After closing The Man Behind The Curtain at the end of 2023, Michael O'Hare is preparing to relaunch with a new restaurant concept this spring.
Reservations are now available for March, April and May - and ahead of the relaunch, Psycho Sandbar will be hosting a special preview night on Valentine's Day.
The 'candle light in a building site' menu will feature a five course set menu, with hints of the new 'surf shaky' feel
Priced at £95 per person, there will be tables available from midday until 10pm on Wednesday 14 February 2024 only.
From here, Fridays and Saturdays can be booked from 8 March - 29 June for either the A La Carte or Taster Menu.
Priced at £165 per person, the taster menu will be available for tables of one to four and features a pesci-heavy luxurious menu with turbot, Caviar Donburri, hand dived scallops and oysters along with Bresse Chicken AOC and A4 beef with froi gras -
The A La Carte is split into six sections, with five different oysters styles: including roasted in French onion soup with a thin slice of Comte; poached in shell served cold with Nam jim or grilled over Birch wood with a smoked plankton beurre blanc and caviar.
Then there's raw, pasteurised fish options like Hamachi, lobster, scallop and Caviar Donburri; plus a host of Kuzu dumplings options: served as gluten-free fried croquettes with Comte, Gruyère and Beaufort with A5 beef or tuna belly.
The remainder of the menu is packed with a combination of dishes previewed on the Valentine's Day like turbot and lemon top; the taster menu, like hake throats and hand-dived scallops, and exclusive signature dishes like the 'Empanciation': cod, potato, ink and vinegar with a Dashi of cod skin.
Psycho Sandbar has been months in the making. Owner Michael O’Hare said the decision was made in response to the current restaurant landscape back in October 2023.
He said: “Things need to change because the world has changed, I have changed…my team has changed, our outlook. Our ability hasn’t, our vision hasn’t, but the world has.”
The restaurant will still be refined, but in a more accessible way. He added: “You can do six plates and have whole roast duck if you want, we just want to categorise things in a way that’s like ‘this is the product, that’s what we are going to do to it and that’s how much it costs’ and if you want it – and you really do.”
The restaurant will close for a few weeks to transform into Psycho Sandbar, but no dates have been announced as of yet.
“The in comes a new baby,” says Michael. “It’s the same team, the same building and company – these things don’t change. All that is changing is the name, offering and outlook.”
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.
A pub in Leeds has been crowned the third best in Britain by The Good Food Guide
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."
Sophie Smith -
24th January 2024 
