2025 is bringing some pretty big changes to the city and we're feeling very excited indeed.
We're already spoilt for choice for incredible restaurants, shops and things to do here in Leeds.
But our cityscape is about to get even better and it's all thanks to a whole host of new openings cropping up over the next few months.
From Danish homeware shops and bakeries to wine bars and delis, let's take a look at what we've got to look forward to this year.
Sostrene Grene
Image: The Manc Group
The Danish brand, famed for its trinkets, homewares, and craft supplies, announced it was coming to our city for the first time last month.
And now, the affordable homeware brand has announced it will be opening in Trinity Shopping Centre on Friday 24 January.
The brand is often labelled a ‘mini Ikea’, thanks to two things – one that it sells just about everything you can think of for your home, the other that shoppers are taken on a one-way maze through the departments.
In the Scandinavian-inspired shop you’ll find everything from kitchen essentials and soft furnishings to Christmas decorations and craft supplies. It’s also very reasonably priced too, with candles on offer for under a quid and picture frames for as little as a fiver.
Well-known UK bowling activity bar Lane7 is set to open its first-ever location in Leeds in 2025.
The bowling alley and entertainment specialists already have a site in Sheffield, and another site is coming to York very soon, making Leeds the third venue in the region.
Set to pop up in the city centre, they’ll be opening just down the road from popular adult playground and competitor, Roxy Ball Room – more specifically their Roxy Lanes site.
Talk about championing your competitors.
Aesop
Image: Aesop
Aesop, which is well-known for its luxury fragrances and skincare, will open the doors to its new shop in the Victoria Quarter this coming January.
It’s the place to go to if you’re looking for some fancy shmancy hand soap and hand cream that you’ll want to show off when your next guests are round.
BAKE
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Now this is a very exciting one indeed.
From the masterminds behind Doh'hut and Things in Bread, BAKE will complete the ‘All Things Dough’ trilogy acting as a nostalgic British bakery concept serving all the classics with precision and flare.
Think cheese twists, focaccia slices, vanilla slices served alongside great coffee by fantastic people. Opening on the 8 January, you don't want to miss out on this one.
UYARE
Image: The Hoot Leeds
The award-winning South Indian restaurant, Tharavadu, is set to launch a new rooftop restaurant and bar, taking over the old Issho site at Victoria Gate.
The huge new space, UYARE, will be serving up the rich flavours and spirits of Kerala, in an impressive environment spanning 7,000 sq ft.
UYARE’s rooftop restaurant will also be home to a new bar, Agni, with a curated selection of fine wines, champagnes, crafted cocktails and local craft beers.
Green Room 2.0
Image: The Hoot Leeds
One of the city's best rooftop bars is getting a major glow up.
Green Room on Wellington Street is the place to go for great vibes, fabulous drinks and an unbeatable late night atmosphere. And now they're doubling the size of the place which can only mean, double the fun. What a winner.
Rinse Natural Wine
Image: Rinse Natural Wine
It's absolutely no surprise that we are huge fans of Bottle Chop over in Headingley. It's the place to go for lashings of natural wine, great small plates and a wonderful deli for you to buy bits and bobs to take home with you.
So when we heard that the team behind it were opening a spot in the city centre, we nearly fell over with excitement.
Their brand-new site will be called Rinse Natural Wine, bringing natural wine, beers and all things deli to Call Lane - get in. An opening date isn't yet set in stone but great things are pending... we can't ruddy wait.
Cheesy Living Co.
The city’s best cheese and charcuterie specialists, The Cheesy Living Co, are opening their third site and we're genuinely buzzing.
As one of Leeds’ most exciting lockdown success stories, The Cheesy Living Co. has gone from strength-to-strength in the past few years having started in their flat to opening a spot in the Corn Exchange and then a site in Oakwood – and now, they’re expanding again.
Although we don’t have any information yet on the location, we’ll be waiting patiently to find out what area of Leeds is getting its cheesy fix.
Award-winning Leeds restaurant The Empire Cafe has recently unveiled exciting plans to open a brand-new city gastropub.
The Empire Cafe shared a photo of the old pub, The Highland, which stands just west of Leeds city centre.
It had been open for four decades but shut down in 2023 after ‘five price increases in six months’ from various breweries.
But now its about to be saved by an excellent team who run one of the most popular spots in the city, so it's safe to say we're in for a treat...
The Swine That Dines
Image: The Swine That Dines
The much-loved Leeds bistro The Swine Bistro, formerly known as Swine That Dines, recently announced a big move to Headingley.
Run by chef couple Jo and Stu Myers, they’ve been operating out of North Street where it’s all about cooking seasonal produce simply and with an added ‘little bit of sunshine’.
But now Swine Bistro is upping and moving to Headingley, taking up a unit previously occupied by Jam hairdressers on Otley Road.
We don’t have long to wait – they plan to have the doors open in January 2025.
One of the best days in the foodie calendar is hereand it's time to decide where you're going for the ultimate stack.
Whilst homemade pancakes hit the spot and attempting to flip them is definitely a laugh, it's always a treat to get out and about to celebrate the momentous occasion.
From thin crepes with lemon and sugar to pillowy, thick buttermilk stacks which are showered with a whole host of delicious toppings - there's a pancake dish for everyone to devour this Shrove Tuesday.
Keep reading for our top picks of cafes, restaurants and bars to visit this Pancake Day.
House of Koko
Chapel Allerton , Oakwood and Leeds city centre
Images: The Hoot Leeds
House of Koko are the absolute bees knees when it comes to brunch.
Their pancakes are fluffy, pillowy, light, perfectly formed and just down right delicious. The list of toppings is almost overwhelming and you can mix and match yours to your heart's content, we're talking bacon, biscoff, kinder bueno, toasted nuts, white choc chips, banana and even ice cream, the list really does go on but you'll be here all day.
Moose Coffee
Bond Court
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Given Canadian pancakes are a worldwide favourite, you'd expect the best pancakes to come from Moose Coffee. Made fresh to order, there's a stack of three dusted with icing sugar, dotted with blueberries and served with Canadian butter on offer as well as a Biscoff Stack made from three pancakes, biscoff sauce, vanilla ice cream, white choc shards, lotus biscuit.
Whatever your preference this Pancake Day, your combination of sweet and savoury is pretty much guaranteed to live up to the famous Canadian combination- maple syrup included.
Farmhouse
Lands Lane
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Farmhouse are basically famous in the city for their epic stacks of pancakes, fluffy and loaded with all the toppings it's just what you want this Pancake Day.
If Up North
Call Lane or York Place
Image: The Hoot Leeds
If you're a regular on the If Up North Instagram page, you'll know that these guys are big fans of pancakes. Given their obsession with posting their beautifully decorated variations online, we're confident that these pancakes will be lip-smacking, mouth-drooling good and packed with flavour.
Expect flavours like berry and Biscoff, fruits and cream, bacon and maple syrup as well as a whole host of different variations at any of their Leeds-based cafes.
North Star Coffee Shop
Leeds Dock
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Locally renowned for its coffee roast, North Star Coffee Shop is also a great contender for the best-looking pancakes around. Open from 8am this Shrove Tuesday, grab some fluffy pancakes topped with all the seasonal favourites they have on offer.
Galleria
Armley Road
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Running from Monday 16 February until Friday 20 February, you can bag yourself £1 pancakes with a huge range toppings like classic lemon and sugar, maple smoked bacon, fried egg and sausage, or singular toppings such as blueberries, avocado, IPA caramel and more.
You'll need to pre-book to secure your offer and when you arrive, pick up an order form from your server so you can select how many £1 pancakes you want, alongside your chosen toppings. Yeah, it’s really that flipping easy.
Laynes Espresso
New Station Street
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Everything Laynes touch turns to gold, and their pancakes are of course no exception.
They of course go perfectly with a heavenly cup of coffee served inside their dazzling bright yellow, life-affirming coffee shop.
10 of the best new openings coming to Leeds in 2026
Clementine Hall
Allow us to get you excited about the next one with a list of new openings coming to the city.
If you're feeling a little bit down in the dumps about 2025 ending then do not fear, because we've got a feeling that the next year is about to be even bigger and better.
There's already a great selection of restaurants, bars and shops gearing up to open up in Leeds during, so let us fill you in.
Salon Madre and Madre
Wellington Street
Image: The Manc Eats
Are you ready for a fresh taste of Mexico Leeds? Well you better be – because Madre, the day-to-night eatery that has made waves over in Manchester and Liverpool, is setting up shop on Wellington Street in due course.
Not only that, but their lively sibling Salon Madre will be opening next door on Friday 20 February. Expect tequila-fuelled nights, pool tables, lively DJs and Lucha Libre on the big screens. Madre will open one month later.
Trinity Kitchen 2.0
Image: Supplied
Trinity Leeds is embarking on a major transformation with a £15 million expansion, introducing a second food court called ‘Freight Island’ The upgrade will add around 72,000 sq ft of new space, including a stunning rooftop terrace overlooking City Square the perfect spot to enjoy great food with skyline views.
Burgerism
Meanwood
Image: The Manc Eats
You may remember when Burgerism had a delivery kitchen in Leeds, and ever since it closed we’ve had a Burgerism-shaped hole in our hearts. Well not any longer, because the Manchester-based burger chain has been given the go ahead to open a takeaway on Meanwood Road - hallelujah.
Dishoom
Taking over the old Flannels Site on Vicar Lane
Image: The Hoot Leeds
The legendary Indian restaurant group is coming to Leeds, and we’re absolutely buzzing about it. Dishoom is inspired by the Irani cafes of 1960s Bombay, which were meeting places for people from all walks of life.
Famed for their Indian twist on a classic breakfast (seriously, their breakfast naans are out of this world), Dishoom offers an all-day dining approach so you can get your Bombay fix from morning to noon and noon to night.
Planning permission is up for the restaurant to take over the former Flannels site on Vicar Lane, so fingers crossed it won’t be too long until we can all get stuck in.
Just when you thought the wine scene in Headingley couldn’t get any better, Once Upon A Vine is popping the cork on their third site - right in the heart of Headingley.
Expect hundreds of wines, plenty of bottles of fizz, and of course, a carefully curated local beer selection.
Uniqlo
Briggate
Image: Uniqlo
It’s happening…Uniqlo has confirmed it’s opening up right here in Leeds next year and we must say it’s looking very nice indeed. The Leeds store will be 1,100 square metres and will be located on Briggate in the old House of Fraser site. It’s part of a new expansion across the UK alongside new stores in Birmingham and Bristol.
A new Japanese grill and BBQ restaurant is opening up from Fern, the absolute mastermind behind Fern Modern Sushi. Opening up in the heart of the city on Vicar Lane, we can't wait for this one.
Dough Club
Burley Road
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Dough Club, a Manchester-based Detroit-style pizzeria, is planning to open up in Leeds.
Famed for their chewy, thick, cheesy crusts that are loaded with all the toppings imaginable, they’ll be opening up a spot on Burley Road for all your pizza needs.
MADE Matcha
Lower Briggate
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Introducing MADE Matcha, a matcha and açaí bar that has created waves in the foodie scene over in Sheffield since opening back in September last year. And it's pretty clear they're doing very well indeed, to be opening a second site in another city less than six months after launching is no mean feat.
Made Matcha will be opening on Lower Briggate in the Nice Things site and this pastel green paradise specialise in seasonal matchas that (almost) look too pretty to drink.
Lane 7
Albion Street
Image: The Hoot leeds
The independent bowling brand is set to open at Trinity Leeds in late spring, spanning a whopping 23,000 sq ft.
As well as 12 state-of-the-art bowling lanes, Lane7 will be home to other games including darts, pool tables, beer pong, golf simulators, and even an interactive 'Playground'.
Clementine Hall -
3rd January 2025 
