The Leeds foodie scene is blessed with so many independent chefs, but we've only come across one that served deep fried pizzas.
Luigi's Street Food is just one brand that has taken over Trinity Kitchen, but their Italian speciality dishes are proving popular with just about anyone that walks up to their pop-up van.
Known as a panzerotto, the traditional Italian dish is deep fried pizza dough stuffed with mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce and a choice of toppings- and they're going down a treat.
Available until January, the best of Luigi's menu is available in the Trinity Kitchen inside the Trinity shopping centre.
On the menu are a range of deep-fried calzone dishes with toppings like cheese and tomato, pepperoni, chicken and more.
The Arancini is also on the menu, with mozzarella sticks and a Birra Moretti is never more than a contactless swish on the payment machine to wash it all down with.
Luigi's even have their own meal deal: a pizza with a combination of soft drinks or alcoholic lager for those ready to unwind. Priced at £10 and £12 respectively, there aren't many places in the city centre that you can get a full calzone and a drink for under £15, so it's well worth taking advantage of.
Specialising in smokehouse classics using free-range and locally-reared produce, everything on The Pickled Porker menu is smoked for a minimum of 12 hours over applewood, oak and hickory wood chips for maximum flavour.
Nelly’s Barn, meanwhile, will be cooking up 28-day, dry-aged beef burgers with double-tasty cheddar – whilst their vegan kitchen offers guests plant-based southern fried chick’n with gravy and sauces to give an extra zing.
Poutine heroes Spuds and Bros will also be back by popular demand, serving their Christmas special The Brother Christmas Poutine, alongside their traditional range with a variety of different toppings and the option of gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian gravy.
To put Luigi's deep fried calzone to the test, make sure to get over to Trinity Kitchen before the end of January 2022, or find their speciality menu at the likes of Northern Refectory, Chow Down and other bestselling foodie hotspots around the city.
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 -
11th December 2021 
