Eats

Dijon Boys: The new must-try small plates spot taking over Meanwood

If this is the foodie menu you can produce within six months of starting a business, it'll be SO exciting to see how Dijon Boys grows in the coming years.

Sophie Smith Sophie Smith - 5th October 2022

Tucked away inside a cosy cocktail bar in the heart of Meanwood, Dijon Boys has been cooking up a storm since opening their kitchen inside Number 8 Cocktails.

With ever-changing specials and a considered menu of seafood, meat dishes, veggie options and dessert small plates, this style of dining is perfect for sharing with your nearest and dearest.

The idea is you choose a range of dishes to suit each individual palette and share between the table. With so much to choose from, there truly is a dish for everyone, and the selection will have you fighting over the last slice of just about everything.

On the main menu, expect tender meats like the Tandoori chicken thigh in a rich dahl and raita; lamb osso bucco with polenta and salsa verde or opt for a 60z bavette steak cooked in a garlic puree and chimichurri.

Meanwhile on the seafood side, you'll find plenty more options to choose from. Think trout ceviche with avocado and calamansi or mussels in a Thai green curry sauce and palapa, or there's always the catch of the day (options like crab ravioli with a crab bisque and seafood stew make an appearance, but this regularly changes).

Image: The Hoot Leeds

Read More: All the new openings coming to Leeds this month | October 2022

Every time you walk through the door, you have the opportunity to taste test a brand new range of dishes, and explore a varying combination of flavours with your chosen company.

To accompany the meaty small plates, there's a gorgeous selection of vegetarian options that prove veggies never have to be a boring second thought ever again. Taking British staples like carrots and transforming the flavours with hints of soy, marmalade and anise in a glaze is just one example of this.

The potato terrine is far from your average carb portion, served as a crispy on the outside, revealing soft sliced potatoes, these are the creamy delight that will firmly stay in your mind long after finish every last crumb.

Image: The Hoot Leeds

Those looking for a light bite should grab the pear and goats cheese carpaccio from the specials menu whilst you can to start or end their round of small plate, the delicate dish is beautifully presented, but it's light yet creamy flavouring makes it ideal for cleansing the palette.

Specialising in their namesake, all the cocktails at Number 8 Cocktails are ideal for a sweet, sour and boozy tipple to pair with any of the dishes- there's rum with honeycomb, classic Margaritas and a fruity modern take on the Victorian gin-based Floradora that comes highly recommended too.

With a DJ playing late into the night combining old school records with lively beats to create an intimate ambience, this is the perfect spot for a cosy Saturday night out of the city centre.

Image: The Hoot Leeds

The former stomping ground of much-loved The Hungry Bear restaurant has only been home to Number 8 Cocktails for the past year but it feels as though it's always belonged in the quiet suburb. The cocktail bar is a true Meanwood staple, and the addition of the Dijon Boys has only elevated the space further. You'll feel right at home here, regardless of whether you're heading for a bite to eat, a quick afternoon drink or checking out the latest records upstairs inside the Meanhood record shop.

Bringing quality dishes to a relaxed setting is something that the Dijon Boys have been wanting to bring to the table for a long time, and with 18 years of combined experience between them, they know a thing or two about how fusing the two options.

Dijon Boys Jamie, Cameron and Nicko. / Image: Dijon Boys

Read More: The British fusion chefs opening their first kitchen in Meanwood

The impressive achievement of taking on a permanent kitchen residency only six months after starting their business appears to be through a series of successful pop-ups and before taking on their own venture, through mentorship and guidance from local restaurants.

At just 22 years old, the trio of chefs are showcasing an exciting new offering here like nothing else in the local area, and we can't wait to see where the new venture takes them in the years to come.

Feature Image- The Hoot Leeds

Eats

One of Leeds’ most loved sushi restaurants has just opened a second location in the city

Clementine Hall Clementine Hall

Because one Fern Modern Sushi wasn't enough, we've now got two.

And guess what? It's even better than the first.

Fern Modern Sushi located in the unassuming Central Arcade has become a firm foodie favourite after opening just a couple years ago.

Run by the wonderful Chef Fern, who you could say is somewhat of a local celebrity at this point, the restaurant is known for serving delicious sushi with the freshest fish possible and traditional Japanese dishes with modern flair.

Images: The Hoot Leeds

Full with hungry punters no matter the time of day, it's no surprise that Chef Fern has just opened Fern Modern Sushi 2.0 on Park Row.

This beautiful new space is serving up all the classic Fern dishes, from stacked donburi bowls and perfectly rolled sushi to miso glazed cod and hearty bowls of ramen.

Images: The Hoot Leeds

Different for this location, though, is their exclusive cocktail menu - so you can wine and dine to your heart's content.

The interior has also levelled up, complete with a huge open kitchen so you can pull up a chair and eat whilst watching the magic happen.

Images: The Hoot Leeds

And this isn't all that Chef Fern is up to, after opening Tori Nori on Vicar Lane a few months ago this will be her third restaurant in the city centre, and that is no easy feat.

She's even got another restaurant imminently opening in the Central Arcade which will be focused on traditional katsu dishes, and we wouldn't be at all surprised if she had something else lined up in the pipeline.

Images: The Hoot Leeds

Fern Modern Sushi 2.0 officially opens on 19 November, but is open now for soft launch with limited bookings.

You can find out more and book your table here.

Read more:

Featured image - The Hoot Leeds

Eats

A pub in Leeds has been crowned the third best in Britain by The Good Food Guide

Clementine Hall Clementine Hall

A Leeds pub has been crowned one of the very best in the country by The Good Food Guide.

The trusted guide has just released its 100 Best Pubs in Britain list, and we're very chuffed with the results indeed.

Taking the coveted number three spot is our very own The Highland Laddie, a 100-year-old city centre institution that reopened in April 2025 in the hands of new owners Sam Pullan and Nicole Deighton.

These guys also run the Empire Cafe, so you just know it's going to be good.

Last year they soared straight to the top of the list and were crowned the best pub in the whole of Britain by the guide.

Images: The Hoot Leeds

This time, the Queen's Arms over in Eccles came number one followed by The Cow in Notting Hill.

We still think bagging third place is quite the achievement, and if you've visited The Highland Laddie yourself you'll know just how much of a special place it is.

Don't just take our word for it, The Good Food Guide labelled the Laddie as 'a true pub with a genuine community vibe'.

They also said: "Reenergised by the team behind the Empire Cafe in 2025, this is everything that a proper English pub should be – 'oh, and they have a mustard menu!'

"Inside, the Laddie ticks all the boxes, preserving the essentials of a traditional old-school boozer and maintaining a genuine sense of community while letting the good times roll. As for the food, it’s ‘both high-end and accessible’, pulling in ideas from all over, whether you fancy a freshly shucked Lindisfarne oyster, a keema toastie or an elevated ham roll with bread cooked over the coals.

"Dig deeper and you might find a lobster madeleine with Yorkshire chorizo butter, a treacle onion tart or pork schnitzel with two fried eggs. Club steaks are served by the inch, there’s no creative let-up when it comes to sides, and the nostalgia is ramped up with the likes of strawberry and Champagne trifle with ‘sprinkles’.

"But never forget that this is a self-proclaimed ‘drinkers’ pub’ dispensing everything from ‘properly served’ British brews and ’the best Guinness in Leeds’ to a staggering line-up of whisky optics."

You can read the full list here.

Read more: Inside Leeds’ newest cocktail bar inspired by 1970s Hollywood and Japanese listening bars

Featured image - The Hoot Leeds

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