Let your jaw drop at the mouthwatering taste of Italian heritage cuisine at this Granary Wharf restaurant.
Straight from their motherland, Livin Italy have launched a fresh new menu with incredible dishes to try.
The Granary Wharf restaurant have consistently brought authentic Italian flavours to the city centre and this new menu is simply the icing on the cake for this locally-renowned eatery.
We were so impressed with these dishes that we're giving away a free dining experience so you can Livin Italy's new must-try menu too.
The all-new Paccheri pasta in a cream of pistachio is certainly an packed with flavour and the rest of the Livin' Italy menu shares the same attention-to-detail and authentic Italian flair.
The Paccheri pasta in a cream of pistachio is a must-try. / Image: Livin' Italy
Their Dough House have also permanently adopted newfound favourites and are bringing Leeds endless options that are a delight on the eyes and the tastebuds.
Cheese is taken seriously here and their pizzas showcase the best of this.
Opt for a spicy Indiavolata with goat's cheese, mozzarella fiordilatte, grated parmesan with Calabrian chilli sausage, 'nduja and spicy salame spianata.
Alternatively their Five Cheese special swaps those meaty treats for sweet gorgonzola, walnut crumble, pecorino romano and fried sage to produce an unimaginable flavoursome meal.
If these options aren't tempting enough, you can choose your own toppings too.
There is only one rule: no pineapple on pizzas.
For those sharing, get the best of their cheeses and cured meats on a bed of crispy thin pane carasau with homemade barbecue relish.
This can be paired with any of Livin' Italy's antipasti dishes: think prosciutto crudo, porchetta, ricotta, grana padano and finish with some scamorza affumicata: a southern smoked and stretched curd cheese made with cow's milk.
Meat and fish dishes are aplenty here too.
Seafood lovers will be delights at the Mediterranean Polpo: slow cooked tender Octopus tentacles chargrilled to perfection with garlic and smoked paprika.
Served with a cream of sweet peppers and a crushed potato gratin, it's a clear winner for any foodie fans.
The new menu from Livin' Italy combines the best Italian flavours available in Leeds and their presentation is just as spectacular. / Image: Livin' Italy
28-day-aged sirloin, double Tuscan sausage burgers, swordfish steaks with marinated aubergines and vegan burgers also made the cut for the brand new menu.
These authentic dishes can be paired with equally traditional cocktails and wines. An Aperol Spritz or Italian Mojito will have you transported to the sun-drenched streets of Milan in no time.
Sharing is all part of the Italian dining experience here and that shouldn't stop with drinks.
Grab a Sgroppino for two and sip on homemade lemon Skyy Vodka infused with fresh lime cordial, prosecco and Italian lemon sorbet.
It's all in the detail here and we are obsessed with these cocktail glasses. / Image: Livin' Italy
There are also a range of artisan Italian beers on offer, including Gradisca, Spaghetti Western and Mr White: an aromatic blend of citrus and coriander with a thin creamy head.
The brand boast there are "absolutely no compromises, just good, honest and real Italian cooking at its best" and we couldn't agree more.
To grab a bite of this delicious new menu, check out our giveaway on Instagram. There's a meal for two up for grabs with cocktails included.
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.
Team behind Headrow House and Belgrave to take over and reopen Woodside just one year after opening
Clementine Hall
The foodie-favourite restaurant and bar is now under new management.
The eagle-eyed amongst you may have noticed that Woodside has sadly been closed for a few months.
We certainly have, and ever since December we've had a Woodside Sunday roast-shaped hole in our hearts that's been gasping for one of their glorious Marmite glazed parsnips.
But luckily, it has now been confirmed that Woodside isn't going anywhere as Superfriendz, the team behind Headrow House, Belgrave and many other top Leeds spots will be taking over. Hallelujah.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Woodside opened at the end of 2024 from the owners of The Brunswick and The Melbourne.
Labelling itself as a 'neighbourhood eatery and bar', Woodside quickly became a favourite amongst Leeds foodies and was known for its smoked meats, great cocktails and stellar Sunday roasts (do I need to talk about the parsnips again).
The menu was fresh and innovative, with oysters topped with kiwi granita and an incredibly garish banana split standing out as highlights.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
We hope that the new management continues to maintain Woodside's brilliance, but mainly we're just so glad that it's sticking around.
Superfriendz take care of a whole host of spots in the city, including proper Leeds favourites Headrow House, Belgrave Music Hall and Waterlane Boathouse.
Announcing the news to Instagram, Woodside said: "After a longer-than-expected winter break, Woodside is back and will reopen on Thursday 19th March!
"Your favourite neighbourhood bar and eatery returns with the same warm welcome, but an all new management team.
"We can’t wait to see you so keep your eyes on our socials for news on great food and drinks, big screen sports, quizzes and more.
"We’d also like to thank Sam and the original team for all the hard work that went into setting-up the venue. We hope we can do it justice."
Sophie Smith -
29th October 2021 
