Leeds is bursting at the seams with new openings, and we’re here to tell you all about them.
We can't quite believe it, but 2025 is almost drawing to a close and the past few months have seen some fabulous new openings touch down in the city.
From a new local pub to a specialist Portuguese ceramic shop, Leeds is well and truly flourishing and we love to see it.
If you're struggling to decide where to visit next, allow us to fill you in on our top five picks to make your life that little bit easier.
Mondego
Wellington Road
Images: The Hoot Leeds
It’s not often we see queues down the street for new openings in Leeds, but it seems that everyone is going mad for Mondego – a Portuguese ceramic outlet where you pay by weight.
Hailing from Cheshire, this beautiful store has everything you could need to host a stylish dinner soirée with friends and loved ones, or to give your kitchen a little bit of glam.
There’s a new tavern in town and it’s celebrating all things Leeds.
Introducing the Brewery Wharf Tavern, a new riverside pub from the absolute masterminds behind Whitelock’s Ale House, The Meanwood Tavern and White Cloth Hall.
Overlooking the River Aire taking over the spot previously occupied by Home on Brewery Place, the Brewery Wharf Tavern boasts an absolutely banging beer garden with fantastic views of the river.
But the inside is just as great, with a striking mural by Nicolas Dixon wrapping around the interior and plush maroon booths and 70s-inspired seating filling the space.
Say hello to HYGGE, the new Scandinavian-inspired cafe that’s just touched down in Leeds. After taking Sheffield by storm, HYGGE is now bringing its speciality coffee and Scandi comfort food to Leeds for us all to enjoy and we’re absolutely buzzing about it.
Located in the Merrion Centre on Woodhouse Lane, this all-new cosy cafe chain is serving up some of the best Danish delicacies in town with an equally inviting interior.
Crowded House
Trinity Shopping Centre
Images: The Hoot Leeds
From the team behind Three’s A Crowd comes Crowded House, a swanky new rooftop bar and restaurant that has taken the coveted spot where Angelica’s and Crafthouse used to stand.
Think incredible panoramic views of the city, great cocktails and a well curated all-day dining menu for every occasion.
There's' a new vendor inside White Cloth Hall, and it's bringing bold East Asian cuisine to the centre of Leeds. From the masterminds behind Ox Club and Galleria comes RAKKU, serving up a menu full of stuffed bao, stacked sandwiches, gyoza and more.
Featured images - The Hoot Leeds
Feature
Neighbourhood Leeds bistro hailed as ‘a bit horny’ and ‘brilliant’ by national critic Camilla Long
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.
A new female-founded business has opened in Leeds and it’s a trinket-lover’s paradise
Clementine Hall
Lisa Angel has just opened inside the Victoria Gate and it’s an Aladdin’s Cave full of jewellery, prints, gifts and everything in between.
The best part? It’s a female-founded brand that has chosen our wonderful city for their first Yorkshire site. We absolutely don't blame them.
Founded in 2004 by Lisa hand making jewellery which she sold at craft fairs local to her Norfolk home, the business has gone from strength to strength every since.
The brand is now a recognised part of the British high street landscape, boasting seven other stores across Norfolk, Suffolk, and the Midlands.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Shoppers can expect beautifully handcrafted jewellery, unique trinkets and wonderful staff who are open to have a natter.
It's the perfect shop for when you don't exactly know what to buy that someone special, just pop in here and you'll be hit with a wave of inspiration immediately.
We could've genuinely spent a good hour in there and come out with a much lighter wallet.
Lisa herself spoke about the opening: “As an independent retailer, we are thrilled to launch in a destination with such a reputation as Victoria Leeds.
"We believe retail should remain grounded in inspiration and discovery, and we look forward to bringing just that to the vibrant city of Leeds, in our first store in the north.”
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Managing Director James Moody said: “We're incredibly excited to be opening our first northern showcase store in such a prestigious location.
"Victoria Leeds represents exactly the kind of vibrant retail destination where we can bring the full Lisa Angel experience to new customers. This is a significant milestone for us as we continue to grow our retail presence."
Clementine Hall -
6th November 2025 
