The £1 million waterfront club come cafe and bar is almost ready to open its doors to the public.
Really, where can you go in Leeds to get your morning coffee fix and a later night boogie?
There are far fewer all-hour cafe-clubs than ever before, but Canal Club on Granary Wharf are set to change this.
Opening next month, the brand new cafe, bar and club will provide an eclectic mix of live music and DJs in interior oozing with a decadence and hedonism.
Granary Wharf will welcome Canal Club in December. / Image: Canal Club
The concept has embraced the changes that the pandemic have brought to our lives, but the brand is keen to ensure that their pre-Covid globetrotting-inspired-decor can still take visitors on a trip to parties around the world whilst restrictions are still in place.
Iconic party hotspots such as Havana, LA and Miami will have nothing on Canal Club as new club-cafe effortlessly brings the best of all three to Leeds.
£1m has been invested in Canal Club to create a multisensory space. Living walls and ceilings, dripping with lush palm leaves and bougainvillaea are peppered throughout, whilst neon signage, twinkling lights and kitsch furnishings mean that no two tables are alike.
This exotic, tropical flair is designed to transport guests straight to a Havana-style club night that's perfect to grab a few photos for the 'gram, let your hair down and party like you're under the tropical heat of the Caribbean.
Guests can also tuck into world tapas dishes and light bites like Beet Hummus Toast, sliders, salt and pepper squid and sweet potato crostini, day and night.
Even the Canal Club menu will be colourful, eclectic and inspired by worldwide travels. / Image: Canal Club
Cocktails are beautifully garnished and served in stunning glassware. Try a cherry Blossom ‘Tini, served Asian-style with sake and Cointreau, or turn up the heat by sipping on a spicy Strawberry and Coconut Margarita with jalapeño-infused tequila.
The food and cocktails are playful and innovative, blending the familiar with the exotic to create menus filled with promise and temptation.
The cocktails are just as colourful as the menu. / Image: Canal Club
Speaking ahead of the launch, Operations Director Jade Renner said:
"It’s an eclectic space, with lots of picture-perfect fixtures and fittings. Our food and drinks are also exceptional and are presented in a way that adds to the whole experience for our guests.
"No stone has been left unturned. The pandemic gave us time to think about what it is that people are looking for when they socialise now.
"We’re looking forward to welcoming people when we open next month because we do have to be seen to be believed.”
The Canal Club will open its doors next month, but visitors will have to wait until early 2022 to check out the Canal Cafe.
Opening its doors in Spring 2022, guests will be able to choose from a selection of coffees as well as grab ‘n’ go breakfast options and sweet treats. Think edible granola gardens and charcuterie jars, as well as freshly baked pastries almost too pretty to eat.
Canal Cafe will open in 2022 and serve coffee as well as bottomless brunch on the weekends. / Image: Canal Club
Of course, a new cafe-bar-club concept couldn't open in Leeds without a bottomless brunch option.
On weekends, step things up a gear in the highly anticipated venue and grab a bottomless brunch from a plentiful menu that will be released closer to opening.
Leeds Playhouse delivers a powerful story about the walls we build.
August Wilson’s Fences is a powerful and deeply personal family drama, exploring race, fatherhood, ambition and the emotional scars that can be passed from one generation to the next.
At Leeds Playhouse, the strength of the production lies largely with its cast. Ray Fearon gives Troy Maxson a commanding presence, balancing humour and charm with a growing sense of anger and resentment. It is an uncomfortable performance at times, but one that keeps you invested in Troy even when his actions become increasingly difficult to accept.
Madeline Appiah brings real warmth and emotional depth to Rose, while Josh Tedeku captures Cory’s frustration as a young man determined to make his own way rather than inherit his father’s limitations.
Image: Supplied
For me, though, Act 2 is where the production really comes alive.
The first half feels comparatively restrained. That isn't necessarily a criticism of the performances or Wilson's writing, but having experienced previous Headlong productions, I went in expecting a little more theatrical imagination from the staging. There were moments where I felt the production could have pushed the material further visually.
Act 2 begins to deliver that.
The rotating set adds movement and energy, while the bright LED lighting works particularly well with the live music, creating a more heightened atmosphere as the family's tensions reach breaking point. The production suddenly feels more visually ambitious, and the design starts to work hand-in-hand with the emotional journey of the characters.
Images: Supplied
The fence itself is an effective recurring image, initially a practical task, but gradually becoming a representation of Troy's need for control, protection and separation. The more the story unfolds, the more the fence feels like a barrier between Troy and the people he loves.
There is a lot to admire here, particularly in the performances, and Wilson's writing remains as relevant and affecting as ever. However, I couldn't help feeling that some of the theatrical ambition found in Act 2 could have been introduced earlier.
Ultimately, Fences is a moving and thought-provoking evening, with a particularly strong second half. For me, it was Act 2 that turned a solid production into a genuinely memorable one.
Running until 23 September at Leeds Playhouse, get your tickets here.
A new açai cafe promising to be Leeds’ ‘neighbourhood social club’ is opening soon
Clementine Hall
An independent açai bowl pop-up is opening a permanent cafe in Leeds city centre.
It seems the açai bowl trend isn't over just yet, and we're absolutely not mad about it.
The aesthetically purple frozen treat isn't just delicious, but is also known to have numerous health benefits making it guilt-free and the perfect post-workout pick me up.
You may remember Açai Social Club that opened as a pop-up in the Victoria Quarter last year, and now they're moving into a permanent spot in the city centre.
Run by a lovely husband and wife duo who have spent the last 15 months exploring cafes around the world, it's safe to say they know exactly what they're talking about.
Their açai is made with the very best ingredients, topped with the freshest fruit and sprinkled with their homemade granola - it doesn't get much better then that does it?
Announcing the very exciting news to Instagram, they said: "Açai Social Club is getting a home. Our very first store is officially on the way! We’ve been working behind the scenes to create a space that’s more about than just açai.
"What started as an idea is finally becoming something you can walk into…There’s still a lot we’re keeping under wraps for now, but we’re so excited to finally share the beginning of what’s to come.
"We can’t wait to open our doors and welcome you in. Your new neighbourhood social club, coming soon."
The exact location of the cafe and its opening date is still under wraps, but we'll of course keep you updated as and when we find out.
Sophie Smith -
23rd November 2021 
