There's very few steakhouses we trust to get our cooking preferences right each time but Blackhouse on East Parade is serving up some seriously mouthwatering brunches.
Specialising in blending causal lunches with sophisticated fine-dining options, Blackhouse remains the sole venue venture from Living Ventures for good reason. Their intimately lit restaurant provides a lunchtime spot where leaving 'well fed' is an understatement.
Blackhouse’s menu brings out the best of meat. Think Half-Roasted Chickens, huge steak portions, fish and chips and plenty of veggie options too. With so many worldwide-inspired dishes to choose from, there is something for every dietary requirement, even vegans and vegetarians- a rarity at steakhouses.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
The portions here are plenty, but don't compromise on quality- even on the weekends when the special lunch menu is combined with a boozy bottomless brunch experience.
On the menu, guests can choose from the likes of warm chicken and chorizo salad; the classic fish and chips with tartare sauce and mushy peas or opt for classic favourites like the half-roast chicken.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
The Half-Roasting Chicken is the ultimate winter warmer for anyone looking for a cosy lunchtime treat and paired with a glass of bubbly. Served with skinny chips, stuffing and mouth watering gravy, the half chicken is plenty to keep you going on a cold windy day.
Those wanting to test out the famous Blackhouse-steak without committing to an English Tomahawk won’t be able to resist the Blackhouse Steak Sandwich.
We’re talking fillet steak, tenderly cut into chunks and topped with onion, mushroom, burnt onion mayonnaise, horseradish cream and mature cheddar, all between two soft pieces of bread. Served with skinny fries, this is another winter warming dish that is perfect for an afternoon treat.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Turning this incredible lunch menu into a boozy afternoon of unlimited tipple, the bottomless brunch offerings come with a choice of Prosecco, beer or wines.
Each guest chooses their selection on the day and can choose to stick to their sophisticated beverage of choice or mix and match according to the palette's needs throughout the full 90 minute sitting.
Available 12-3pm every Saturday from East Parade at £36.50 per person, make sure that you book a table in advance to avoid disappointment as during the weekend when you'll be competing with those looking for a lunchtime option in the city centre as well as the bottomless brunchers.
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 -
6th April 2022 
