Manchester's famous Antipodean cafe and brunch spot, Federal, has finally confirmed its opening date here in Leeds.
Better still, they're giving away a whopping 1,000 completely FREE drinks to celebrate.
For anyone unfamiliar with the favourite Anzac brand, which already has three different and equally busy branches in Manchester - not to mention a pop-up in Altrincham Market - it brings Australian and New Zealand cuisine to the bustling city centre.
Some of you might not know much about Aussie and Kiwi food (many of us didn't before we first visited this place, to tell the truth), but with unreal eggs, bagels, bakes, coffees and more, there's plenty of 'tucker' to tuck into.
"Leeds has the same buzz and a growing independent brunch scene similar to Manchester. We don’t expand for the sake of it; we wait for the right time and the right energy for Federal!
"Everything we do is fuelled by passion for great brunch, great coffee and crafting the perfect space to ensure every one of our guests leaves brighter."
They said it themselves: they've been waiting for the right time to set the date, and giving Yorkshire an early Christmas present sounds as good a time as any to us.
Now 11 years on from their first site opening in Manchester city centre, Federal lands in Leeds on Monday, 15 December.
Better still, they'll be celebrating their first weekend in the region with the aforementioned free drinks.
They're even promising some exclusive Leeds-centric merch and a special new martini inspired by the city, too...
Opening doors to their new venue at 34 Boar Lane on Saturday and Sunday from 8am, there'll be a total of 1,000 free coffees available to the public.
Speaking ahead of the Leeds launch, Ribeiro said: “We’re incredibly excited to officially announce 15 December as our opening date. There’s a real buzz around Federal coming to Leeds, and we can’t wait to welcome everyone in.
“Leeds shares so much of the energy we love about Manchester, a thriving independent scene and a genuine passion for great food and coffee.
"Bringing Federal to Yorkshire feels like the perfect next chapter, and we’re gearing up for an amazing launch."
See you in the queues - which, by the way, you can soon expect to line up almost every weekend for the foreseeable future.
Howard Assembly Room to launch new bar with permanent kitchen from Yuzu Street Food.
HAR bar, the intimate Grade II-listed space beneath Leeds City Centre's multi-disciplinary venue, the Howard Assembly Room,will now open five days a week with a brand new permanent food partner.
If you're not familiar York’s Yuzu Street Food, then allow us to fill you in.
First established in York following an enlightening culinary trip to Asia in 2019, Yuzu Street Food is now recognised as one of the north’s finest street food vendors.
Image: Supplied
Serving up contemporary takes on bao buns, fried chicken, ramen, katsu curry and much more; Yuzu are set to be the perfect addition to the Howard Assembly Room and its new bar HAR.
First launched in February, a programme of improvements saw the space previously occupied by the restaurant Kino transformed into the HAR bar.
An intimate venue in the cultural heart of the city, HAR bar guests can now enjoy fresh coffee, quality cocktails and a rotation of beers from breweries including Leeds institution Kirkstall Brewery throughout the week.
Image: Supplied Image: The Hoot Leeds
Yuzu Street Food will open at HAR on Friday 15 May.
Michael Wilkinson, Director of Strategy and Commercial, said: “We are very excited to be welcoming Yuzu to HAR bar, with their Asian-inspired street food providing the perfect accompaniment to our range of drinks and firmly establishing HAR bar as one of Leeds’ leading spots to meet and eat.
"We want everyone in the city to feel that this is their space, where great music, a welcoming atmosphere and exceptional service combine to create a truly special place that embodies the city’s creativity while also supporting Opera North’s outreach work across the north.
Chris Hargroves, Yuzu Founder & CEO, said: “We’re delighted to be back in Leeds city centre! Leeds has always shown us incredible support and energy and returning really feels like coming home. We’re excited to reconnect with the community, welcome familiar faces and introduce our new menu items to the new ones. Working with such a prestigious venue as the Howard Assembly Room is something we’re absolutely buzzing about and we can’t wait to fire up the woks!”
Popular beer festival showcasing over 35 indie breweries is returning to Leeds this month
Clementine Hall
Hop City, the long-running beer festival from award-winning Leeds-based brewery Northern Monk, returns this month for its ninth year.
Beer lovers, this one's for you.
Bringing over 35 of the best independent breweries from the UK, Europe and North America together to The Old Flax Store, Hop City will have approximately 250 different world-class beers for guests to try across one weekend of festivities.
The best part? Every pour across the weekend is included in the price of the ticket alongside a Hop City branded glass to enjoy them in, so don't worry about having to continuously reach for your wallet.
Images: Supplied
Joining Northern Monk this year are UK breweries including Brighton’s Beak, Deya from Cheltenham, Manchester-based Track and Edinburgh’s Newbarns who will be pouring next to the likes of US breweries Trillium, Root + Branch, Finback and everywhere; Canadian’s Messorem and Third Moon, and a selection of Europe’s finest indie brewers.
Seriously, this is a beer lover's paradise.
And it's not just about the booze, as joining Hop City 2026 will be joined by Leeds’ own Bundobust who will be bringing their Indian street food alongside Bonehead Fried Chicken and Hermanos Caliente, courtesy of Niko’s Comfort Kitchen.
Images: Supplied
Not a beer fan? Don't fret as natural wine bar Rinse will be pouring all weekend whilst Below Stairs will be providing the cocktails.
Russell Bisset, Founder of Northern Monk, said: “What started out as an idea to host some of our favourite breweries in Leeds has grown into something bigger than we could have imagined. From the beginning, the ambition was clear - to champion the best hop-forward breweries in the world and to create the first beer festival in Europe dedicated to celebrating hoppy beers and IPAs.
"Today, it’s about bringing some of the greatest breweries from across the globe together under one roof, creating something genuinely special for people who love beer as much as we do. Heading into our ninth year with a line-up of this calibre is something we’re incredibly proud of. It’s not just about the beer, but the community, collaboration, and spirit behind it.”
Hop City 2026 will take place from Friday 15 to Saturday 16 of May, and you can buy your tickets here.
Danny Jones -
2nd December 2025 
