In the centre of Leeds, there is a gorgeous little award-winning tapas bar that is giving every other bottomless brunch in the city a very good run for its money.
El Gato Negro, the AA-Rosette award-winning restaurant group by Simon Shaw, hosts its 'tipsy tapas' every Saturday where you can get ninety minutes of bottomless drinks and three tapas dishes of your choice for £35 a head.
Not only is there an extensive list of drinks options, the tapas selection is more than generous too - spanning some premium options like jamon iberico croquettas, crispy fried baby squid and mini Catalan chorizo with aspall cider. Just looking at the menu has us drooling, honestly.
Served every Saturday, the tipsy tapas offer at El Gato Negro is one of the best bottomless brunches in Leeds / Image: El Gato Negro Leeds
As for drinks choices, whether you're into beers, wines or cocktails there's plenty to get stuck into. Options include glasses of house wine, lager and prosecco, plus cocktails like bellinis and sangria - the ultimate Spanish brunch beverage.
In total, on the food front, there's a whopping fourteen dishes to choose from with plenty of options for veggies as well as meat-eaters.
Enjoy unlimited sangria, wine, beer or bellinis at El Gato Negro every Saturday as part of their 'tipsy tapas' deal / Image: El Gato Negro Leeds
Non-carnivores will enjoy getting stuck into the charred and salty padron peppers, a house must, alongside the likes of chargrilled sweet potato with mango, chilli and yoghurt, patatas bravas and navarrico chickpeas in harissa tomato sauce with caramelised cauliflower florets.
Other dishes we've got our eyes on, meanwhile, include the house meatballs in a red wine fritada sauce, salt cod croquettas and harissa spiced chicken wings.
There's seating to be found outside on Park Row for al fresco dining, as well as inside the sumptuously-decorated restaurant / Image: El Gato Negro Leeds
Available every Saturday between 12 and 3 pm, you'll need to book in advance to secure your spot - but trust us, it's completely worth it. To make your booking, head over to the El Gato website and make sure to select 'tipsy tapas' when checking out.
The restaurant also does an amazing three for £15 deal that it runs all through the day on Thursdays and Sundays, as well as until 5 pm on Fridays - so if you can't manage to squeeze in for brunch, that's another way to get your chops around some of the best tapas in the city at a very decent price.
Find El Gato Negro at 35 Park Row, Leeds LS1 5JL.
News
Independent Nordic-inspired homeware shop closes Leeds store after six years
After six years in the city, independent homeware retailer North Home is closing its Leeds city centre shop.
If you're a lover of all things home then you'll have most likely visited the gorgeous North Home shop in the Victoria Quarter.
Stacked to the brim with unique pieces from striking ceramics to stylish soft furnishings, North Home is known for its well-curated stock and great customer service.
Seriously, we've probably spent a good hour in here in awe of all the beautiful pieces.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Last week, curious shoppers noticed the three-storey store was suddenly empty and now the company have confirmed that they have closed for good.
In a statement, they said: "After nearly 6 wonderful years trading in Leeds, we’ve made the difficult decision to close our physical store while we restructure the business and explore the next chapter for North Home.
"Retail has changed significantly in recent years and, like many independent businesses, we’ve faced increasing costs.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
"Taking this step now gives us the opportunity to protect what we’ve built and focus on the future of the brand. North Home continues to operate online and all existing customer orders will be fulfilled as normal although delivery times may be slightly extended.
"We’ve loved being part of the Leeds retail community since 2020 and are incredibly grateful for the support we’ve received. We hope to share more about our plans soon."
We'll be sad to see them go and we hope this isn't goodbye forever, but you can still shop from North Home online here.
Neighbourhood Leeds bistro hailed as ‘a bit horny’ and ‘brilliant’ by national critic Camilla Long
Clementine Hall
Food critic Camilla Long visited Leeds for her latest review for The Times with her sights set on Horsforth's finest - Bavette Bistro.
Ever since opening back in 2024, Bavette Bistro nestled in the leafy suburb of Horsforth has made waves across the country for its sheer brilliance.
It's pretty much received five star reviews across the board and been handed awards from left, right and centre. And rightly so.
The Good Food Guide crowned Bavette the best local restaurant of 2024, and Michelin handed them a well deserved Bib Gourmand - so it's safe to say it's not just us who think it's really something special.
So it was only a matter of time until The Times popped in for a review, and this one is truly glowing.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
The review labels Bavette as "warm, unmannered and unpretentious" as well as "authentically French".
Long describes the food as "gorgeous, confident, surprising" with a menu that "isn’t too long" and "filled with sturdy, noble dishes, whiffing mightily of the sea and the soil."
It continues: "All of it made with generosity and cheer, served fast by nimble waiters, with a long, if slightly eccentric, wine list. To bang out French dishes with this much fiddly detail and to do it to a full room is not easy. Yet all four courses came in under two hours, for about £75 a head, which in London terms is nothing.
"It’s not that this place was perfect, it’s that it was decidedly not perfect. A bit too much chat about the menus; the oeufs in the meurette not quite runny enough. But the point is: it didn’t matter. All of it came charmingly together. It felt relaxed, just right."
The review is then wrapped up with a pleasing five stars, the cherry on top of the cake.
It's a review only restaurants can dream of, and we can't think of a more deserving team - congratulations Bavette.
Georgina Pellant -
24th August 2021 
