A Hollywood great has been seen dining at UYARE, the luxury rooftop restaurant in the heart of Leeds city centre.
Mads Mikkelsen, who has starred in roles such as Hannibal as well as portraying arguably the best James Bond villain yet in Casino Royale, visited the new Leeds spot over the weekend.
It wasn't just Mikkelsen bringing a taste of Hollywood to the restaurant, either.
He was visiting UYARE with Oscar-winning editor Lee Smith, who edited Dunkirk and Inception, and producer Pascal Degove.
The trio visited the South Indian restaurant and bar to discuss their upcoming project, Sirius, a new Arctic action-thriller that will be Smith's directional debut.
Mads was seen posing for photos with staff, and personally thanked Chef Ajith Kumar and Chef Francis.
Mads Mikkelsen and his crew feasted on a spread of fiery starters like masala fried cauliflower, crispy fried fish, and punchy Kanthari chicken.
Then he tucked into Pothu Koonu Masala - a buffalo curry - Kunjaadu curry, and a king prawn Chemmeen roast for mains, with Kerela parathas and carrot coconut rice.
UYARE is the beautiful new rooftop restaurant from the team behind Tharavadu, taking over the sky-high former Issoh site at Victoria Gate.
The team have a knack for attracting some serious star power, with visits from Simon Pegg, Rebel Wilson, and the entire Indian cricket team across at Tharavadu.
But Mads Mikkelsen is the biggest name to grace the new rooftop restaurant.
The UYARE team said: "Our staff aren’t new to high-profile guests. After all, our sister restaurant, Tharavadu, has seen the likes of Simon Pegg, Rebel Wilson, Virat Kohli, and the entire Indian Cricket Team over the past 11 years.
"We’re proud to bring that same hospitality and excellence to UYARE."
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.”
Daisy Jackson -
23rd June 2025 
