Considering all the ups and downs we've endured over the past (nearly) two years, we can completely understand anyone who thinking of swapping out cooking for dining out in Leeds this Christmas - especially on Christmas Day.
The good news is, if you are looking to do just that, you're spoilt for choice. Christmas, typically hospitality's biggest time of the year, was all but cancelled for the industry in 2020 - so this year Leeds restaurants are going all out on the big day.
Whilst there are loads of restaurants in Leeds offering Christmas menus, those that are staying open on Christmas Day have created extra-special offerings just for the occasion.
Keep reading to discover where to go out to eat on Christmas Day in Leeds this year.
If you're going all-out this year, the Deer Park probably has one of the most extravagant Christmas Day menus in Leeds. Of course, that comes at a price - namely £97.95 for adults (champagne and cocktail included), or £41.50 for kids.
Think starters like burrata and fig, a seafood sharing plate for two (seared wild Atlantic scallops on a tomato risotto, Szechuan pepper squid, king prawns with lemon mayonnaise, Devon crab rillette, rustic bread and butter) and grilled goats cheese with beetroot rosti.
Mains-wise, roasted turkey gets a lift with a cranberry pastry parcel, lemon and thyme stuffing and a Cumberland pig-in-blanket, whilst further choices include pan-roasted halibut in Thermidor sauce, beef wellington with bread sauce and Bordelaise jus (vegan option available) and candied root vegetable bake.
Cocktail choices are vast, including favourites like espresso and french martinis, Aperol spritz, blood orange and passion fruit collins and old fashioned. If you're not going in for the booze though, the classic five-course menu on its own is £82.50.
If you're looking for a bang-up Christmas dinner in cosy settings, you can tuck into five festive courses at Leeds pub The Adelphi this Christmas Day with prices starting from £64.95.
Think mains like turkey with all the trimmings, a root vegetable and walnut wellington, pan-fried salmon, roast sirloin of beef or rump of lamb - plus sweet, indulgent desserts followed by a cheeseboard.
There's also a separate three-course menu for children, priced at £27.95.
Leeds pub The Roundhay Fox is open on Christmas Day serving three festive courses for £62.95. Open for both lunch and dinner, the kitchen is cooking up a specially created menu with choices like beef fillet wellington, slow-cooked pork belly, turkey, venison steak and sweet potato and apricot tart.
There's a separate menu for children, priced at £30.50, with similar choices to the adult menu served in smaller portions - like curried vegetable wellington, hand-sliced turkey, and rump of lamb, plus chocolate or vanilla ice cream for dessert.
With two Christmas Day sittings at 12.15pm and 2:15pm, Weetwood Hall is a fine choice for a three-course festive lunch. What's more, you can even book a room upstairs if you want to turn your Christmas lunch into a getaway.
Mains choices include roast turkey, beetroot and goats cheese tarte tatin, slow-cooked beef suet pudding or poached salmon, whilst desserts include the classic Christmas pudding and a chocolate torte.
Children's menus are also available, priced from £25.
For 1920s glamour in spades this Christmas Day, head over to Browns - a solid city centre favourite. Priced at £85 for adults and £16 for children, there is a five-course menu on offer with all the seasonal favourites plus bubbles and a few additional surprises.
Think Browns festive turkey with cranberry stuffing, pigs in blankets, red wine jus; rack of lamb with butternut squash fondant and pickled blackberries; and beef or portobello mushroom, chestnut and spinach wellingtons - all served with garlic and thyme roast potatoes, mulled wine braised red cabbage, shaved Brussels sprouts with chestnuts, maple roast carrots and parsnips.
Malmaison's Chez Brasserie is pulling out all the stops for Christmas day with four courses and a complimentary welcome glass of champagne for £99 (or £49.50 for children aged 5 to 12 years old).
Begin with truffled arancini 'for the table' before digging into starters like beef tataki or crab and oak-smoked salmon, followed by a mix of contemporary and traditional mains choices ranging from turkey breast to beef fillet, pan-fried cod, or spinach and vegan feta pithivier (it's a pie).
If you don't like turkey, Miller and Carter could be a shout this Christmas Day The steakhouse is serving up a five-course Christmas Day menu for £72.95 - with a 'steak experience' course served as an option instead of mains like turkey, risotto and grilled seabass with prawns.
The restaurant also has a four-course Christmas Day set menu for children and a gluten-free Christmas day menu.
An unflinching and empowering portrait of Tina Turner’s life.
Bringing the life of the Queen of Rock ’n’ Roll to the stage, TINA: The Tina Turner Musical arrives at the Leeds Grand Theatre with an energy that is both electrifying and deeply affecting. More than just a celebration of Tina Turner’s iconic career, this production offers a powerful portrayal of the hardship she endured and the extraordinary strength it took to overcome it.
While the musical is packed with well-known hits, it is the story behind them that leaves the greatest impact. From her early years to her rise to global stardom, the production lays bare the reality of Tina’s life, particularly the abuse and control she experienced at the hands of Ike.
These moments are handled with care but never softened, forcing the audience to confront the emotional and physical toll of her journey. It is this honesty that gives the show its real power this is not just a story of success, but one of survival.
Image: Supplied
A standout element of the production is the use of a younger Tina to show the early stages of her life and career. These scenes reveal her vulnerability, ambition, and the experiences that shaped her resilience, giving crucial context to her struggles with Ike and making her eventual empowerment all the more powerful. From hopeful, constrained performer to fiercely independent icon, her journey feels earned and deeply moving.
At the heart of the show is Elle Ma-Kinga N’Zuzi, whose portrayal of Tina is nothing short of extraordinary. She captures every facet of the performer from vulnerability to fierce determination allowing the audience to fully experience Tina’s lowest moments as well as her eventual rise.
Image: Supplied
Opposite her, David King-Yombo delivers a chilling performance as Ike, embodying the manipulation and control that defined their relationship. Their dynamic is deeply uncomfortable at times, but essential in highlighting the magnitude of Tina’s resilience.
Equally striking is the musical’s staging and visual storytelling, which mirrors Tina’s emotional journey. Intimate early-life moments and larger-than-life concert sequences are enhanced with lighting, set design, and choreography.
Iconic numbers such as “Disco Inferno,” “Proud Mary,” “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” and “Private Dancer” are brought to life with golden disco balls and soaring spotlights, celebrating her rise while reflecting her transformation from oppression to empowerment. These moments are met with overwhelming audience enthusiasm, making Tina’s struggles and triumphs feel immediate, immersive, and unforgettable.
Image: Supplied
The only area that felt slightly less polished was the stage combat. While the physical tension between Tina and Ike was effective in conveying conflict and control, some of the choreography occasionally felt a little uneven, which momentarily pulled focus from the emotional intensity of those scenes. Even so, these moments were brief and did little to diminish the overall impact of the production.
By the final moments of the production, Tina prepares once more to take the stage, the narrative comes full circle the show ends the same way it began, with Tina getting ready for her gig. This framing is both thoughtful and powerful, giving the audience a moment to reflect on and celebrate the journey they have just witnessed.
Having experienced her struggles, triumphs, and transformation, the audience is invited to share in the exhilaration of her performance, turning the theatre into a concert-like celebration of resilience, empowerment, and music. As Tina herself, who worked on the production before her passing in 2023, described on opening night, the show is “poison turned into medicine.”
Ultimately, TINA: The Tina Turner Musical is a story of empowerment forged through adversity. For audiences at the Leeds Grand Theatre, this is more than a night at the theatre; it is an emotional, inspiring, and unforgettable tribute to a woman who refused to be defined by her past.
Running until 4 April. Tickets available now here.
Featured image - Supplied
Leeds
Leeds has been crowned the best city in the UK for foodies outside of London
Clementine Hall
It's fantastic news for our city as Leeds has been crowned one of the best cities in the UK for foodies.
It's news that we've been pretty certain of for some time, but it's still nice to be recognised isn't it?
It comes from a new study carried out by credit card brand Aqua who analysed 30 major UK cities across a range of dining and social media metrics, including cuisine variety, restaurant availability, meal affordability, Michelin recognition and TikTok hashtag volumes.
Coming in at number on was, of course, London.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
With 47 cuisines, 22.5 restaurants per 10,000 residents and 81 Michelin-starred establishments, the capital unsurprisingly continues to dominate the UK’s culinary scene.
But in at number two was our glorious city of Leeds, supported by the highest restaurant density in the study, with 38.5 establishments per 10,000 people, and strong affordability compared with cities in the south.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
We will absolutely take that.
Other northern spots to feature on the list include Sheffield and Bradford in sixth and eighth place.
The top ten UK cities for foodies are:
London
Leeds
Nottingham
Edinburgh
Wolverhampton / Leicester
Sheffield
Birmingham / Glasgow
Bradford / Swansea
Preston
Milton Keynes
Here in Leeds we've got so many fabulous food spots, with new openings cropping up every month it's hard to keep track.
From the multi award-winning Bavette Bistro in Horsforth to the highly acclaimed indie Bundobust that started off in Leeds - you certainly won't find yourself hungry or at a loss for somewhere to eat here.
Georgina Pellant -
2nd December 2021 
