All day, every day: this is the ultimate happy hour menu.
From the Masterchef and Great British Menu chef Bobby Geetha, Fléur is the place in Leeds to grab a selfie.
Decorated from ceiling to floor in pink and purple flowers, the incredible restaurant and bar comes with neon lighting aplenty, and even giant Sweet Heart candy decorations nestled between foliage to create an extravagant selfie station that wouldn't look out of place on Love Island. It's the place where you come to get snaps of everything, including the food, drink and decor.
But now, there's even more reason to visit the Insta-worthy bar- happy hour just got extended.
Now we don't mean by a few hours to help those post-working drinks pile up, we're talking about an 'ALL DAY happy hour' menu- and it includes cocktails.
Image: Fléur
With a generous 2-for-1 offering on all day everyday, expect plenty of competition to grab a seat under the hanging swing or floral bench, particularly after the restaurant's recent renovations to introduce a brand-new bar and conservatory area.
Now a major contender for midday tipple, post-work drinks and a serious night out spot, Fléur ensures that even their bargain drinks are decadently decorated and offer the same Instagrammable aesthetic as its interior.
Take the Fruits and Flowers cocktail for instance, made up of an irresistible combination of Whitley Neill gin, Parfait Amour, raspberry, sherbet, grapefruit soda and lemon juice, this drink fuses pastel colours with booze to create a drink that's a feast for all the sense.
Elsewhere on the menu, Martinis are available in their droves as Pornstar Martini, Espresso Chilli Martini and true to Fléur style, as a Rose Petal Martini with rose petal syrup, vermouth and grapefruit.
Image: Fléur
Chef Bobby Geetha said, “We’ve long been known for our food, and as the place to go to enjoy a meal but we’ve always put a huge focus on creating beautiful cocktails too. We want people to know that, yes you can enjoy an amazing meal at Fléur, but you can also just stop by for drinks too!”
"With its central location being just a stone’s throw away from the headrow, and its aesthetic array of cocktails, we think we might have just found the perfect place to start our next night out!"
To visit Fléur and make the most of the all-day happy hour cocktails and 2-for-1 offer, visit the restaurant inside The Light.
It's the moment we've all been waiting for, Dishoom is coming to Leeds.
The whispers of Dishoom's arrival in Leeds city centre have been going on for a while now, but over the past few weeks it has started to feel very real.
Taking over the beautiful old Flannel's site on the coveted Vicar Lane, signs started to pop up for Dishoom and work was cracking on fast.
Well now, we have an opening date - and we don't have long to wait.
Dishoom Leeds will open on Monday 3 August, with guests being able to enjoy 50% off food during an initial soft-opening period, ahead of the official opening on Friday 14 August.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
As with every Dishoom café, the Leeds restaurant begins with a story. This one takes inspiration from the extraordinary true events surrounding the explosion of the SS Fort Stikine in Bombay Dock in April 1944, a wartime disaster that sent gold bars flying across the city.
Legend has it that some of the missing gold was never recovered. Some was discovered embedded in walls and rooftops across Bombay. Other pieces quietly disappeared into the hands of lucky citizens, melted into bangles or hidden away in drawers.
Dishoom Leeds reimagines the fortune made from the gold bars and guests will discover subtle references to the glamorous mid-century details through the interiors and artwork, giving playful nods to Bombay’s golden age.
With all day dining available, guests can dine on the beloved breakfast right through to late evening feasting, with the café will serve a lovingly curated menu of Bombay comfort food inspired by the city’s cafés, grills, street stalls and family kitchens.
Shamil Thakrar, co-founder, also known as Head Babu, at Dishoom, said: “Leeds is a city with tremendous warmth, creativity and character, full of people who know the value of gathering together over good food and drinks. Bringing Dishoom here has long been a dream for us.”
"The story behind this café is rooted in one of Bombay’s most extraordinary moments – the day gold bars fell from the sky after the explosion of Fort Stikine in 1944. Amidst the tragedy and chaos, there were also tales of unexpected fortune, human resilience and hopeful reinvention. We were captivated by this, and we cannot wait to welcome Leeds into the café that pays homage to the heritage of Bombay.”
A cafe dedicated entirely to matcha gelato has just opened in Leeds
Clementine Hall
Matcha is well and truly taking Leeds (and the country) by storm.
You're probably bored of hearing us talk about matcha, and to be honest we're getting a little bit bored writing about it.
But, this time it's different.
This is M Plus Matcha, a brand-new matcha store that's just opened near Leeds University who not only serve your classic matcha lattes but also bucket loads of freshly-churned gelato.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
And to make things even better, they've got four on offer all at different percentages to suit your taste.
Soft and grassy, smooth and creamy, full and velvety…or deep and bold (they said it, not us) - this spot is truly a matcha lover’s summer paradise.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
If you're not sure what flavour you fancy, the lovely staff are on hand to help and can offer tasters of each percentage before you commit to a cone or a tub so you're not left disappointed.
The space is gorgeously light and airy, complete with matcha-coloured walls and plenty of matcha-coloured seating for you to perch and enjoy your treats.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Right opposite the Parkinson Building, we can see M Plus Matcha becoming a fantastic hub for students to whack their laptops out for a couple of hours whilst getting their caffeine fix.
The drinks menu includes iced matcha lattes, hot matcha, matcha lemonades and loads more. Basically, if you're of the opinion that matcha tastes like grass then we do not recommend you going.
But if you love it like us, then you're in for a treat.
Sophie Smith -
28th April 2022 
