A lively city with a famously cosmopolitan shopping, drinking and dining scene, Leeds offers endless opportunities to fill up on good food. The city’s two universities lend a young, funky element to the café and bar scene, and also makes for some good deals on eating out as venues try to win the custom of cash-strapped students. There are numerous award-winning restaurants in Leeds, and visitors  looking to splash out on fine dining have plenty of sophisticated options open to them.

The city’s dining scene has a real international flavor, with the opportunity to sample dishes from far-flung places as well as traditional British dishes.

Best Bar None

A city famous for its nightlife, it’s not surprising that much of Leeds’ dining scene revolves  around its excellent bars. From chains such as Living Room and Revolution to independent café bars, there are endless opportunities to enjoy a cocktail in laid-back surrounds as you work up an appetite for your meal. Head for the bars at lunchtime or early evening to catch good Happy Hour deals that often involve two-for-one offers or slashed prices on meals and drinks from the set menu. One of the best of the bar-restaurant bunch is Toast Bar and Bistro at West Point, Wellington Street. This lively spot has an extensive outdoor area (heated, crucially) and uses fresh, locally sourced ingredients to create contemporary dishes on a menu that changes daily. For those of a more traditional bent, there are countless cozy pubs serving filling meals.

International Flavors

Visitors can enjoy a culinary trip round the world in Leeds; there are opportunities to try dishes from the Middle East, Asia and Africa via South America, the Caribbean and Europe. One of the stars of Leeds’ international dining scene is Chaophraya, at Blayd’s Court in the City Center. This excellent Thai restaurant has won a string of awards and the meat-free menu is a treat for vegetarians and non-veggies alike. The décor is sleek, the ambiance relaxed, and the prices reasonable. The restaurant has been named among the Top 3 Thai restaurants in the UK by the Guardian Newspaper, and Best Vegetarian Restaurant in the UK by The Times.

Cheap Eats

Budget travelers needn’t go hungry in Leeds. The city boasts plenty of good, inexpensive sandwich bars, and there are lots of low-cost takeaways offering everything from burgers and pizzas to Chinese food and traditional British fish and chips.