Leeds is bursting with great restaurants, but Riva Blu really stands out for the authenticity and the feeling you get after a visit.
Right in the middle of Park Row you can’t help but notice the iconic blue interiors when you’re walking past, and we recommend you visit them as we had a fabulous time.
We were seated in a cosy booth at the back of the restaurant, surrounded by stunning images of Italy in big frames on the walls. The music was great and the mood lighting gave us that really intimate dining feel which made us feel at ease from the get go.
Inside Riva Blu. Credit: The Hoot Leeds
Our server, Jimmy, came over to introduce himself and to match the authenticity of the restaurant he told us he was from Sicily. He explained the menu and went through all of his recommendations which was really helpful. He told us about the differences and tastes between the dishes, helping to make our choice easier.
The menu itself is huge with seven sections of pizzas, pastas, meats, antipasti and more. We didn’t get a chance to try the pizza this time, but we saw them coming out for other people and they did look really good.
To start we had the Yellow fin tuna tartare, truffle arancini and the crispy aubergine fritters. The stand out here was definitely the fritters, with smoked provola and served with San Marzano sauce, I really could have eaten plates and plates.
Aubergine fritters. Credit: The Hoot Leeds
The tuna was really fresh, it was served with a crispy Sardinian flat bread and a gorgeous olive tapenade which just paired perfectly with it. Truffle and arancini really go hand in hand, so crispy and flavorful, the combination of the three dishes were a great way to start the meal and all recommended by the lovely Jimmy.
Next we tried the pasta and you are absolutely spoilt for choice for again we asked for recommendations. We had the ‘Ravioli Granchio’ which was Devonshire crab, chilli, lemon, basil, shellfish butter & fresh tomato.
Linguine Frutti Di Mare. Credit: The Hoot Leeds
We also had the Linguine Frutti Di Mare’ which had wild red king prawn, mussels, clams and calamari - all accompanied with a white wine, tomato & chilli sauce. As seafood pastas go, there were no complaints with this, so generous with the portion and all the fish tasted like it had jumped straight out of the sea onto the plate.
Crab-filled ravioli pieces. Credit: The Hoot Leeds
I have to say, sat in that cosy corner booth eating pasta with a white wine with a candle on the table, it really felt like we’d hopped on a plane to Siciliy.
Even though by this point we were very full, Jimmy recommended we also try the ‘Orata Al Forna’ which was a whole roasted sea bream, vine-ripened tomatoes, Leccino olives, garlic & rosemary potatoes.
This is dinner and a show, as the fish is filet at the table in front of you, which Jimmy did a marvelous job at. It really had that straight off the BBQ taste, giving you that nostalgic feeling back to sunnier days. The tomatoes we’re just devine, I don’t really know how else to describe them apart from really tomato-ey.
Orata Al Forna. Credit: The Hoot Leeds
Throughout all of the food Jimmy was bringing over accompanying wines which was just dreamy. We also tried a couple of the cocktails and they were really tasty too but a bit sweet for me, I’m more of a wine girl.
By this point we thought we couldn’t eat another thing but Gio, the host, said we must try the Baba Napoletano, a traditional dessert from his home town of Naples. The rum soaked sponge cake with Chantilly cream and raspberries was delectable. Not too boozy but enough to pack a punch, the perfect way to finish off our meal.
Baba Napoletano. Credit: The Hoot Leeds
For a special occasion or a date night, this spot on Park Row is a great experience and you won’t leave hungry.
To find out more and to book your table, take a look at their website.
A £1.6m grant has been given by the government to Leeds City Council to help tackle rough sleeping.
The funding has been allocated to Leeds City Council as part of the Government’s national Rough Sleeping Programme.
The overall target is to help rough sleepovers off the streets by Christmas through providing safe accommodation.
The council have said that voluntary organisations and charities will be able to help them reach this target.
The council report said: "This funding will be used for immediate interventions to ensure all those rough sleeping have an offer of accommodation by Christmas and support longer term sustainment of accommodation.
“The initial target is to provide a suitable offer of accommodation for everyone who is rough sleeping by Christmas 2026.
“Providing a path into supported accommodation and independent living is the key objective and sustaining this independent living with, where necessary, ongoing support to prevent any return to rough sleeping and homelessness.”
The government announcement spoke of the scheme: "The programme is intended to support people experiencing rough sleeping.
"People experiencing rough sleeping may have differing entitlements to housing and support depending on their individual circumstances, including their immigration status and eligibility for public funds."
The funding is intended to help provide immediate support for people currently sleeping on the streets, while also helping them access longer-term accommodation and the support needed to maintain independent living.
By working with local charities and voluntary organisations, the council hopes to ensure people are not only offered a place to stay but are also given the help they need to avoid returning to the streets.
M&S launches massive recruitment drive in Leeds with hundreds of jobs available
Emily Sergeant
M&S has launched a massive recruitment drive across Yorkshire.
With the festive season fast approaching, and most British stores having already unveiled their Christmas ranges for 2026, one of the country’s largest brands has launched a massive UK-wide seasonal recruitment drives to gear up for what is always one of the busiest times of the year for the retail industry.
M&S has announced it will recruit for plenty of new colleagues across the UK.
As mentioned Christmas is one of the busiest moments of the year for M&S, and seasonal colleagues play a ‘vital’ part in delivering that.
Image: Supplied
New recruits will be tasked with helping M&S deliver a ‘brilliant’ service for customers.
Stores with vacancies span the whole of Leeds - including city centre, Moortown, Crown Point, White Rose Shopping Centre and Pudsey.
M&S says the roles are ‘fast-moving and hands-on’, with colleagues required to work together to make sure customers still get the very best of M&S, even at its busiest.
The roles will pay £13.41 per hour, with successful applicants receiving the training, tools and support needed to get up to speed quickly.
“We can’t wait to welcome over 300 new colleagues to our store teams here in Greater Manchester,” commented Zeba Khan, who is the Regional Manager at M&S.
“As we get ready for our busiest time of year, it’s a great opportunity to join us and help bring a magical M&S Christmas to our customers.
“We have a range of opportunities available, whether joining our city centre flagship or our fresh market-style foodhalls. We’re looking for colleagues who are passionate about delivering great customer service and being part of a team.”
Fancy it then? Applications are now open, and you can find out more and apply on the M&S Christmas careers page here.
The Hoot -
5th June 2023 
