A popular Dubai dining brand is coming to the UK for the first time with a flagship restaurant in Leeds.
Introducing India Bistro, a UAE and India-based restaurant group that is set to open a flagship store in Chapel Allerton this month.
Guests can expect a real party atmosphere, complete with authentic Indian dishes and bold cocktails.
India Bistro will offer a dining experience that reflects the warmth and richness of Indian cuisine and culture, with a menu inspired from from the bustling lanes of Delhi and Punjab to the royal kitchen of Awadh.
Image: Supplied
With four established restaurants - two in Dubai and two in India - India Bistro has earned a cult following and esteemed reputation for exceptional culinary craftsmanship and heartfelt hospitality.
Leeds diners will enjoy a specially curated all day menu featuring iconic Indian dishes and local favourites in a modern, elegant setting.
Navin Chauhan, President of Restaurants at Foodlink said: “India Bistro represents the next chapter of modern Indian cuisine, inspired by India’s regional heritage, elevated with bold ideas, and brought together through a spirit of hospitality that feels both timeless and fresh.”
Images: Supplied
AVT Capital co-founder, Shubhangi Thaker, said: “We’re thrilled to introduce India Bistro to the UK and begin this India Bistro journey in Leeds, a city that truly appreciates great food and diverse dining experiences.
"Our goal is to bring something fresh to the scene: authentic Indian flavours presented with a modern twist, in a space that’s welcoming, stylish, and full of energy.
“Whether it’s a celebratory dinner, a date night over chaat and chai, or cocktails at the bar with crisp papads and house-infused vermouth, we want India Bistro to be the kind of place guests find themselves coming back to again and again drawn by the familiarity, the flavour, and the feeling of something special.
"We are hugely excited to share it with the people of Leeds and can’t wait to open in time for the Christmas party season”
Building of the Leeds restaurant is underway and India Bistro is set to open its doors ahead of the festive season.
Yard Act are back as they announce first round of UK headline dates since 2024.
We are so, so back.
It's been a few years, but Yard Act have just announced a small selection of UK gigs for later in the year including a homecoming gig at the O2 Academy on Friday 6 November.
The dates follow the band’s first show of the year at the 6Music Festival this Friday across The Pennines in Manchester.
After Leeds, the lads will be performing shows at the O2 Victoria Warehouse on Friday 13 November before making their way down south to the O2 Academy in Brixton on Thursday 26 November.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Yard Act completed the touring for their critically acclaimed second album Where’s My Utopia? with a victory lap back home at the 5000 capacity Millennium Square in Leeds in August 2024.
It was a record that brought a stark change of pace to the acerbic, post-punk of their debut, embracing something altogether more playful and bringing a different energy. It shifted the dynamic on stage too, with the addition of dancing backing singers and additional musicians and openly challenged listeners to reconsider who they thought Yard Act were.
Since then, the band have remained active, whether writing Where’s My Utopia’s follow-up on scratching the itch to get back on stage, heading out across the UK and Europe with The Hives, which was preceded by an intimate one-off show at Blackpool Tower last May.
Following a lengthy stint in the studio, the band now look to the Autumn for three big UK dates and we cannot wait.
Tickets go on artist presale from 10am on Wednesday 25 March before hitting general sale at 10am on Friday 27 March. Sign up here.
Estimated to be worth around £45 million, the Grade II-listed structure renovations won't begin for a little while just yet, but it is set to increase the capacity of the space by more than 50%.
Announced on Tuesday, 24 March, the major refurb will be partly funded by public money and topped up by the private sector and "philanthropic partners".
The UK government and Sheffield City Council will be pumping in approximately £35m, with a further £10m being added through the investment mentioned above.
Soon to allow the theatre to scale up or down in size, the hope is that the new 'in the round' format will enable the Crucible to serve its arts and sporting audiences for decades to come, as well as opening the big Northern stage up to new opportunities.
Due to start in the summer of 2028, it's still unclear as to the exact completion date, but the plans are in support of confirmation that the annual snooker tournament will stay put.
A fresh agreement with the WSC will see them stay in Sheff until at least 2045, with the Crucible's number of seats set to jump from just under 1,000 to 1,480.
It's also said there is an option in the deal to extend the contract until 2050, and as one of the biggest competitive events that comes to the city year in and year out, you would expect them to push hard for the Council and partners to push hard for this, too.
Credit: Bread and Butter PR (supplied)
Dan Walker, Chair of Sheffield Theatres Trust, said in a statement: "The Crucible is a wonderful theatre with a brilliant reputation, and the positive impact of this investment will be seen for years to come.
"As a proud resident of Sheffield, I know the importance of snooker to our city, but this isn’t only good news for Sheffield: this is amazing news for the north of England and the whole of the UK."
If all goes to plan, the overhaul should take around 18 months, with productions being hosted in the Lyceium and the newest room, the Montgomery.
All the while, the Sheffield Theatres will continue to present new work both domestically and around the globe over this period, with more details coming this autumn 2026.
Clementine Hall -
19th November 2025 
