With Shrove Tuesday just around the corner, we've already got pancakes on the brain - and there's one particular spot in the city centre that always ticks the boxes for us.
First opened in Leeds in 2019, Moose Coffee is a city centre favourite that's survived a pandemic and endless changes across the cityscape. A sort of North American greasy spoon, this all-day breakfast spot is beloved amongst local foodies and always seems to have a queue stretching out of the door.
Inside you'll find Canadian favourites like homemade grilled potato hash topped with eggs and streaky bacon, alongside sweet French toast and fried chicken waffles drenched in maple syrup. It's all amazing, but today we want to focus a little attention on the pancakes - because they really are worth shouting about.
Think large homemade Moose pancakes mixed with chopped smoked sausage and streaky bacon and topped with fried eggs and served with butter and Canadian maple syrup, alongside stacks with a choice of toppings and fillings ranging from blueberries to chocolate and hazelnut spread, icecream, bacon and maple syrup and more.
The menu here is heavily inspired by the founders' travels in American and Canada, and owners cite iconic New York breakfast spots like Pershing Deli at the south end of Grand Central Station and Comfort Diner on 45th Street as key influences.
As a result, there's a long list of Moose benedicts alongside classics like savoury, smooth and buttery comfort food Grits and fried hash.
But for those who like their brunch extra sweet, there's also a host of fluffy pancake stacks slathered in the likes of homemade salted caramel, peanut butter and chocolate, plus classics like maple syrup and bacon.
Having first begun life in Liverpool in 2006, the group now also boasts sites in Manchester and has worked to secure something of a grip on the north west's breakfast crowd.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
The original Manchester site on York Street has proven so successful that in 2017 the team opened a second in the city centre - moving into Piccadilly Approach alongside the likes of Northern Soul Grilled Cheese and Flock.
Using locally sourced ingredients wherever possible, all fruit and veg is sourced in Manchester with bread baked daily over in Stockport courtesy of The Dutch Bakery. Meat, meanwhile, is sourced from responsible farmers in the Lake District and Waterloo.
Food critic Camilla Long visited Leeds for her latest review for The Times with her sights set on Horsforth's finest - Bavette Bistro.
Ever since opening back in 2024, Bavette Bistro nestled in the leafy suburb of Horsforth has made waves across the country for its sheer brilliance.
It's pretty much received five star reviews across the board and been handed awards from left, right and centre. And rightly so.
The Good Food Guide crowned Bavette the best local restaurant of 2024, and Michelin handed them a well deserved Bib Gourmand - so it's safe to say it's not just us who think it's really something special.
So it was only a matter of time until The Times popped in for a review, and this one is truly glowing.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
The review labels Bavette as "warm, unmannered and unpretentious" as well as "authentically French".
Long describes the food as "gorgeous, confident, surprising" with a menu that "isn’t too long" and "filled with sturdy, noble dishes, whiffing mightily of the sea and the soil."
It continues: "All of it made with generosity and cheer, served fast by nimble waiters, with a long, if slightly eccentric, wine list. To bang out French dishes with this much fiddly detail and to do it to a full room is not easy. Yet all four courses came in under two hours, for about £75 a head, which in London terms is nothing.
"It’s not that this place was perfect, it’s that it was decidedly not perfect. A bit too much chat about the menus; the oeufs in the meurette not quite runny enough. But the point is: it didn’t matter. All of it came charmingly together. It felt relaxed, just right."
The review is then wrapped up with a pleasing five stars, the cherry on top of the cake.
It's a review only restaurants can dream of, and we can't think of a more deserving team - congratulations Bavette.
Team behind Headrow House and Belgrave to take over and reopen Woodside just one year after opening
Clementine Hall
The foodie-favourite restaurant and bar is now under new management.
The eagle-eyed amongst you may have noticed that Woodside has sadly been closed for a few months.
We certainly have, and ever since December we've had a Woodside Sunday roast-shaped hole in our hearts that's been gasping for one of their glorious Marmite glazed parsnips.
But luckily, it has now been confirmed that Woodside isn't going anywhere as Superfriendz, the team behind Headrow House, Belgrave and many other top Leeds spots will be taking over. Hallelujah.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Woodside opened at the end of 2024 from the owners of The Brunswick and The Melbourne.
Labelling itself as a 'neighbourhood eatery and bar', Woodside quickly became a favourite amongst Leeds foodies and was known for its smoked meats, great cocktails and stellar Sunday roasts (do I need to talk about the parsnips again).
The menu was fresh and innovative, with oysters topped with kiwi granita and an incredibly garish banana split standing out as highlights.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
We hope that the new management continues to maintain Woodside's brilliance, but mainly we're just so glad that it's sticking around.
Superfriendz take care of a whole host of spots in the city, including proper Leeds favourites Headrow House, Belgrave Music Hall and Waterlane Boathouse.
Announcing the news to Instagram, Woodside said: "After a longer-than-expected winter break, Woodside is back and will reopen on Thursday 19th March!
"Your favourite neighbourhood bar and eatery returns with the same warm welcome, but an all new management team.
"We can’t wait to see you so keep your eyes on our socials for news on great food and drinks, big screen sports, quizzes and more.
"We’d also like to thank Sam and the original team for all the hard work that went into setting-up the venue. We hope we can do it justice."
The Hoot -
11th February 2024 
