Tucked away on a housing estate in Leeds is an incredible hidden gem Ethiopian restaurant serving up authentic stews and curries with injera bread.
Called Abyssinia, it's become quite a hit over the years with Leeds' vegans for its tasty stews and curries - although there's plenty for meat-eaters on the menu here too.
You eat using the injera flatbread with your hands, scooping up dollops of stew and curry as you go - although there is cutlery on hand for those who want it.
The restaurant is unlicensed so it's a bring your own booze affair, but for those who forget there is an off-license across the road selling a good selection of wine, beer and spirits. This helps to make it a really cheap night out, perfect if you're on a budget but looking for some absolutely delicious food.
Plates like the shiro tegameno (£9), a spiced chickpea stew with injera and salad; and the beyaynetu (£10), a large mixed platter of injera topped with cabbage, spinach, lentil stew, chickpea stew and salad; cater well to vegans and veggies alike, with many commenting that despite there only being two options they've left feeling very happy and full.
As for meat-eaters, they are very much spoilt for choice. A quick glance in the 'non-vegetarians corner' section here starts with the epic Abyssinia special (£27), which combines roughly fifteen of the kitchen's meat and veggie dishes atop a giant injera bread, with extra rolled up on the side.
Beyond that, there are roughly fifteen different meat dishes. Many, but not all, are served with Injera - a traditional, sour-fermented flatbread that has a slightly spongy, 'pancake-like' texture.
These range from Kitfo, a hand minced beef tartar seasoned with organic butter and red pepper, to a dish of crumbed lamb fillet cooked with traditional Ethiopian spices and crumbs of injera.
Thebozena shiro makes an appearance again, this time with added pieces of lamb meat, alongside the yebeg wot firfir - a hearty stew of chopped spring greens and cooked lamb in a rich, spicy sauce.
Other dishes that catch our eye include the doro wot, a tender chicken leg marinated in lemon, ginger, garlic, onion and nutmeg before being stewed in Ethiopian butter and a spiced chilli powder called Berebere, and the dulet, an offal dish of seasoned lamb tripe, liver and lean minced beef mixed with onion and chilli.
Not only is the food incredible, but the service is also so friendly you feel right at home in the busy little restaurant, which starts to feel more and more like a friend's kitchen or living room as your meal goes on.
As well as serving up some brilliantly authentic dishes, Abyssinia also does a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony where the coffee is roasted live in front of you.
A real performance, it's a great way to end the meal as you watch your hostess take the green beans, and clean and roast them in front of you.
Drunk from small, handleless cups, the coffee is served with popcorn here and poured from a great height in a single stream allowing you to breathe in the aroma before tasting.
A true hidden gem, not only is Abyssinia great value for money but the team are so friendly you are pretty much guaranteed to leave with a smile on your face (and change in your pocket).
To find out more and book a table, check out Abyssinia's website here.
A family-run business is about to breathe new life into one of the city's most culturally significant buildings.
Introducing Moods - a new all-day cafe, bar and events venue that will open to the public at First White Cloth Hall on Kirkgate on Friday 31 July.
Created by husband-and-wife founders Will and Hayley Moody, the team behind Buzz Club Tattoo, Moods will occupy the ground floor of the Grade II* listed building.
Originally built in 1711 for the sale of white, undyed cloth, some of its roof timbers have been dated to the mid-1470s, and the building spent more than 20 years on Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register before a major restoration by Rushbond returned it to use.
Images: Supplied
Moods will bring speciality coffee, in-house patisserie, elevated day dining, cocktails, wine, beer and events together under one historic roof.
Doors open at 6pm on Friday 31 July for drinks and bar snacks, with all-day food service beginning at 8am on Saturday 1 August.
The kitchen will be led by Head Chef Craig Rogan, who trained within Simon Rogan's Michelin-starred restaurant group, including time at L'Enclume and Fera at Claridge's.
Will Moody said: "Leeds has been our home since university, and First White Cloth Hall felt like the kind of building you do not get a second chance with. From the moment we saw it, we knew it could become much more than a studio home.
"Moods is about opening the ground floor up and giving people a reason to use the building from morning through to night, whether that is coffee, food, drinks, private events or simply a good catch-up with friends."
We can't wait to check out the space, and you can find out more about Moods here.
Leeds is set to be transformed into a huge interactive game of Trivial Pursuit this week
Clementine Hall
Leeds is set to become a giant board game this summer as Trivial Pursuit arrives in the city centre to celebrate a landmark moment in its history.
The famous board game is being brought to life as LeedsBID transforms the city centre into a live version of Hasbro’s iconic Trivial Pursuit board game, marking 400 years since Leeds was granted its royal charter.
And a few famous Leeds faces are helping to make it happen.
Running from this Saturday 25 July to Sunday 30 August 2026 and is completely free, players embark on journey across the city centre, travelling from category to category and testing their knowledge of Leeds. Correct answers earn wedges, and once all six are collected, players face a final question to complete the game.
Key locations represent the six traditional Trivial Pursuit categories: Entertainment, Geography, Sports and Leisure, Science and Nature, History, and Art and Literature.
Central to the game will be the stories and achievements that have shaped Leeds over four centuries, from the origins of Marks & Spencer to a connection with the first British internet provider.
An array of well-known personalities are involved, appearing digitally to look back and look ahead at the city’s notable events.
Leeds-born presenter and podcaster Alex Zane, historian Ruth Goodman, and commentator Daniel Norcross each take on Entertainment, History, and Sports & Leisure, telling the stories behind the people, places, and moments that define Leeds.
Angela Griffin says: “LeedsBID have come up with a fun and engaging way to introduce visitors to the Leeds story through Trivial Pursuit, and I was happy to play a part in some of this trivia this summer, which is a real honour as a Loiner.”
Sara Merritt, Principal Keeper, Leeds City Museum and Leeds Discovery Centre. “Leeds City Museum is excited to host TRIVIAL PURSUIT as part of Leeds400 this summer, offering visitors a fun and interactive way to celebrate knowledge, curiosity, and everything that makes Leeds unique.”
Georgina Pellant -
13th August 2021 
