If you haven't grabbed yourself a slice yet - this is your sign.
Located inside the beautifully renovated Meanwood Tavern, Well Oiled is truly bringing the speciality slices of Detroit to the suburbs of Leeds.
The menu has been wildly popular ever since opening in Meanwood in October, and the demand for slices isn't slowing down anytime soon.
Offering a carefully-selected menu of delicious Detroit-style pizzas, the popular pizza joint has everything you'd possibly want from a lunchtime snack or dinner time treat.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Detroit pizza is served as a rectangular shape, rather than your usual circular Neapolitan style - and rather than this just being an inventive way to change up the aesthetics, this actually allows the pizza to develop a deliciously crisp cheese crust around the edges.
The focaccia base itself remains light and airy thanks to an extensive proving period of 48 hours - and from there each individual pizza is built up with flavour-packed toppings and oven cooked to perfection.
These guys believe that pineapple belongs on pizza - but turn the age-old dividing fruit debate on its head by offering a moreish pickled version that's covered in a spicy and sweet pickling brine, developed in house, and served on a bed of Well Oiled cheese mix, rich tomato sauce and topped with smoked pancetta, Aleppo chilli flakes and fresh thyme.
Alternatively, plant-based foodies don't have to miss out on this one either - the chefs here replace the pancetta with a vegan fennel sausage handcrafted from plants by a local independent.
It's fair to say regardless of which version you choose, it quickly shuts up any pineapple naysayers with a single bite - the punchy flavours each have their own shining moment, and is just one example of how this pizza joint is putting a new spin on classic dishes- and is loved for it.
And it most certainly doesn't stop there.
There truly is a slice for everyone - choose from XXXL slices or sharer-style plates with everything from salami to chimichurri, roasted red peppers to burratas on the pizza menu to get stuck in to.
The Turbo Peppers is another firm favourite: grab yourself an XXXL slice with Well Oiled sauce and the house-made cheese mix topped with roasted red peppers and Roscoff onions before being drenched in turbo chimichurri and chipotle-spiced maple and pecorino for a sweet, savoury, slightly spiced slice that'll have you licking your lips to get to every last morsel.
The Well Oiled Full Spec is perhaps the perfect sharer. The four-slice special cooked inside the 10"x14" pans, and tuck into Detroit style goodness with Trealy Farm fennel salami, whipped ricotta, pickled mash, finished with hot honey drizzle and oregano.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
The garlic bread here also deserves it's own talking point.
The tear-and-share style follows the same two-day-long fermenting process that creates that fluffy dough, before being treated with copious amounts of garlic butter (vegan-friendly) and sea salt, flat leaf parsley.
Grab as a standalone or the Burratini special, which comes with a Puglian burratini in the middle of the donut-style bread, perfect for dipping.
The popularity for the sellout pizzas speaks volumes for itself, but there's never been a better time to head down to Meanwood Tavern and give these slices a taste-test with the return of the Slice Safari - which gives you access to any of the pizzas as a XXXL slice for a fiver.
To find out more about Well Oiled, you can visit their website or head down to Meanwood Tavern, grab a pint and check out what the fuss is all about, slice in hand.
Feature Image- The Hoot Leeds
Eats
A slice of New York has arrived in Leeds – and the pizzas are 18 inches wide
Popular pizza pop-up Edges Pizza has opened a permanent home in Leeds city centre.
Last summer you may have had the privilege to enjoy a slice of Edges Pizza at one of their many pop-up residencies across the city.
Their longest stint was at the sun-drenched roof terrace of Green Room, and it's safe to say their pizza went down an absolute treat.
Since then they've been a little quiet, but all for good reason. Edges Pizza has just opened a permanent new takeaway under the arches in Holbeck, and it's absolutely class.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Owners Grace and Edge who are from Harrogate opened Edges two years ago, taking inspiration from trips to New York over the years.
They've completely transformed the space into a proper love letter to the big apple. It will operate mainly as a takeaway, but there is a small seating area where you can perch and tuck into your pie.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
The menu is perfectly curated, consisting of eight pizzas and three dips. And trust us, they are absolutely massive.
We opted for the American Hot with spicy pepperoni, banana peppers and parmesan as well as the mushroom pie topped with garlic creme fraiche and chestnut mushrooms.
Drizzled and dunked into moreish hot honey, it's rivalling some of the best pizza in the city.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
For now, grabbing a pizza from Edges operates through a pre-order system. Pre-orders open at 12pm the day before via their website, you can pick your collection time and then you simply have to rock up and get your pizza.
There's loads of parking available nearby and if there are any remaining slots available you can pre-order up to an hour before collection.
We've got a feeling they're going to very busy indeed.
Dishoom announces official opening date for new Leeds restaurant
Clementine Hall
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.”
Sophie Smith -
9th February 2023 
