We are truly spoilt for choice for fantastic restaurants in Leeds. But if you’re looking to treat yourself to something special, the Michelin Guide is a good place to start.
A ceremony took place last night at the Silverstone Circuit in Northampton last night, launching the Michelin's 2023 for Great Britain and Ireland.
Two Leeds restaurants previously featured in last year's guide, Crafthouse and HanaMatsuri, have now been omitted and there have been no new additions.
Michael O'Hare's The Man Behind The Curtain has retained it's Michelin star, the only restaurant in Leeds with the sought after status.
Here are the full list of Michelin recommended restaurants in Leeds.
The Man Behind the Curtain
Where: 68-78 Vicar Lane Lower Ground Floor Flannels, Leeds
Price: ££££
Image: The Hoot Leeds
What the guide says: “If you’re looking for the unconventional, you’ve come to the right place. Michael O’Hare is a chef who does things his own way and his idiosyncratic basement restaurant matches his cooking style perfectly. The original, very creative and artfully presented dishes – many of which come with assorted Asian influences or feature the colour black – start arriving with your drink and you’ll never know quite what to expect next.
“Thanks to the music and interior design, which includes everything from skateboard decks and graffiti to a surfboard and a motorbike, you’ll find you don’t need to feed off other customers to create your own atmosphere. Furthermore, the disorientating mirrors lend an ethereal quality to proceedings and make you feel cocooned in your own bubble.”
Ox Club
Where: Bramleys Yard, The Headrow, Leeds
Price: ££
Image: The Hoot Leeds
What the guide says: “A former mill houses this multi-floor venue comprising a beer hall, cocktail bar, event space and restaurant. The latter boasts a wood-fired grill imported from the USA; rustic, smoky-flavoured dishes showcase Yorkshire ingredients.”
HOME
Where: 3 Brewery Place, Leeds
Image: HOME
What the guide says: “Set alongside the River Aire, this spacious ground floor restaurant is filled with natural light. The enthusiastic team serve pre-paid, set price menus and cooking shows imagination, creativity and a playful edge. For the optimum experience, go for the 10 course menu with wine pairings to match.”
Dakota Grill
Where: 8 Russell Street, Leeds
Price: ££
Image: Dakota Hotel Leeds
What the guide says: “Make your way to the Dakota hotel’s elegant cocktail bar before heading down to the moody basement restaurant. The room is divided into a series of spaces, which adds to the intimacy. Appealing, carefully thought-out menus keep Yorkshire provenance at their heart and dishes have a playful element."
Forde
Where: 7 Town Street, Horsforth
Price: £
Image: Forde
What the guide says: “Experienced chef Matt Healy – a onetime ‘MasterChef: The Professionals’ contestant – has come home to Horsforth to open this rustic bistro and wine bar. His appealing menu features appetising small plates with Mediterranean influences; two or three per person works well, and there are some well-chosen wines, craft beers and cocktails too.”
Prashad
Where: 137 Whitehall Road, Drighlington
Price: ££
Image: Prashad
What the guide says: “Set over two floors of a former pub, this colourfully decorated, family-run restaurant offers interesting, original Indian vegetarian cooking inspired by the owners Gujarati heritage. Dishes are substantial in both size and flavour and spicing is well-judged; the dosas are popular.”
CORA
Where: 162 High Street, Boston Spa
Price: £££
Image: CORA
What the guide says: “Be sure to arrive early if you want the full pick of daily made breads, cakes and pastries on offer at this bakehouse and dining room. It’s a stylishly understated place which offers something for everyone: from brunch through to dinner and from single dishes to multi-course tasting menus.”
Horto
Where: Rudding Lane, Harrogate
Price: £££
Image: Rudding Park Hotel
What the guide says: “This smart restaurant in Rudding Park’s spa has floor to ceiling windows overlooking the hotel grounds. Inspired by the surroundings and, in particular, what’s at its peak in the kitchen garden, dishes are proudly seasonal and full of natural flavours. Service is bright and breezy.”
To find out more information about all of these venues, take a look at the Michelin guide yourself.
Eats
Popular New York-style pizza pop-up confirms opening date for first takeaway in Leeds
New York-style pizza pop-up, Edges Pizza, is set to open in Leeds.
Last summer you may have had the privilege to enjoy a slice of Edges Pizza at one of their many pop-up residences across the city.
Their longest stint was at the sun-drenched roof terrace of Green Room, and it's safe to say their pizza went down an absolute treat.
Since then they've been a little quiet, but all for good reason it seems.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Edges will be opening their doors in Leeds city centre on Thursday 18 June in a vacant railway arch at Fourth Court on Bridge Road in Leeds' Holbeck area.
It won't be your average pizza shop though, you'll have to preorder for now but trust us - it's worth it.
Announcing the very exciting news to Instagram, Edges said: "WE FINALLY HAVE an opening date, Thursday 18th June! All pizzas are pre-ordered like we have always done, and are slightly limited for now (still looking for helping hands!!!). The pre-orders will open the day before at 12pm via our Storekit link.
"We’ll be then opening Wednesday to Friday, 4-9pm and Saturday & Sunday 3-9pm. If there are still remaining slots left on the day, you can order up to an hour before the collection time. We have limited seating, for those who travel and would like to eat in. There is plenty of car parking space, to pick up your pizza, too.
"We can’t wait to see you all soon & more importantly, we can’t wait to start making some good food for you again."
We can't wait to get our hands on a coveted Edges pizza slice again, so you best believe we'll be there at the opening with bells on.
The 80-year-old Wakefield butchers that won Jane McDonald’s heart
Declan Kelly
When Wakefield's queen of the cruise ships recommends a pork pie in Yorkshire, you listen.
TV presenter, singer and national treasure Jane McDonald has never hidden her love for her hometown. While her career has taken her around the world, from luxury ocean liners to sold-out theatre tours, Wakefield has always remained close to her heart. And among the many things she proudly champions from her hometown, one local institution receives more praise than most: Allums Butchers.
In fact, Jane has often joked that one of the reasons she still lives in Yorkshire is because of their famous pork pies. Most recently, Jane was once again singing their praises during her album launch at HMV when we interviewed her. She has also recently spoken fondly about the butcher's legendary pies on Alan Carr's podcast.
Hearing her enthusiasm sparked our curiosity, so we decided to make the trip to Wakefield and discover for ourselves what makes these pork pies so special.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Located on Brook Street, Allums Butchers is more than just a place to pick up your Sunday roast. It's a business woven into the fabric of Wakefield's history, with a story stretching back more than 80 years.
The journey began in 1945 when Albert Allum started trading from Wakefield Market.
At a time when local communities depended on independent traders, Albert Allum built a reputation for quality produce, expert craftsmanship and exceptional customer service. Those values helped establish a loyal customer base and laid the foundations for a business that would stand the test of time.
More than eight decades later, the same principles continue to guide the company.
Today, Allums remains proudly family-owned and is run by third-generation butcher Jonathan Allum. While much has changed since Albert's early days on the market stall, the commitment to quality remains exactly the same. The business has grown into one of Yorkshire's most respected independent butchers, yet it continues to place traditional butchery, carefully sourced produce and customer service at the heart of everything it does.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Speaking to us about his relationship with Jane McDonald, Jonathan shared memories that stretch back decades. The pair first met as teenagers when Jane would visit the market alongside her mother. Like many local families, they regularly stopped by the Allum stall and, more often than not, left with one of the butcher's famous pork pies.
Jonathan remembers chatting with Jane as she collected her order.
"I'd often say, 'See you next week,'" he recalled. "And every so often she'd reply, 'No, you won't - I’m off cruising.'"
Jane has gone on to become one of Britain's most recognisable entertainers, known by millions for her television programmes and her successful career at sea and most recently her iconic Mighty Hoopla performance . Yet despite the fame, she never forgot her Wakefield roots. To this day, she remains one of Allums' most loyal supporters and regularly speaks about the business with genuine affection.
Allums' pork pies have become something of a Yorkshire institution in their own right. Handmade using a traditional recipe that has been refined over generations, each pie is crafted using seasoned pork, rich savoury jelly and a perfectly baked hot-water crust pastry. There are no modern gimmicks, just a commitment to making a classic product exceptionally well.
Naturally, we couldn't leave without trying the pork pies ourselves.
Sometimes the best food stories aren't about reinvention or chasing the latest trend. They're about preserving traditions, maintaining standards and doing one thing exceptionally well for generations.
More than 80 years after Albert Allum first opened for business in Wakefield Market, Allums Butchers continues to embody exactly that philosophy. And after finally experiencing their famous pork pies for ourselves, we can confidently say that Jane McDonald might just be right.
Clementine Hall -
28th March 2023 
