House of Koko has opened a second site in Oakwood, and you can be the first to dine in if you head down this weekend.
Bringing fine-dining to a laid back setting is a winning combination that House of Koko have got down to a tee in Chapel Allerton and now Oakwood locals can understand the hype from Saturday 4 March as the company opens its second site in the leafy suburb.
Image: House of Koko
Their menu comprises beautifully presented dishes like pancakes drenched in syrup and even their scrambled tofu is good enough to photograph for the ‘gram (who knew?).
The overwhelming success of the cafe is well-known about Leeds- and it comes with a whole host of raving reviews.
At the new site, the HOK Oakwood will be serving up all of their bestselling brunch dishes, as well as some classy cocktails and a selection of wines to be paired with small dining plates.
Inside the former Hessian building, House of Koko will continue to deliver on the brand’s infamously tasty and all-encompassing brunch offering. Hessian’s staff will remain, keeping local knowledge and friendly faces for the Hessian regulars as the venue evolves into House of Koko.
By April, House of Koko intends to channel a little of Owner Rosita’s other venue, too - Distrikt bar in the city centre. They will open in the evenings, offering a supper menu of small plates alongside wine and cocktails - and perhaps even DJs.
Image: PGHL
Owner Rosita Roger stated: “We‘re so excited to expand into another exciting Leeds foodie suburb. This up-and-coming area already has some fab foodie offerings, and we’re so happy to be joining the club.
Establishing ourselves as a regular evening venue is also an exciting new step for us, and a challenge we are ready to meet head-on!”
The idea is that the Oakwood cafe will open in March and then in April, the nighttime menu will be added to the concept, along with the occasional DJ, fingers crossed.
In addition to these exciting additions, House of Koko will continue their commitment to sourcing fantastic local produce in their Oakwood venue, from the coffee to the cakes to the vegetables.
Image: PGHL
Think Moreish cakes from The Savvy Baker, Glazed & Confused and coffee is sourced from local roastery North Star, who source their coffee beans ethically, directly from the farmers.
House of Koko will continue to serve up plenty of vegan options alongside both healthy and indulgent brunch dishes, from the likes of Turkish eggs to maple syrup-smothered banana and pecan pancakes.
Image: PGHL
House of Koko will continue to host their famous eclectic food events and pop-ups with other chefs and suppliers in their new Oakwood venue, which is looking forward to welcoming locals and HOK regulars alike, throughout the day - and now into the evening.
Leeds health nuts assemble, because acai bowls and superfood smoothies are coming to a city near you.
Incase you've been living under a rock for the past year or so, you may not be clued up on the whole acai bowl trend that has been sweeping up the nation.
Acai is a super berry grown and harvested in the Amazon rainforest, and not only is it absolutely delicious but it has a myriad of health benefits.
Acai and the Tribe first opened four years ago in Manchester, and ever since then it's only gone from strength to strength opening up three other locations across the country.
Images: The Manc Group
Next stop? Leeds. And we couldn't be happier about it.
So, what can we expect from this aesthetically-pleasing and ultra trendy female-owned business? Well, loaded acai bowls that look almost too good to eat, superfood smoothies, coffees, matcha and savoury options like avocado toast.
Announcing the very exciting news to Instagram, Acai and the Tribe said: "You asked, we listened. LEEDS… your new lifestyle arrives soon."
They will be opening on 88 Vicar Lane as part of the Vicar Lane regeneration scheme, which has already scene some great new restaurants being announced such as Sticks'n'Sushi and Dishoom.
It seems like this part of town is suddenly going to be the place to be, and we're very happy to see it.
We'll keep you updated with opening dates as and when we know more but for now, you can find out more about Acai and the Tribe here.
Leeds has been crowned the best city in the UK for foodies outside of London
Clementine Hall
It's fantastic news for our city as Leeds has been crowned one of the best cities in the UK for foodies.
It's news that we've been pretty certain of for some time, but it's still nice to be recognised isn't it?
It comes from a new study carried out by credit card brand Aqua who analysed 30 major UK cities across a range of dining and social media metrics, including cuisine variety, restaurant availability, meal affordability, Michelin recognition and TikTok hashtag volumes.
Coming in at number on was, of course, London.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
With 47 cuisines, 22.5 restaurants per 10,000 residents and 81 Michelin-starred establishments, the capital unsurprisingly continues to dominate the UK’s culinary scene.
But in at number two was our glorious city of Leeds, supported by the highest restaurant density in the study, with 38.5 establishments per 10,000 people, and strong affordability compared with cities in the south.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
We will absolutely take that.
Other northern spots to feature on the list include Sheffield and Bradford in sixth and eighth place.
The top ten UK cities for foodies are:
London
Leeds
Nottingham
Edinburgh
Wolverhampton / Leicester
Sheffield
Birmingham / Glasgow
Bradford / Swansea
Preston
Milton Keynes
Here in Leeds we've got so many fabulous food spots, with new openings cropping up every month it's hard to keep track.
From the multi award-winning Bavette Bistro in Horsforth to the highly acclaimed indie Bundobust that started off in Leeds - you certainly won't find yourself hungry or at a loss for somewhere to eat here.
Sophie Smith -
3rd March 2022 
