All the best places to get your caffeine fix in Leeds.
It's no secret at Leeds is fuelled by caffeine, especially given there are no less than 110 different coffee stores and within a short walk from the city centre. 2021 brought the closure of some of our favourite coffee spots, but plenty more reopened to revive the caffeine scene.
Here are our favourite openings of the year so far.
What was formerly Rum and Reason on Merrion Street was taken over by Nam Song Caphe back in June. The new cafe and restaurant has since been serving up authentic Vietnamese coffees, bahn mi baguettes, bowls of pho and more. On the drinks front, there’s some proper Vietnamese coffee to be enjoyed here. Ca phe trung – a Hanoi speciality made with condensed milk and egg yolk mix – is a house favourite, but can also be taken without for those who don’t like the sound of egg in their coffee.
A new cake shop opened inside an industrial mill unit in Stanningley, Leeds back in late May. Called Soph’s Cakes Leeds, it’s the brainchild of ex-professional dancer Sophie O’Connell – who’s had the unit for over a year but has only just been able to open now. Customers can enjoy a good range of sweet treats like cupcakes and full-size creations, alongside coffees and savoury pastries from 2-6pm Monday to Wednesday, and 9.30am-2pm on Saturdays.
A new wellbeing cafe with a focus on improving people’s mental health opened in Leeds earlier this year. Called Better Days, it’s located inside the Grand Arcade and sets itself apart from other bars and cafes in the area by offering dedicated (and free) classes in improving wellbeing. Better Days offers free support to everyone who visits and, according to owner Vicky Fytche, is the only place of its kind in Leeds- and we're so excited to see something so important pop up in our city.
The small Headingley coffee shop opened earlier this year and the little shop really is the epitome of independent coffee. There’s a new selection of cakes and baked goods each day and the store stocks whatever seems right. There’s always variation: whether it’s the morning choice of bagels or the ever-changing choice of hot chocolates, you’re guaranteed to be greeted with a smile and good vibes, which is all we can really ask from our local coffee shop.
After some serious rebranding, the team behind Fettle opened, Fint. Housed in the same space as its predecessor on Leeds’ leafy Great George street, the owners have rebranded following a period of closure – and we were really excited to see them back, albeit in a new guise. Fettle was known and loved for its understated, laid-back cafe-meets-restaurant vibe, and whilst the space has reemerged with a new name it seems that its overall aesthetic still holds up. The difference? There’s now more of a restaurant focus- but that shouldn't stop you popping in for a great cup of coffee.
A sweet lockdown success story and delicious coffee shop on wheels, Mister Coffee started serving locals just two months ago. There's fresh hot coffee made from an arabica and robusta blend, and Mister Coffee is also has pastries, sandwiches, pies and more on board. There is even fresh cannoli to snack on and brownies from locally-renowned bakery Brown and Blond.
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 -
27th December 2021 
