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.
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."
Sophie Smith -
23rd December 2021 
