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Top 12 new bars and restaurants opening in Leeds this Summer
13th June 2022
Leeds is a foodie heaven. We pride ourselves on having the best in British and international cuisine, where you can experience fine dining in the most elegant of surroundings alongside vibrant street food stalls across the city – and that’s not to mention the variety of bars, pubs, distilleries, breweries and more where you can enjoy a tipple or two. And it keeps getting better. With an abundance of new bars and restaurants opening across the city, we’ve put together a new top ten places opening this summer for you to try. Whether you want to experience the flavours of India, socialise over some Spanish tapas, or just tuck in to some hearty British classics – read on to find your new favourite spot.
The Cut & Craft
A staple in the York food scene since 2018, The Cut & Craft is the perfect day to night restaurant, and they’re getting ready to open doors in the heart of Leeds. With a location secured in the stunning Victoria Quarter, the restaurant promises to “transform the Leeds Casual premium dining scene.” The restaurant will maintain the history and character of the building it occupies, but with a luxurious twist that features a central dome and the classic Cut & Craft circular bar, with craft beers, flat iron steaks & burgers at your fingertips for that gathering with friends or colleagues.
The Cut & Craft – opening Summer 2022.
Blue Pavilion
Nestled in the Merrion Centre, Blue Pavilion is gearing up to bring luxury Oriental cuisine to Leeds, offering modern twists on classic dishes, paired perfectly with live music and dancers in a sophisticated 130-cover dining space. The owners of the new venue are also responsible for Leeds’ favourite, Blue Sakura, and in addition to the new dining hall, have also taken over the first floor space. The first floor space will be home to a new karaoke venue named ‘K Kube’ complete with 7 private hire rooms, a great choice for parties and gatherings.
Blue Pavilion – opening Summer 2022.
Meat:Stack
Meat:Stack, who originally began their business on the Newcastle quayside market before opening their flagship store in Newcastle City Centre, bring their expertise of the taste of America to Leeds. Authentic cheeseburgers with homemade sauces and seasonings, and thick shakes to round it off. They also serve breakfast, where you can grab sandwiches or loaded pancake stacks to get you ready for a busy day of taking in the sights of the city. Why not check out their June special, with toppings such as smoky bacon, pineapple, and teriyaki, just to name a few highlights.
Well Oiled
Well Oiled have been bringing their Detroit-style pizzas to pop up events and venues around the city this last year, but in September, they will finally be treating us to a permanent location all of their own. Out of this world toppings such as fennel salami, whipped ricotta, pickled mash, and hot honey are all on offer, as well as Garlic Donut Bread made with 48 hour fermented dough and stuffed with burrata cheese, it’s certain that Well Oiled will be a fascinating new addition to the food scene in Leeds.
Well Oiled – opening September 2022.
Libations Rum Distillery
Award-winning and Yorkshire born and bred rum company Libations are on a mission to put Yorkshire rum on the map in 2022. Founded in 2019, Libations has made a name for itself across the UK with its single origin spiced and pineapple-infused rums, selling their 250-strong launch batch in an impressive 96 hours. Now they’re planning to bring production in-house, with a rum experience to include a public bar for sampling some of those award winning flavours, a warming room for aging their cask expressions, as well as a visitor centre.
Libations Rum Distillery – opening later in 2022
Black Sheep Coffee
First opening in Camden in 2013 as a pop-up stall and subsequently moving around London for two years, Black Sheep have now blossomed into a coffee phenomenon. With over 40 branches, including sites in Paris and the Philippines, they are bringing their famous beans to Leeds in 2022, with a spot just a stone’s throw away from the main shops and some of the most popular bars in the city. Co-founders of Black Sheep Coffee, Gabriel Shohet and Eirik Holth vow to “leave the herd behind” in their company slogan, and bring something new to a big industry, with a policy against single use plastics, and their battle against social exclusion in their Free Coffee Board Initiative, a pay it forward scheme to provide hot drinks to the homeless.
Black Sheep Coffee – opening 2022, no specified date yet.
Green Room
Just in time for Summer, the highly anticipated Green Room has opened its doors to diners and drinkers in Leeds. In a collaboration with the very best local independent food and drink brands, the venue boasts an unrivalled collection of vegan-friendly dishes and drink menus. As a coffee bar and eatery by day, it’s the perfect spot for that casual business meeting or catch up with friends. Into the night, the space is transformed into a cool and vibrant bar, perfectly paired with a rooftop bar, which will play host to summer BBQs and the best local DJ talent providing your summer soundtrack every Sunday-Thursday.
Pinnacle Beer & Gin Hall
The brand new Pinnacle Beer & Gin Hall is the latest brainchild from Concept Taverns, and with open arms is now welcoming visitors. Floor to ceiling windows drape this ultra modern venue in light, but also provide the perfect view of the Leeds skyline. With an extensive selection of over 100 gins to sample, alongside over 20 draught beer lines from all over the world, you’d be forgiven for thinking the drinks menu alone is why it’s the perfect place to hold your next social gathering. However this venue doesn’t just stop there, with 7 pool tables, shuffleboard, and also Sky Sports and BT Sports being broadcast here, accompanied by hand-stretched pizzas, charcuterie boards, and a range of small-bites, there’s plenty of reasons that you should stop in here on your next visit to Leeds.
Pinnacle Beer & Gin Hall – now open
The Owl
A much loved Leeds venue, with a brand new location. Saying goodbye to its home in Leeds Kirkgate Market, you can now find The Owl in its new nest at Mustard Wharf. A picturesque waterside location in the oldest industrial hub of Leeds, now brought to life with new buildings, venues, and renovation projects, the dining room provides a small but lively experience, offering modern British fayre in fine dining surroundings, with tasting menus that change with the seasons, and differ for lunch and dinner, The Owl also offers an outdoor terrace and wine bar so you can take in all the best that the waterfront has to offer. As the brain child of Liz Cottam, semi-finalist on Masterchef 2016, and Mark Owens, who won and retained a Michelin star as Head Chef of The Box Tree in Ilkley, it’s a venue that is sure to hit the right spot.
Bomba Paella
A taste of the laid-back Mediterranean in the hustle and bustle of the city centre, Bomba is a new Spanish restaurant, café & bar, a world away from their original stall at Leeds Kirkgate Market. The venue are specialists in authentic paella, all freshly cooked to order and classic tapas dishes, with choices such as patatas bravas, garlic prawns, and ham croquetas…to name just a few. With a sunny outdoor terrace, and nestled perfectly between the city centre and the Leeds waterfront, it doesn’t matter whether you’re looking for a full meal, a light snack, or even just for some sangria in the sunshine.
Kino
Exciting times are on the horizon for Opera North this summer, as the company announces an opening date for its much anticipated new restaurant, Kino. Located on New Briggate in the historic, newly renovated Grade II-listed Opera North space, Kino will open its doors and start serving up a range of food and drink from Wednesday 6th July with an informal offer showcasing some of the region’s finest cheese and charcuterie over the summer. A top notch wine list, craft beer and cocktails sit alongside an evolving food offering sourced from the best local producers and featuring guest chefs and kitchen residencies over the coming months.
Rudy’s Pizza, Chapel Allerton
Rudy’s Neapolitan Pizza will open their doors this July bringing 5,000 free authentic Neapolitan pizzas to the people of North Leeds. Rudy’s Chapel Allerton will be a relaxed neighbourhood pizzeria situated at the former Casa Mia Site at 10 – 12 Stainbeck Lane, in the bustling heart of North Leeds. Born out of passion for pizza, Rudy’s follows the authentic Neapolitan tradition of pizza making, serving classic recipes such as Marinara, Margherita and Calabrese – all originating from Naples, the birthplace of pizza. Believing Neapolitan pizza to be the best in the world, Rudy’s dough is made fresh daily using Caputo ‘00’ flour which ferments for at least 24 hours, alongside the best quality ingredients imported twice a week from Naples, including San Marzano tomatoes grown on fields next to Mount Vesuvius, and Fior di Latte mozzarella.
With a wealth of options for food and drink in Leeds already and more on the way, be the first to know about new openings! Sign up for our newsletter or regularly visit our food and drink listing pages on the website: discovering food and drink in Leeds.