Beloved city centre food and drink spot White Cloth Hall is celebrating its very first year with a big birthday bash for the bank holiday.
With no tickets required and completely free entry too, we guess that's your weekend plans sorted.
It's almost hard to believe that the food hall and vibrant venue for local independent traders is soon to mark 12 whole months of serving Leeds, but we will say we've had some pretty incredible dishes, cocktails and created great memories here already.
With that in mind, there's really only one place this August bank holiday weekend, as far as we're concerned.
Inviting natives and daytrippers from around Yorkshire to join them on the terrace this Sunday, specifically, they're dubbing it "an outdoor party not to be missed."
When it comes to feeding the 5,000, popular grill and oyster bar, Lupton’s Chop House, will be cooking up a special birthday BBQ and even slinging out birthday cake for the punters to enjoy.
As for entertainment, there'll be live sets from Leeds DJ and music collective, Bomb the Twist (consisting of Ratty the Sly, Fig by Four and Mia Eden), as well as plenty more tunes all day long.
White Cloth Hall General Manager, Jacob Monks - who recently took charge of the venue - said ahead of the exciting event: "As White Cloth Hall celebrates its first birthday, I’m delighted to have recently stepped into the role of General Manager.
"It’s an exciting milestone, and I look forward to building on the success of this first year and creating many more memorable moments in the year ahead."
Sharing a simple statement/rally call ahead of the festivities, White Cloth have just one message: "Expect great tunes, good times and party vibes all day long."
Now, of course, the ever-bustling Crown Street spot will be good value all weekend long, but the official 'White Cloth Hall Bank Holiday Birthday Party' is set for Sunday, 24 August only.
Getting underway from 1pm and wrapping up around 9pm, we'll see you there.
Manchester's favourite Mexican bar is about to become your newest nightlife destination in Leeds.
It's been a long time coming, but Salon Madre is officially ready to open in Leeds.
Although we may have to wait a little bit longer for Madre, the day-to-night eatery that has made waves over in Manchester and Liverpool, Salon Madre, its lively tequila bar and pool hall sibling, is officially opening on Friday 20 February.
Salon Madre, which will be located just around the corner from Madre at 114 Wellington Street, is where the party really gets started.
Image: The Manc Group
Expect tequila-fuelled nights, pool tables, lively DJs and Lucha Libre on the big screens.
There will also be plenty of tacos being flung out the kitchen to keep you going until the early hours.
If you’ve ever visited one of their venues in Manchester or Liverpool, you’ll know it’s an absolute riot and we can’t wait to welcome them to the city.
Images: The Manc Group
Co-founder Sam Grainger, inspired by countless trips to Mexico, says: “Mexico is alive with passionate artisans and cooks, mastering everything from street tacos to regional delicacies. It’s a world where traditions blend and evolve and we’ve built that ethos into the heart of both Madre and Salon Madre.”
Madre Leeds will open soon and you can even grab yourself a free margarita by signing up to their newsletter here.
We’ll keep you up to date with their opening times but for now, we'll see you at Salon Madre for a boogie, margarita and game of pool next week.
Award-winning Leeds restaurant announces shock closure just months after opening
Clementine Hall
Emba in Leeds will be closing its doors with the owner blaming rising costs and pressure on the hospitality sector.
Back in April last year, one of Leeds' top restaurants The Owl closed its doors.
Run by renowned Chef Liz Cottam, The Owl was reimagine into Emba - a trendy restaurant tat bridged 'the gap between cosy bar and vibrant dining room'.
To open Emba, Cottam opened a Crowdfunder where supporters would be awarded with prizes such as VIP dinners and merch depending on how much they donated.
But sadly just months after opening, Emba is to close permanently.
Cottam confirmed the sad news with a statement shared with customers over the weekend, saying she was completely "heartbroken".
She said: “This is no longer the right time to own independent restaurants like Emba,” she said. “Under the current conditions they cannot survive and the recent budget confirmed what so many of us already knew: no meaningful help is coming for hospitality.
"The experience of being here and the harsh financial reality of running a business here no longer stack up.
"Being award winning, popular, admired and loved no longer means profitable and as an industry if we’re honest most of us have not truly been okay since Covid."
She signed off the statement promising to return to the restaurant world, she said: “What I do know is this, I am not done. I will keep cooking, keep creating and keep finding ways to do the thing I love.”
Danny Jones -
20th August 2025 
