The student-favourite bakery is venturing into the world of fried chicken.
If you've walked past the old STA Travel building opposite the University of Leeds in Hyde Park, you might have noticed a few changes.
Does a giant chicken mural ring any bells?
Fried is the latest venture from much-loved Bakery 164, just a few doors down and its safe to say that this is almost guaranteed to be a huge success.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Even on an average Wednesday afternoon, Bakery 164 was over-pouring with visitors waiting for their orders, and that's not unusual for the deli.
Serving up sandwiches, focaccia and baked goods since 1994, a diet of comfort food from any 164 store is a must for any student frequenting in the Hyde Park area.
This will be the fourth opening from the brains and business behind the original 164 cafes and bakeries, but this is the first to have separate stand-alone branding and take on a completely new concept: fried chicken.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
"I must be crazy, but I'm doing it and sticking with it", said the Fried staff today as they were making the final preparations to the takeaway store.
Never-seen-before-in-Leeds sauces is one of the promises that Fried aims to fulfil. Their chicken wings will be personalised to each individuals taste and visitors will get to choose the type of chicken wing (on-the-bone or boneless) before selecting a marinade and a dipping sauce.
The flavours range from garlic and parmesan to buffalo, chipotle and Korean BBQ- and can't wait to try them out.
Elsewhere on the menu, you'll find fried chicken burgers, chicken tenders, loaded chilli cheese fries and a range of soft drinks.
The have said owners have decided to keep the menu 'limited' for the time being to gauge interest before expanding, but there's still a good thirty or so different combinations to choose from, so you're guaranteed to find something to fuel your evening.
Opting for a soft opening, Fried will be available for all walk-in orders today and aim to be up and running on the likes of Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Just Eat before the evening is up- so even if you're not within walking distance you can taste the sauce-drenched wings and loaded fries from Fried.
You can find Fried on Woodhouse Lane, almost directly opposite the University of Leeds buildings.
Because one Fern Modern Sushi wasn't enough, we've now got two.
And guess what? It's even better than the first.
Fern Modern Sushi located in the unassuming Central Arcade has become a firm foodie favourite after opening just a couple years ago.
Run by the wonderful Chef Fern, who you could say is somewhat of a local celebrity at this point, the restaurant is known for serving delicious sushi with the freshest fish possible and traditional Japanese dishes with modern flair.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Full with hungry punters no matter the time of day, it's no surprise that Chef Fern has just opened Fern Modern Sushi 2.0 on Park Row.
This beautiful new space is serving up all the classic Fern dishes, from stacked donburi bowls and perfectly rolled sushi to miso glazed cod and hearty bowls of ramen.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Different for this location, though, is their exclusive cocktail menu - so you can wine and dine to your heart's content.
The interior has also levelled up, complete with a huge open kitchen so you can pull up a chair and eat whilst watching the magic happen.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
And this isn't all that Chef Fern is up to, after opening Tori Nori on Vicar Lane a few months ago this will be her third restaurant in the city centre, and that is no easy feat.
She's even got another restaurant imminently opening in the Central Arcade which will be focused on traditional katsu dishes, and we wouldn't be at all surprised if she had something else lined up in the pipeline.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Fern Modern Sushi 2.0 officially opens on 19 November, but is open now for soft launch with limited bookings.
A pub in Leeds has been crowned the third best in Britain by The Good Food Guide
Clementine Hall
A Leeds pub has been crowned one of the very best in the country by The Good Food Guide.
The trusted guide has just released its 100 Best Pubs in Britain list, and we're very chuffed with the results indeed.
Taking the coveted number three spot is our very own The Highland Laddie, a 100-year-old city centre institution that reopened in April 2025 in the hands of new owners Sam Pullan and Nicole Deighton.
These guys also run the Empire Cafe, so you just know it's going to be good.
Last year they soared straight to the top of the list and were crowned the best pub in the whole of Britain by the guide.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
This time, the Queen's Arms over in Eccles came number one followed by The Cow in Notting Hill.
We still think bagging third place is quite the achievement, and if you've visited The Highland Laddie yourself you'll know just how much of a special place it is.
Don't just take our word for it, The Good Food Guide labelled the Laddie as 'a true pub with a genuine community vibe'.
They also said: "Reenergised by the team behind the Empire Cafe in 2025, this is everything that a proper English pub should be – 'oh, and they have a mustard menu!'
"Inside, the Laddie ticks all the boxes, preserving the essentials of a traditional old-school boozer and maintaining a genuine sense of community while letting the good times roll. As for the food, it’s ‘both high-end and accessible’, pulling in ideas from all over, whether you fancy a freshly shucked Lindisfarne oyster, a keema toastie or an elevated ham roll with bread cooked over the coals.
"Dig deeper and you might find a lobster madeleine with Yorkshire chorizo butter, a treacle onion tart or pork schnitzel with two fried eggs. Club steaks are served by the inch, there’s no creative let-up when it comes to sides, and the nostalgia is ramped up with the likes of strawberry and Champagne trifle with ‘sprinkles’.
"But never forget that this is a self-proclaimed ‘drinkers’ pub’ dispensing everything from ‘properly served’ British brews and ’the best Guinness in Leeds’ to a staggering line-up of whisky optics."
Sophie Smith -
2nd February 2022 
