Whether you like yours in ramen, soups, pho and good old traditional stir-fried dishes, there are so many great places to get noodles in Leeds.
Traditional noodles make the ultimate winter warmer, and now that the seasons have firmly changed to a constant cycle of rain and blustering winds it feels like the perfect time to wrap up and head out in search of Leed's finest noodle dishes
Fortunately, we've got just the selection for you to choose from.
We've put together a list of all the best places to slurp up some delicious carbs around Leeds city centre. All that's left to do is choose your favourite and get those chopsticks at the ready.
House of Fu
This tasty ramen bowl is made up of chicken and shiitake broth, sesame & miso tare, Yorkshire kale, tantan pork, mayu, egg, chilli and garlic confit / Image: House of Fu
House of Fu has only been in Leeds for three short months but has already proven popular with noodle fans in the city centre. With a fresh interior design and tasty ramen bowls that don't take themselves too seriously, it's one of our top picks.
The Original Fu Ramen here is a winner, combining pork broth with toasted rye noodles,BBQ chashu pork, fresh menma, spring onions, nori and egg cooked with burnt garlic oil. Delicious. Wash down with a frozen cocktail but don’t forget to leave room for dessert - the vegan miso caramel ice-cream sandwiches are worth every bite.
Bar Soba
Located on Greek Street, Bar Soba is hardly subtle in its design. Its hot pink logo and street-art décor make the site one of the trendiest ramen spots in Leeds, but it’s the vast menu that makes Bar Soba so special. Paying homage to South East Asian street food artists, each meal is packed with flavour designed to ‘get your tastebuds dancing’.
Their £6 lunch menu is one of the best value meals around. Opt for a large plate of teriyaki noodles with your choice of meat or tofu filling. It’s crispy, sweet, spicy, salty and savoury all in one delicious sauce. Looking for something a little different? Add cheeseburger spring rolls for just £3.
Pho at Trinity Kitchen
This healthy spicy green noodle soup comes with pak choi, green beans, morning glory, lime and fresh Thai basil / Image: Pho Restaurant
Getting your Pho fix at Trinity Kitchen is always a delight. Whether you choose wok-fried noodles cooked with lemongrass, chilli and peanut, or aromatic pho (a rice noodle soup that is Vietnam's national dish) prepared over twelve hours, Pho really does bring the best of Vietnamese street food to the city centre.
For a truly authentic experience, pair your dish with a Cá phê (rich Vietnamese coffee from Caphe VN) or a jasmine flower tea bloom, where the flower actually blooms in front of you as you slurp and sip your way through your meal.
Senbon Sakura
Simple, fresh and authentic. That’s exactly how Senbon Sakura comes across. In the Greet George Street restaurant, guests describe the service as excellent, the food as tasty and the price as reasonable. The restaurant offers a wide selection of sushi and rice dishes, but its ramen is a standout meal on the plentiful menu.
You can grab your ramen twelve different ways, but the classic ‘Senbon Sakura soup ramen’ is a favourite - combining chicken, king prawns, salmon and cha-shu, it's perfect for those that want a bit of everything. As for veggies and vegans, there is still plenty of options including vegetable tempura or the vegan cha-shu meat ramen.
Oba Leeds
There are tasty noodle dishes aplenty at one of the newest restaurants, we're obsessed with the careful presentation too / Image: Oba Leeds
The Merrion Centre's newest restaurant fuses Korean and Japanese food for an extensive range of dishes that are bursting with flavour. Inspired by their existing food store, Hang Sing Hong on Vicar Lane, Oba Leeds is the team's latest venture to feed the people of Leeds with delicious cuisine.
Try either of their staple noodle dishes, japchae: a combination of juicy glass noodles with Korean style beef and stir-fried vegetables. Vegetarians will be delighted to hear that meat-free alternatives are available. The only way to top this meal is to have a raspberry lemonade mocktail on the table too. Made fresh-to-order with soda and fruit, it's a showstopper.
Mi's Noodles
Oba's sister store, Mi's Noodles also operate in the Merrion Centre, in fact, one is just a few steps from the other. Driven 'to use the most original methods to cook traditional cuisines', Mi's team aim to bring the ultimate taste of Yun Nan, China to the table. The only important decision here is ramen or vermicelli.
If you prefer hot, spicy food above all else; Mi's noodles are the only ones to sample. The Super Hot Special, compromising of fish, king prawn, roasted pork, crab meat sticks, fish balls and bean curd rolls, is just one of the speciality dishes that are on offer. Pair this with a salted lemon Seven Up for a truly unique sensory experience.
Little Tokyo
Little Tokyo Leeds have a great selection of noodle dishes, including our favourite, the shallow stir fried noodles / Image: Little Tokyo Leeds
Have you ever wondered what would happen if you combined traditional Japanese piquancy with flavours present here in Yorkshire? Having opened over twenty years ago, Little Tokyo has been rated in the top one hundred restaurants in the country and offer the epitome of flavour fusion and continue to be leaders in their market.
Whilst there are plenty of bento boxes, sashimi and soups on offer, the shallow stir-fried noodles are our recommendation. A generous portion of noodles, boiled to perfection with stir-fried vegetarian soy sauce, delicious. Visiting on a Sunday is a particular treat as customers can feed the koi fish after enjoying their meal.
You know the venue, and you know the operators behind it, but things are looking a little different over on Sovereign Street.
Leeds' very own Kirkstall Brewery has teamed up with street food legends Little Bao Boy to totally reinvent the city centre taproom formerly known as North Taproom.
At the all-new The City Taproom, you'll find a way cosier space alongside their sun-soaked terrace, as they aim to reimagine a traditional city centre pub.
Across 16 tap lines there are loads of Kirkstall Brewery classics, like Kirkstall Pilsner, Virtuous and Judicious, plus a rotating selection of guest beers from top British breweries - and Guinness, of course.
The City Taproom will also feature two new cask lines: one serving Three Swords as a staple, and the other on rotation starting this month with Golden Hour.
There's a bigger kitchen for Little Bao Boy too, which means an even larger menu of bao and Asian street food, like loaded fries, noodles, and rice bowls.
Little Bao Boy was founded 10 years ago by James Ooi, specialising in home-made bao buns and traditional Asian street food with a contemporary western twist.
Kirkstall have injected the huge space with the traditional essence of a proper Kirkstall establishment, with that kind of cosy atmosphere you know them for at the brewery's other sites.
Little Bao Boy at City TaproomKirkstall Brewery pints and cocktails
This is yet another of the local brewery's openings in the city centre, joining their recent renovation of The Victoria & Commercial in partnership with Whitelocks, plus their stewardship of the historic Tetley brewery building.
James Ooi, founder of Little Bao Boy said: "We have been part of this venue since day one, through COVID, outside seating, and new owners, and we are so excited for this refurb.
"On the food side, expect more collaborations, faster service, and a better overall customer experience. We are extremely grateful Kirkstall saw the value in this refurb and can't wait to get back open."
Steve Holt, founder of Kirkstall Brewery, said: "We're delighted to unveil a new presentation for the Taproom on Sovereign Street.
"It has been named The City Taproom after a famous but long-gone Leeds pub known as ‘The City’, which was situated where the statue of the Dortmund Brewer now stands. Images of the original City pub are a feature in the new look City Taproom, which can best be described as a 're-imagination' of a traditional city-centre pub.
"The City Taproom celebrates Leeds and its rich pub and brewing heritage. We hope that it will become a popular addition to the amazing and diverse venues that make Leeds such a vibrant City for hospitality and entertainment."
It's all the bits you loved before, just a little bigger and a whole lot better.
The City Taproom opens at 3 Sovereign Street on Thursday 23 April.
Much-loved West Yorkshire cafe announces closure after heartbreaking health diagnosis
Daisy Jackson
A popular cafe and bake house in West Yorkshire has announced it will close at the end of the month, after its founder received a devastating diagnosis.
Lucy's Little Bake House in Halifax has shared the 'very difficult news' that it will be closing its doors in just a few weeks' time.
Founder Lucy Chapple told followers that she has sadly been diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer.
She now plans to step away from the business so that she can 'focus all of my time and energy on treatment and being with my beautiful family'.
Lucy's Little Bake House has been flooded with messages of support ever since sharing the news this week.
Lucy wrote that she will 'always be deeply grateful for every order, every visit, and every kind word' received since launching the cafe.
She was first diagnosed with stage three bowel cancer a little over a year ago, and ever since has been sharing symptoms and warning signs to raise awareness, encouraging people not to ignore any signs that don't feel right.
Announcing the imminent closure of Lucy's Little Bake House, she wrote: "Hi everyone, After a lot of thought, I need to share some very difficult news. News which I never wanted to share.
"Lucy's Little Bake House will be closing its doors at the end of April. This is because I've recently been diagnosed with stage 4 bowel c-ancer
"I need to step away from the business and focus all of my time and energy on treatment and being with my beautiful family.
"Our last day will be Thursday 30th April. Before then we are open as usual so please come and see us. I would love to see you!
"Running this business and serving our Gorgeous customers for the past 7 years has meant the world to me. Your support, kindness, and loyalty over the years have helped make Lucy's Little Bake House so special, and I will always be deeply grateful for every order, every visit, and ever kind word.
"Thank you for supporting my small business and for being part of this incredible journey. With so much love and gratitude, Lucy XXX
"P.S. Please please share this post so I can reach as many customers as possible"
We've got a few weeks left before Lucy's Little Bake House closes for good, so head over to Dean Clough and show them some support.
Sophie Smith -
6th October 2021 
