From the people that brought us pyjama parties, bar blanket forts, 4am charcuterie boards and tales of lost Crocs that deserve their own Cinderella story.
The Watermark bar is back with another exciting event- and this time it's all about chocolate.
If you ever needed a drool-worthy night that marries sophisticated alcohol pairing with belly laughs and food aplenty, this is it.
On Thursday 12 May 2022, The Watermark is transforming itself into a rum and chocolate heaven, hosted by Diplomatico Rum & Chocolate- the creators of a sipping rum that is made almost entirely from sugar cane honey.
The rum itself is blended from 80% pot still rum and 20% light rums aged for up to 12 years- so it's well worth getting down to Cross Belgrave Street for this one if you know a thing or two about spirits.
Diplomatico's Rum Ambassador, Dean MacGregor will guide guests through each neat expression and which chocolate it is paired with. Costing £35 per person, each ticket entitles guests to four expressions perfectly paired with four chocolates, served on a board with other nibbles.
If that's not enough, Diplomatico cocktails will be served all night long as a palette refresher between courses (or sips) of the rum and choccy offerings.
Image: The Watermark
If you can't make it down to the one-night-only affair, The Watermark is a regular cocktail bar that serves up an incredible selection of spirits, charcuterie and cocktails- if anyone knows how to pair flavours, it's these guys.
The critically acclaimed bar regularly receives five star reviews, described as ‘consistently amazing’ by their regular customers for its service, food and drinks.
Inspired by the owner’s home bar in Beeston, the interior is cosily decorated throughout, complete with classic board games and quirky wall features.
One of the city's best independents is expanding into a bigger premises.
Shokupan on Wellington Street is a proper little gem that food-lovers across Leeds will rave nonstop about if given the opportunity.
Husband and wife team Alan and Alison took inspiration from trips around the world to bring a taste of Japan to the city and over the past few years it's gained a loyal following.
They're famed for their delicious Japanese sandos made with pillow-like fluffy shokupan bread, stuffed with everything from crunchy chicken katsu and flavourful pork to fresh strawberries and whipped cream.
But it's not all just about sandwiches, they also serve rice bowls and katsu curries as well as small bites such as chicken karaage and octopus balls.
Their food is so bloody good, that they've had to find a better location and this time it's slap bang in the city centre on Central Road.
And they're joining brilliant company too, with the likes of House of Koko and Vinyl Grounds as neighbours.
Announcing the very exciting news to Instagram, Shokupan said: "You guessed right…we are moving to Central Road, LS1 6DE. We are nearly there…
Images: The Hoot Leeds
"All the building work is complete and now we are finishing off the decorating. You might also start to see some signage appearing over the next few days…It has been lovely seeing some of our customers dropping by to see us whilst we slowly lose our sanity.
"Powered on caffeine and determination! Not long to go before we can announce our opening date and welcome you through the doors."
We can't wait to check out the new space, keep an eye on their opening date here.
Cult favourite burger chain Burgerism is officially coming to Leeds this August
Clementine Hall
An award-winning burger chain is coming to one of Leeds' suburbs.
If you don't know Burgerism, then get to know.
The Manchester-based burger chain is known by many for its incredible smash patties and quick, reliable service.
Their concept is simple: good burgers made with quality ingredients and cooked fresh to order. Delicious.
And it's not just burgers, they've also got some great wings and fries available too with a range of homemade sauces on offer for dunking, drizzling and devouring. We're a particular fan of the buffalo wings with their garlic ranch dip.
The chain used to have a dark kitchen on the outskirts of the city where people could order via Deliveroo, however this closed down and since then there's been a Burgerism-shaped hole left in our foodie scene.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Burgerism recently applied to move into a vacant shop unit in Meanwood at 605 Meanwood Road, seeking change-of-use planning permission for the former Papa Johns site which was previously only allowed to serve...well, pizzas.
And the plans have now been approved, which means Burgerism will officially be coming to Leeds. Hurray!
Burgerism's new takeaway will be walking distance from the The Meanwood Tavern, perfect for those looking for some post-pint burgers.
It will be strictly takeaway with no dine-in option available.
The brand-new Burgerism will employ 15 people from the local area with food being served between 11am and 11pm.
We'll keep you up to date as and when we find out more, but for now we're aware that Burgerism Leeds is set to open this August.
Sophie Smith -
22nd April 2022 
