There's a restaurant and bar in Leeds offering bottomless Japanese afternoon teas and we're absolutely smitten.
Putting an Asian twist on the classic English afternoon pastime, the contemporary rooftop restaurant in Victoria Gate elevates the typical cucumber sandwiches and scone offering - switching in sushi, gyoza and delicate sandos in their place.
Issho - meaning 'together' in Japanese - is a gorgeous spot in which to come together and lose a few hours wining and dining in the city, whilst sampling some of the best delicacies Leeds has to offer.
The outdoor terrace at Issho
Offering ninety minutes of free-flowing prosecco alongside its Japanese-style afternoon tea, swanky Leeds restaurant Issho's offer is up there with some of the best bottomless deals we've seen in the city.
For £47.50, you'll enjoy unlimited prosecco as you tuck into a host of delicate Japanese finger-food treats. The selection here is split into three: spanning sushi, savoury and sweet, and also includes a selection of fine Japanese and English teas.
There's a whole host of yummy delicacies included, with the sushi section boasting the likes of tuna tataki with wasabi cream, vegetable maki, salmon and avocado maki, and tuna and salmon nigiri - all served with soy for dipping and pickled ginger on the side.
Savoury and sweet treats on the Afternoon Tea menu
In the savoury section, meanwhile, think seasonal vegetable gyozas, prawn toast with black sesame seeds, and a selection of delicate Japanese crustless sandos with fillings like chicken katsu and tamago (egg).
For your sweet treat, finish on a high with Issho's selection of caramel purin (the Japanese name for creme caramel), matcha cheesecake, yuzu and raspberry tart and miso and chocolate brownies.
As for teas, alongside a classic selection of traditional favourites like English Breakfast and Earl Grey, there's also the choice of some special Japanese teas including sencha (loose leaf green tea), hojicha (roasted green tea) and konacha (a sushi drinking tea with a bitter taste designed to enhance the flavour of fishiness left in the mouth by your food).
The bottomless Japanese afternoon tea is served in Issho bar on Fridays and Saturdays from 12 pm - 2:45 pm. To find out more and book your table, head over to Issho's website here.
News
Leeds has been crowned the best city in the UK for foodies outside of London
It's fantastic news for our city as Leeds has been crowned one of the best cities in the UK for foodies.
It's news that we've been pretty certain of for some time, but it's still nice to be recognised isn't it?
It comes from a new study carried out by credit card brand Aqua who analysed 30 major UK cities across a range of dining and social media metrics, including cuisine variety, restaurant availability, meal affordability, Michelin recognition and TikTok hashtag volumes.
Coming in at number on was, of course, London.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
With 47 cuisines, 22.5 restaurants per 10,000 residents and 81 Michelin-starred establishments, the capital unsurprisingly continues to dominate the UK’s culinary scene.
But in at number two was our glorious city of Leeds, supported by the highest restaurant density in the study, with 38.5 establishments per 10,000 people, and strong affordability compared with cities in the south.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
We will absolutely take that.
Other northern spots to feature on the list include Sheffield and Bradford in sixth and eighth place.
The top ten UK cities for foodies are:
London
Leeds
Nottingham
Edinburgh
Wolverhampton / Leicester
Sheffield
Birmingham / Glasgow
Bradford / Swansea
Preston
Milton Keynes
Here in Leeds we've got so many fabulous food spots, with new openings cropping up every month it's hard to keep track.
From the multi award-winning Bavette Bistro in Horsforth to the highly acclaimed indie Bundobust that started off in Leeds - you certainly won't find yourself hungry or at a loss for somewhere to eat here.
Sheffield amongst nine areas to be long listed for UK City of Culture 2029
Clementine Hall
It's big news for Sheffield as the city has officially been long listed to become the UK City of Culture in 2029.
It’s one of just nine places across the country to make the cut, alongside the likes of Blackpool, Portsmouth and Wrexham.
Winning the title could bring huge investment to Sheffield, thousands of visitors, and a massive spotlight on everything that makes our city special - and let’s be honest, Sheffield’s got plenty to shout about.
From music and film to art and grassroots creativity, culture runs right through this city, and it would be a huge achievement to receive this title.
So, what happens now? Each arena will now receive £60,000 to develop a full application with the aim to build a vibrant cultural programme by 2028.
The nine confirmed long listed locations are: Blackpool, Inverness-Highland, Ipswich, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Portsmouth, Sheffield, Swindon and Wrexham.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: "For far too long, opportunity has not been shared equally across the country. The UK City of Culture and new UK Town of Culture competitions recognise the enormous contributions made by communities all over the UK who are all part of the story of who we are as a nation.
"I look forward to seeing what the nine long listed places have in store as they progress in the competition. I also urge any towns thinking about entering the UK Town of Culture competition to seize this opportunity and get involved. It’s a chance to show the country what makes them unique and shine a spotlight on their cultural offer, enriching the lives of local people."
Go on Sheffield, we're rooting for you big time. We can't think of a city more worthy.
Georgina Pellant -
2nd September 2021 
