From the creators of Dollhouse comes a new £300,000 city centre concept.
Leeds' nightlife is one of the best things about our city. Whether you prefer to have a few quiet pints at the pub or drink from the bottle at a club of your choosing, there truly is something for everyone here.
The latest venture to land in Leeds is a new drink-dine-dance space from the TV star and multi-platinum selling musician, Tom Zanetti and his business partner, Kane Towning.
The downstairs bar space.
The exclusive late-night dining concept will be the first of its kind in the city, taking inspiration from premium destination venues across London, Dubai and Ibiza. Guests can dine in the immersive restaurant, indulging in a selection of globally inspired small plates while enjoying live entertainment and sensory lighting.
As the evening progresses the lighting gets turned down a notch and the music gets turned up as diners drink and dance late into the evening, with DJ’s and performers providing the hottest soundtrack under the LED displays. So the idea is that it's an entire evening in one destination.
Over £300k has been invested in the project, the name of which is being kept under wraps until nearer the launch.
Speaking about the project, Tom Zanetti says: “We were ahead of the game with Dollhouse and spotted a gap in the market for that VIP vibe that no other venue offered - a glamorous, VIP-style club. That’s where this brand-new venue bridges the gap.
"Leeds has one of the best nightlife scenes in the country, however. it is crying out for that cool, late night dining concept that people currently have to travel to London, Manchester and overseas for. It’s time to level Leeds up again and hold our own against the other major cities.”
Split over two levels, the venue’s ground floor will have a stylish lounge with VIP tables on offer, as well as a heated indoor courtyard and outside terrace in Millennium Square. The first floor will host to the restaurant with luxury VIP booths that can booked for dining and late-night drinking.
The new bar space will open in 2022.
The restaurant will also boast a private dining area for up to 30 people, ideal for special occasions. There’s also a stage for live performers with a state-of-the-art VOID sound system and a one-of-a-kind bespoke LED light system.
Zanetti's business partner hinted that visitors should have high expectations:
"You can enjoy globally inspired dishes, creative cocktails, live performers, and the hottest DJ’s, all under one roof. This is like nothing the city has ever seen. The interior design and layout is completely unique and fresh. The sound, lighting and entertainment are all a first for Leeds and I’m excited to see how people react when they experience it.”
Tom Zanetti was the creator behind Dollhouse, a VIP bar in Leeds city centre.
If you've got a seriously sweet tooth, then you're going to love this new opening.
It seems like there's been a flurry of new bakeries popping up in and around Leeds recently, and we're certainly not complaining.
Introducing Crumbb, a beautiful new bakery that has just opened its doors on Hyde Park Road just moments outside of the city centre.
Owner Naila started the businesses as a wholesaler six years ago, stocking up local businesses from far and wide with sweet treats.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Since then, Crumbbs opened its first location in Bradford just a few months ago that has been nothing short of a resounding success. So much so, that Crumbbs 2.0 was born right here in Leeds a few days ago.
Right, let's talk you through what's on offer.
For the sweet toothed out there, there's a whole myriad of treats for you to enjoy. We're talking giant NYC-style cookies, fluffy cinnamon buns topped with gooey icing, brownies slices, cookie muffins, rocky road, flapjack, the list is truly endless.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
You can even get warm cookie trays and hot brownies to enjoy in house that can be topped with ice cream or thick custard.
And it doesn't stop there, Crumbbs also whip up freshly baked savoury focaccia slices as well as cheese twists, pizza slices and savoury rolls filled with creamy mozzarella and herbs.
They've also got a fabulous drink selection on offer including matcha, coffee and hot chocolates.
Located in Headingley, we've got a feeling this spot is going to be a huge hit with students and locals alike looking to get their sweet treat fix. But they'll have to beat us to it first.
The hidden Leeds bakery serving giant cheese twists, pickle sausage rolls and chocolate focaccia
Clementine Hall
This spot in the city is baking up some weird and wonderful creations.
But you'll have to act fast if you want to get your hands on them, as it's only open one day a week for all your doughy desires.
Introducing Fold, a focaccia-focused bakery by the talented team behind The Cheesy Living Co.
Rewind to this time last year and with three restaurants flourishing across Leeds, the team needed a space to bake all their bread and sweet treats in-house to supply to sites.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
And this is where Fold came in, located underneath the arches of Brussels Street on the outskirts of the city centre - it may take a while to find this spot but once you have, it'll be worth it.
And they're making some of the most inventive bakes that we've seen.
Of course there'll always be a focaccia on offer, with flavours ranging from crispy chilli oil, sesame and spring onion to kimchi, cheese and pistachio.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
And it's not just savoury focaccia, you'll even find gooey chocolate and banana focaccia as well as Biscoff waffle focaccia....yep, seriously.
Elsewhere they specialise in gigantic footlong cheese twists with more crispy bits than soft, as well as chorizo and cheese stuffed sausage rolls and a range of freshly baked bagels for you to go home and smear in your cream cheese of choice.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Some seriously spectacular specials have been the gochujang cookies and the 'pickle roll', basically like a sausage roll but with...pickles.
It seems there's really no boundaries for where these bakes will go, and you can guarantee that every visit will be different than the rest.
Only open on Saturdays from 10am - 1pm, Fold are changing the baking game. Pop in and say hello, you won't be disappointed.
Sophie Smith -
23rd December 2021 
