Looking for the best bagels in Leeds? Look no further.
In honour of National Bagel Day, we've chosen five of our favourite cafes, shops and bodegas to get our hands on a delicious bagel.
Thought of as an iconic New York food, the big apple has done wonders for the reputation of this chewy, boiled breakfast snack - and it's even come over to Leeds, where there are plenty of bakers turning their hand to the humble bagel.
Whether you like yours slathered in cream cheese and loaded with smoked salmon, or kept simple with a lick of butter, keep reading to discover some of our top picks for the best bagels in Leeds.
Slow Rise Bakery
2a Sunnybank Ave, Horsforth, LS18 4LZ
Images: The Hoot Leeds
In the bagel game since 2014, where they learnt their trade assisting Berlin's formidable Fine Bagels, Slow Rise knows what they're doing when it comes to boiling bagels. Whilst they already supply wholesale to quite a few different places in Leeds, you can also find their famous bagels at their own cafe in Horsforth.
Served freshly toasted and stuffed with your choice of hummus, turkey, salt beef, pastrami; or salmon, or simply slathered in the likes of butter, cream cheese, or avocado, there are over twenty different ways to enjoy a bagel here. These are some of the best bagels in Leeds, no doubt about it.
Streetlane Bakery
Caretakers House, 399 Street Ln, Moortown, LS17 6HQ
Images: The Hoot Leeds
This community bakehouse seemingly does it all, bagels included. These can be bought individually or in packs of six and are made fresh daily to a classic Jewish recipe, with flavours including plain, onion and poppy seed. Filling choices are quite limited if you're eating in, with options including Nutella and smoked salmon.
Fika North
94 Otley Rd, Headingley, LS6 4BA
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Situated in the leafy suburb of Far Headingley, this speciality coffee shop also knows a thing or two about bagels. Served from 9 am - 3 pm daily, there are nine different options to choose from including nduja and avocado, rose harissa chickpeas with pink pickles and pea shoots, peanut butter and banana.
Alfonso's Deli
Grand Arcade, LS1 6PG
Images: The Hoot Leeds
If you've got a hankering for a proper New York-style breakfast bagel, then the Grand Arcade is where you should be heading.
Relatively new to Leeds, Alfonso's breakfast bagels are the perfect hangover cure - loaded with hash browns, perfectly cooked eggs and dripping in melted cheese.
The Cheesy Living Co.
Oakwood and Pudsey
Images: The Hoot Leeds
You already know by now that everything that Jake and team at Cheesy Living Co. does is absolutley stellar, and their bagels are no exception.
Baked and boiled at their own bakery in town, they're then filled with whatever your heart desires and served with a coffee of your choice for just a tenner.
In case you missed it, a bakery in Bramley has received lots of attention recently after people have sampled some of its impressive bread and pastries before raving about it online.
Since then, Ruth, the mastermind behind it all, has generated queues from her summer house-turned bakehouse with people coming from far and wide to sample her flaky favourites and doughy delights.
Baking for more than 10 years and opening The Fat Pigeon just outside of Leeds city centre three years ago, there's no denying that the pastries and more produced here are some of the best.
This micro-bakery has a mighty menu and although Ruth's personal tastes might lean more savoury, the menu heavily favours sugary baked goods.
Anyone who loves a good sweet treat will be glad to know there's croissants, traybakes, cinnamon buns and the star-studded kouign-amann, a French-originating buttery pastry that covers all bases as it's sugary, sweet and slightly salty - heaven in baked form.
Ruth posing with a pigeon statue alongside some of her delicious golden creations / Image Credits: The Hoot Leeds / The Fat Pigeon
There's plenty more dough-based delights that cater to the savoury palate too. Think sourdough loaves, baguettes and focaccia that's oozing with perfectly paired herbs and generous amounts of oil.
What makes this place even more special is the fact that not only the products being created and consumed made by a Leeds local, most if not all of the offerings are made using Yorkshire produce.
Ruth has made sure to keep local produce at the heart of all her bakes with Met's in Farsley who providing cheese, Whiteley's contributing fresh vegetables like parsley and rhubarb, flour from East Yorkshire's own Stringers and The Organic Dales for any dairy items - it really doesn't get more Yorkshire than this.
Enough from us, social media user's are singing this bakery's praises too as one commented "Delicious. Delicious. Delicious" and another going as far to say, "Beats every pastry I had in Copenhagen".
The sourdough loaves and bloomers at The Fat Pigeon are homemade and look as good as they taste / Image Credits: The Hoot Leeds / The Fat Pigeon
Hopefully you're reading this on a Friday or early Saturday morning, otherwise all I can do is apologise for tempting you with all this bakery's homemade golden goodness so far in advance.
The Fat Pigeon is open from 9am to 12pm every Saturday meaning you can stock up on some of Leeds' best bread and pastries to tie you over until the next weekend, depending on your will power.
Five of the best new openings in Leeds recently – from ice bath cafes to listening bars
Clementine Hall
It's been a brilliant couple of months for new openings in Leeds.
We don't know about you, but we think our city is really thriving with all it has to offer at the moment.
There's been a flurry of new spots opening up, and if you haven't visited them then we urge you to check them out.
But first, allow us to tell you all about them...
Domo
Tower works, 2 Globe Rd, Holbeck, LS11 5QG
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Introducing Domo, an independent restaurant born in Sheffield that is loved by many for its delicious food, inviting atmosphere and stellar service.
Run by Raffaele Busceddu and Sarah May Elliott, Domo serves a range of traditional Sardinian specialities that aren't often seen outside the island, all made entirely in-house.
Located right on the water's edge, we've got a feeling this is going to be our go-to spot this summer for long lunches fuelled by spritzes.
Also born in Sheffield, this one's for the matcha lovers and we know there's a lot of you. Think iced banana bread matcha, superfood smoothies and refreshing acai bowls served in a super cool setting.
Kontrast
84-86 Railway Street, Saxton Gardens, LS9 8HB
Images: The Hoot Leeds
After already making a big name for themselves over in Manchester, Kontrast has brought its popular sauna and ice bath cafe concept over to Leeds. Located under the railway arches, Kontrast features two traditional saunas, one infrared sauna, and four ice baths, each varying in temperature between three and 13 degrees. It's the perfect space to enjoy solo or with a group of like-minded wellness-loving people.
Scott and his partner have opened the coolest, 70's inspired record bar that is full of his massive record collection alongside a carefully curated cocktail menu with a twist. With the best view of Sunny Bank Mills, Pardon Me is just the most chilled out place to watch the world go by whilst sipping on a coffee or a glass of wine whilst hearing everything from hip hop and soul to deep house, and disco. We loved our visit and we know you will too.
We all know and bloody love Silver's Deli over in Bramley, but now they’ve branched out to Farsley and opened the wonderful their very own bakery which is already a sell-out.
The all-new neighbourhood bakehouse is slinging out the likes of homemade focaccia, buttermilk brownies, sausage rolls, cookies, tiramisu and, of course, the ever-so-famous sandos but this time in homemade, fluffy focaccia.
Clementine Hall -
14th January 2026 
