshly shucked Lindisfarne oyster, a keema toastie or an elevated ham roll with bread cooked over the coals.

"Dig deeper and you might find a lobster madeleine with Yorkshire chorizo butter, a treacle onion tart or pork schnitzel with two fried eggs. Club steaks are served by the inch, there’s no creative let-up when it comes to sides, and the nostalgia is ramped up with the likes of strawberry and Champagne trifle with ‘sprinkles’.

"But never forget that this is a self-proclaimed ‘drinkers’ pub’ dispensing everything from ‘properly served’ British brews and ’the best Guinness in Leeds’ to a staggering line-up of whisky optics."

You can read the full list here.

Read more: Inside Leeds’ newest cocktail bar inspired by 1970s Hollywood and Japanese listening bars

Featured image - The Hoot Leeds

Eats

Popular egg sandwich shop Egg & Co is opening in Leeds city centre

Clementine Hall Clementine Hall

This much loved breakfast spot do one thing and one thing very well...egg sandwiches.

And it may be a familiar name to some of you lot, as Egg & Co recently opened up on bustling Deansgate in Manchester as well as inside Cambridge Street Collective in Sheffield.

This will be their first site in Leeds, though, and we're very 'eggsited' about it...sorry.

If you've got been introduced to the wonders of Egg & Co yet, then allow us to fill you in on what to expect.

Images: The Manc Group

From here, you’ll be able to grab their unbeatable breakfast sandwiches, where soft scrambled egg is piled into warm brioche buns.

There are a dozen or so breakfast butties on the menu here (yes, they do all feature egg), with other fillings ranging from beef patties to turkey bacon to caramelised onion.

And there’s more – sides here include truffle hash browns, curly fries, and chicken bites.

Of course it wouldn't be a breakfast spot without some caffeinated beverages as well, so we predict as with their Manchester site you'll be able to grab your morning coffee and matcha as well as freshly squeezed orange juice fresh enough to cure any hangover.

We don't know of the exact location yet, but we do know it'll be in Leeds city centre.

Images: The Manc Group

Teasing the news on their Instagram, Egg & Co said: "LEEDS, WE’RE ON OUR WAY. You heard it right. Eggandco is heading to Leeds!

"Same eggs. Same fresh sandwiches. Same Eggandco experience. Just a new city to call home."

Of course, in true Leeds fashion, supporters flocked to the comments to show their excitement and demanding an extra clue on the exact location.

Egg & Co are keeping this under wraps for now, but we'll keep you updated as and when we know more.

Read more:

Featured image - The Manc Group

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