The dazzling new restaurant on Vicar Lane is now fully booked on a Saturday night until the end of December, and it is easy to see why.
The opening of The Ivy Asia Leeds was highly anticipated, with foodies across the city waiting eagerly for the opening date.
So of course we had to try it out for ourselves and one long, leisurely lunch later, we were certainly not disappointed.
As soon as you walk through the door, you are met with an opulent and elegant atmosphere, your coat is swiftly taken to the cloak room and the warmest of welcomes is given to you as you're promptly shown to your table.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
The interior of the restaurant is nothing short of mesmerising, with a luminous green onyx flooring that is dotted with beautiful cherry blossom trees and walls adorned with captivating colourful wallpaper and opulent, bespoke artwork.
Everywhere you look, you're met with a feast for the eyes, so much so that you might start to feel full before you've even glanced at the menu. But fear not, we still managed to indulge in a full three course meal.
To drink we started with the Thai Green Curry cocktail and the Ivy-exclusive Sweet Harmony cocktail. The first was tequila based and was beautifully aromatic with both sweet and savoury undertones, finished with a dash of green tabasco which gave it that invigorating spicy hit.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
The latter was fruity and bright yet had a depth to it due to the woody Hibiki Harmony Whiskey. Topped with maraschino cherry liqueur, this one had me going back for more again and again.
Now onto the food. Everything at The Ivy Asia is meant to be shared and enjoyed amongst friends with the dishes arriving as and when they are ready. First to the table was the Popcorn Shrimp lathered in a spicy, creamy sauce and served in a lavish silver goblet. This was a real crowdpleaser, it stuck around throughout the whole meal and saw our chopsticks diving back in at every spare moment.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Next was the Char Siu Pork Belly skewers, and I don't mean to sound cliche but they really were 'melt in the mouth'. Fatty, rich, salty and delicious.
For our mains we opted for the Black Cod with miso which was coated in a gloriously sticky, savoury glaze and was so tender that it flaked away effortlessly at the poke of a chopstick.
The real star of the show though was the Smoking Barbeque Lamb Rump served on a bed of aubergine. This was cooked to absolute perfection, charred on the outside and bursting with flavour, the middle pink and tender with minimal chewing required.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
It's important to note that the mains just come as they are, so sides have to be ordered separately. The Kimchi Fried Rice was hot and fresh, with that deliciously funky flavour from the fermented cabbage shining through.
For a bit of greenery we went for the Chilli and Ginger Stir-fried Greens, surprisingly this was one of our favourite dishes. Topped with fine strips of red chilli that set your mouth alight and crispy onions which gave you that satisfying crunch.
By this point we were full to the brim, however when mochi is on the menu you simply can't turn it down. Before you knew it your table was cleared in the blink of an eye and replaced with a gorgeous, fabric lamp which perfectly separated the different stages of your meal.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
The service overall was faultless, nothing was too much of an ask and everything was done with precision, accuracy and flair. Special mention to Jacob who made us feel right at home, so much so that by the end of it we felt as though we had made a new friend.
All in all, the experience was a fantastic one and The Ivy Asia makes for a perfect spot to celebrate a special occasion. With three courses and a few cocktails averaging in around the £100 mark per person, it's one to save as a treat, but it is worth a trip to witness the spectacle and utter wonder that lays beyond those doors on Vicar Lane.
To find out more and to book your table, take a look at their website.
One of Leeds’ most iconic buildings is set to be brought back to life.
Plans for a brand-new padel and leisure destination at The Roundhouse on Wellington Road have been approved by Leeds City Council’s West Plans Panel.
Consent has been granted for Ollo Padel to transform the Grade II* listed Roundhouse into a state-of-the-art sport, fitness, food, drink and community venue subject to conditions and completion of a Section 106 agreement.
Built in 1847 for the Leeds and Thirsk Railway Company, The Roundhouse was once home to the steam locomotives that powered industrial Victorian Leeds. In recent years, the building has stood largely unused.
Image: Supplied
The approved plans will restore and protect the landmark building and give the site a new, long-term future as one of the city’s most distinctive leisure destinations.
The three-acre site, located on the edge of Leeds city centre, will include nine outdoor doubles padel courts under a 10-metre canopy, plus a dedicated indoor coaching court within The Roundhouse itself.
At the heart of the site will be the Ollo Clubhouse; built around an all-day kitchen and bar, it will combine a comfortable lounge and co-working space, meeting rooms and live sport and events spaces.
The kitchen and bar will be run in partnership with Southbank Provisions, the independent Leeds hospitality team behind Headrow House, Belgrave Music Hall and Galleria whilst the gym will be operated by fitness and performance specialists Northbound, who will bring strength and conditioning practice, Hyrox training and pilates classes to The Roundhouse.
Image: Supplied
Construction is expected to begin later this year, with the venue aiming to open in early 2027.
Luke Gidney, Founder & CEO Ollo Padel: "This is a huge day for Leeds, for The Roundhouse and for Ollo. The Roundhouse has been part of the city’s story for nearly 180 years. It’s an incredible building but it needs people, energy and purpose again. Our plan is to bring it back to life as a place where people can play, eat, work, meet friends and feel part of something.
"Padel is growing so quickly because it’s fun, social and easy to pick up. But for us, this is about more than just the courts. We want Ollo to become a proper community destination for Leeds, somewhere welcoming, joyful and full of life.
"We’re incredibly grateful to Leeds City Council’s planning team, our case officer, the wider council team and everyone who has supported the project to this point. This has been a complex project but the sport and engagement throughout has been brilliant. Now the real work starts and we cannot wait to open the doors for you.”
New study crowns Leeds as one of the friendliest cities in the UK
Clementine Hall
New research has revealed a global ranking of cities with the best customer service, with Leeds taking one of the top spots.
If you've been wondering which cities across the world are the friendliest of them all, then look no further because MoneySuperMarket have done the work for us in a new study.
In a world where social media culture plays a huge part in people's lives, online customer reviews are pretty important to local businesses.
To uncover the global locations that are home to the best customer service, the businesses insurance experts analysed over 100,000 reviews of leisure and hospitality businesses in 107 cities worldwide.
They looked at the language in the reviews to see how often friendly workers and staff were mentioned, building a global ranking of the cities where customer service truly stands out.
Out of a whopping 107, Leeds came in at a very respectable number 12. Now we think that's pretty good going.
Outside of the UK, Hanoi, Paris, Montreal and Abu Dhabi were highlighted for their friendly customer service whilst Edinburgh tops the global ranking, with Liverpool, Birmingham and Bristol also making the world’s top 10.
The top 10 cities in the UK with the best customer service are as follows:
Edinburgh
Liverpool
Birmingham
Bristol
Belfast
Leeds
Glasgow
Cardiff
Manchester
London
Alicia Hempsted spoke on the study: “As businesses grow and engage with more customers, it’s important to make sure they’re protected. Public liability insurance is an important safeguard for those working with the public, helping to cover costs if something goes wrong, while also showing customers that their experience is taken seriously - from the moment they walk through the door to long after they’ve left.”
Clementine Hall -
27th October 2022 
