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Lunch in Leeds


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My brother is taking my parents for lunch in Leeds following his graduation at the end of July, and knows the standard places. Is there anywhere just outside Leeds, ideally on the Horsforth side where there is a nice gastro pub or similar that he might not of heard of?

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Yuck!!

Before Gary gets here and pooh-poohs everything I'm about to say...obviously as a student, he'll be tired of Whitelocks, so...

Nothing in Horsforth. Then moving out you have Otley which has a couple of nice cafes (one very good), but hardly the place for a celebration. Bramhope has the Fox n Hounds (? I think it's called that, there's only one pub there), which is good honest food.

Ilkley has Bar T'at which is a Market Towns Tavern, and is very good--usual pub food but extremely well done and the beer is Belgian and six or so choices of real ale. Ilkley also has Farsyde and Tubby Wadlow's which are pretty good for lunch, but are definitely bistros/restaurants.

Gastro-pub wise the nearest you're looking at is The Angel at Hetton, which is just outside Skipton, lovely country setting, good French-influenced food, great wine list, not too expensive.

Or The Sportsman's Arms in Ramsgill near Pateley Bridge. Again, idyllic setting, got one star, very good fish, nt so great beer.

On the way you've got the Devonshire Arms which features a £100 a head restaurant as well as a Bistro, the former has a star, the latter has better food (YMMV).

And then the Devonshire Fell and The Red Lion in Burnsall, which I think used to have a star, very French, very odd, I don't like but lots of people do.

Going north there's probably more choice...Leeds is only an hour away from The Star at Harome, and only ninety minutes from The Crab and Lobster and The White Swan at Pickering.

HTH

It no longer exists, but it was lovely.

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Thought I’d have a go at this as well.

Horsforth is a nice part of town, but despite a high street crammed full of eateries – not sure any of them stand out as gastronomic destinations. Your best bet would be Fat Francos or Horsforth, but to be honest, think you’d be better staying in Headingley and going to Salvo's if you want to try Italian.

Agree with Bertie Wooster that gastropubs are scarce on the ground in Leeds, In addition to his suggestions, you could try the General Tarleton up the A1 which used to be linked to the Angel at Hetton . Have also heard good reports of the Boars Head at Ripley near Harrogate - web link.

Am possibly going to the Devonshire Arms this weekend so may have a report then,

On a different tangent – surely there could be nothing more Leeds that an visit to the original Harry Ramsden at Guiseley?

Actually for a graduation lunch, still think he should indulge at No 3 York Place or at Anthony’s … he’s worked for it hasn’t he?!

OK - will stop rambling now ...

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The Boar's Head is good, yes (especially their bread!). There's also the Scott's Arms in Sicklinghall which is a Chef & Brewer but is a lovely place (and the food is about as good as chains get)

I didn't suggest Salvo's as I assumed a Leeds student would probably be sick of the place.

Harry Ramsden's is bloody awful these days! Westfield Fisheries in Guiseley, now there's a different matter!

It no longer exists, but it was lovely.

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Other residents of West Yorkshire have covered the out of town eateries pretty well. I would agree that Horsforth is not the best for good food.

Two more suggestions for restaurants:

1.Haleys Hotel - actually in Headingley - good food if a bit trad, very pleasant dining room. See: Haley's

2. Quantro on Street Lane and also in Harrogate. Modern and very reasonable at lunchtime. See: Quantro

Edited by daw (log)
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Hello Conor

Have you thought about the two Wetherspoon's pubs in the city centre?

The Lady Pleaser

The Lady Pleaser - welcome to eGullet! We're trying to start an Angry Northern Mob and have it ready for when Gary returns - hope you'll join us! :laugh:

"Gimme a pig's foot, and a bottle of beer..." Bessie Smith

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i think that seems to have covered the likely suspects. (except wetherspoons, where i think the irony emoticon was missing :wink: )

for a celebration though i'd go to number 3, at lunch you could have the menu du jour which is £13.50 i think for 2, £16 for 3 courses.

great service and plenty of pol roger to celebrate, and they can cope with bigger parties.

cheers

gary

you don't win friends with salad

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has anyone been to Paris restaurant over at Calverley recently? I did try and look it up in my original post but all the weblinks were broken. But the sign is still there on the ring road when I whizzed past this weekend.

Or there's the Olive Tree at Rodley I guess.

Cheers

Yin

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The last time I was in Leeds I had a good lunch at Scofields, and you got a fashion show with it as well.

Martial.2,500 Years ago:

If pale beans bubble for you in a red earthenware pot, you can often decline the dinners of sumptuous hosts.

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  • 2 weeks later...
My brother is taking my parents for lunch in Leeds following his graduation at the end of July, and knows the standard places. Is there anywhere just outside Leeds, ideally on the Horsforth side where there is a nice gastro pub or similar that he might not of heard of?

Conor

So where did your brother choose to go? I guess it may not have happened yet as graduations are still going on in Leeds. Anyway I guess we would like to know which place and what they thought ...

David

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  • 1 month later...

My brother ended up at No 3 York Place and came back with positive reviews.

I've just got back from visiting the Angel at Hetton with him. We ate in the bar rather than the restaurant. Food was good, wine list was excellent in terms of wines but its hard to get a grip on the pricing when everything seems good compared to london, but it seemed well priced.

I'd recommend the specials rather than the bar menu, but i think that is overtly the aim at the pub. Food was hearty, well presented with no frills. Service was friendly and efficient. The bill came to £58 for 2 starters, 2 mains, a £24 pinot noir from NZ and a particularly good pot of coffee.

I would return to the Angel, the setting is beautiful, and it is really a place you could end up spending the whole afternoon, pity you have to drive the car to get there meaning one of us wasn't drinking. However i got the feeling while everything was good, nothing was great and i felt that they were operating very much within themselves. But perhaps it is a tried and tested formula that works there so why change it.

Edited by Conor (log)
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looks like someone gave a researcher a quick job.

doesn't read like an 'inside job', not written by someone who actually lives in leeds, more about profile that can be easily found by a researcher.

such slackness comes as no suprise, i was quite shocked to be introduced to a professional restaurant reviewer in anthony's who had A) never heard of anthony's until the night before, and B) thought that no 3 was too hidden away and couldn't be bothered to find it.

gary

you don't win friends with salad

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B) thought that no 3 was too hidden away and couldn't be bothered to find it.

You have to understand that not everyone can navigate as easily as you can around the sprawling metropolis that is Leeds. I mean, it would have taken at least 7 minutes to walk from Anthony's to 3 York Place. And there's that very busy road to cross as well. No, its just too much to ask of a journalist. Perhaps if someone could arrange for a sedan chair to be on hand for the next critic that ventures up North.

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You have to understand that not everyone can navigate as easily as you can around the sprawling metropolis that is Leeds. I mean, it would have taken at least 7 minutes to walk from Anthony's to 3 York Place. And there's that very busy road to cross as well. No, its just too much to ask of a journalist. Perhaps if someone could arrange for a sedan chair to be on hand for the next critic that ventures up North.

exactly, i don't think turn left out of the station, turn right for 30 paces then first left is particularly hard to find.

if you tried to take a taxi, they'd probably laugh, or charge you £10 as you quite patently have no idea where you are and therefore can be taken for ride. As i'm sure happens to me in london often :raz:

gary

you don't win friends with salad

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