The food is really good here. More of a date night spot than the business dinner I was at with my…read morecustomer, but we did enjoy the quality of the food and top notch service. If you are in the area and have a few spare coins rolling around in your pocket, it's worth a try.

I've eaten at this truly authentic tapas restaurant twice now and it gets better each time. Great…read moreatmosphere, dishes don't all arrive at once and sit there going cold, they arrive in stages as the do in Spain! The dishes are amazing, all the staff are Spanish and so welcoming. I'll be back again very soon guys!

Viva Cuba is a brilliant Tapas bar, far and away the best in Leeds in my book…read more It's easily missed really, inside an ordinary looking building that looks more like it should house a bank than a funky restaurant. Because of this, I had gone past it on Kirkstall Road for years, without really ever noticing it, but a group of my friends have been eating there every week for the last few months, and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about, so I joined them a few weeks back. It's the sort of place with that has an effortlessly cool decor and atmosphere - the dark wooden interior and loud (but not too loud) music are the main reason that the place has such an informal, relaxed atmosphere. Onto the food - I've eaten tapas in Spain a fair few times, and I have to say, this place recreates the real thing better than anywhere else I've eaten at, including a few places IN Spain. The usual dishes are present, but they all seem elevated to a higher level than other tapas bars - particularly the chorizo and the olive bread. Oh my. In short, it's authentic, it's cheap, it has an amazing atmosphere and attracts amazing people, and it should be tried by anyone remotely interested in tapas.

Been here a few times now and the food is always well cooked and service is spot on…read more The only small negative is, that despite asking our waitress if it would be possible to bring our 13 separate dishes to our table not all at the same time, as has happened before, she totally ignored our request. As I said earlier the food is delicious but with 4 people on a table with 13 dishes, you feel really cramped and a lot of food is cold when you finally get round to eating it. Surely it would make more sense to bring out 3 or 4 dishes at a time.

It's pretty new, it's pretty pleasant, it's pretty pretty…read more Bilbao's reputation definitely preceded them, so after having heard a few wax the ol' lyrics about this place, I decided to give them a whirl. I'm all about the tapas eats in general, being the type who likes to choose as much variety of a meal out as possible, so Bilbao was always going to make me happy. I feel as though I'll have to come back to experience the heady heights others had told me about, since my visit was fine (certainly not disappointing -- so I've gone for four instead of three stars) but it didn't wow as much as I expected. Perhaps it's the classic pitfall of having high expectations after hearing such good press?! We went in on Saturday sans booking and managed to grab a seat straight away. (It was the last one, so we were pretty lucky.) One of the waitresses did her best to serve us promptly, although she was pretty rushed off her feet. The only downside to the service was that we spotted another waitress who could have seen to us sooner (and even smiled at us) but chose to natter at the bar -- it was quite some time before we got to order a drink. Every other person who served us was absolutely fantastic, though, which ought to be noted. We picked one dish each for ourselves and then three to share and --with a dessert-- this was plenty of food. We shared the olives (super garlicky, which I liked), the garlic prawns (shelled for us and marinated in ultra delish garlicky butter), and a pork dish. The pork pieces were cooked beautifully and came with these incredible oyster mushrooms. I had the steak, which was tasty and cooked well (how I'd asked) but didn't blow me away -- I think this was simply because I'd had the most amazing steak elsewhere very recently! We also shared a bottle of rioja, which was totally lovely. The desserts were great too: warm gooey brownie and a traditional Spanish dessert with sponge, cream, and torched sugar on top. (Forgive me for forgetting the name!) The overall ambiance is fine, although I'd say next time I'd like to sit at a lower table as the high chairs weren't optimal to sit and eat in. The music was also curious -- it sort of seemed to be so purposefully background it stood out to us, if that makes any sense. Gentle, romantic lighting and a pleasant space make up for that, though -- especially if in a group. I imagine the experience is even better with more friends to share with! Overall, this one merits a second visit. Five dishes and one bottle of wine: £60 odd. On a Monday it's half price, so you'll get a lot more bang for your bunse. Check them out!

Came here on a recommendation and wow did it deliver!! Food was amazing! Service was great and had…read morea lovely chat with the owner and you can tell the passion they put into the food and overall experience! I will be coming back and shouting from the roof tops to anybody who will listen how good this place is !

What a great experience. Brand new Leeds city center Tapas…read morerestaurant El Gato Negro was fantastic from the moment we walked in the door until the moment the bill was paid. Our server, Jerome, was outstanding, The food was even better. Perfect baby squid, Padron peppers, tasty and just the right amount. Even paying the bill was a positive experience. Also, on a busy Saturday afternoon I noticed no one in the restaurant was looking at their phone. What a revelation. I will definitely be back.

Great tapas... almost as good as Spain. If you find yourself in Leeds, are hungry and are in the…read moremood for tapas... well, go to El Gato Negro!

If you're lucky enough to catch a sunny day in Leeds this 'summer' there's one hot spot that you've…read moregot to hit for lazy al fresco beverages, afternoon eats and a Mediterranean cheer. Having only been here before for a few drinks we decided to nip back this Saturday for something light to eat and it was the perfect place for it. Serving a number of delicious Spanish bits my companions and I chose about seven dishes to share, including five tapas, olives and one more main style dish. Not only was the welcome warm, but the food was incredible. The chorizo sausage was immensely flavoursome, the garlic mushrooms were plentiful and the jalapeno croquettes were delicious! Each dish, the tapas plates costing in the region of a fiver, was beautifully cooked and certainly sizeable enough to share between three people. With our seven dishes, delivered one by one, we had plenty of food to satiate our appetites without feeling overly stuffed once we'd had our fill. To add to that the ambiance of this gorgeous little bar is delightful. We managed to secure a seat outside, which was a tricky feat given how obviously popular it is, although I'd have been happy enough to sit inside the rustic and woody interior. I suppose if you were searching to nit pick, that there is only one toilet each for men and women was a little tricky, given that a queue quickly formed, but I'm not all that fussy and was happy to wait. It gives you swift insight as to how well oiled the kitchen operation is, given that the loos are just by the kitchen, and although clearly weighed down by orders it seems everything was smoothly under control. We had a couple of minor mix ups with our order, one dish accidentally being claimed by another table, but even so our replacement arrived within minutes and we all had a wee chuckle about it in the process. The staff too, are excellent. The waitress was lovely and one of the bar men was well up for a bit of banter as he grabbed our empties, which always makes a visit more pleasant. I've a feeling this will become more of a regular spot for me, especially if the weather keeps up, given that a delicious light meal and drinks between three totalled in the region of £50. How reasonable is that? Not to mention the fact that the Estrella and Mahau (spelling?) lagers on tap make for a lovely change to the usual. Sunny pints, sumptuous bites and the most relaxed European vibe ahoy!

We came here for tea last night with some friends and it was mega. We live just up the road from El…read moreBareto and had heard good things but hadn't got around to going until now. As you go in you find yourself in the cosy but atmospheric bar area, and if you're clever and have booked in advance, particularly on a weekend, you'll be led downstairs to the just-as-cosy restaurant downstairs. It's all very rustic, with terracota jugs and authentic spanish decor (including too-small-for-all-the-food tables). Along with the menu you're given a paper checklist version, so all you do when it come to ordering is add a number next to the item to indicate how many portions of it you want. Genius. Beware though, the portion sizes are on the generous size, so we found it ideal to go as a foursome, as we each picked about two dishes and weren't too full to walk afterwards, just content and satisfied, with a bit of room left for some beers. Dinner for four with a beer and a bottle of malbec came to £65 exc. service, which I reckon is awesome.

Great tapas and well mixed cocktails in a very trendy building. 2 bars, plenty of seating and even…read morethe toilets haven't been ignored! (You will appreciate this comment when you go!)

Was lucky enough to get a soft launch table - have to declare that the food / drink was free of…read morecharge as part of the deal. I've visited a number of the London restaurants so knew what to expect food wise. The Leeds restaurant didn't disappoint - food was lovely and flavoursome. Tried about 6 of the tapas dishes and a mixture of Jamon. All just the right size for lunch. The set up and interior is really nice. Massive open space with high ceiling and loads of natural light - this mean it was nice and airy and bright. Will definitely be back; its great that one of my favourite London restaurants has now opened up in Leeds.

I know folks were down on Trinity when it opened, "oh it's a massive wind tunnel!" they bemoaned…read more Well, the more I get to know this shopping mall, the more I think those luddites got it so wrong. There are two sides to every coin; Trinity's opening meant that Briggate (and others) took a hit, but with it came a flourish of new life and new business, and although the truly small indies struggle to get a look in, smart, chic, delicious places like Pintura can spring forth. Enough of the politics: this might be my new favourite, and I've only been once. It's a basque tapas house and gin bar. Goodness knows, I love a gin bar. (Did you see my review for the Gin Garden?) It's obviously the new thing, but I'm at peace with my hipsterdom. (The fact I was wearing a trilby long before it was cool means I'm a hipster, I'm told. Especially the fact that I say that.) I'm not a massive fan of being called darling, but if the bartender wants to do so whilst making me an exquisite cocktail, I'm hardly going to complain. Oh, yes -- they do cocktails. And a vodka lemonade that was insanely lovely. Monkey 47? YAH. Ambience is on trend. On point. All those sorts of phrases. Those filament lightbulbs dangle low on long electrical wires above the bar. The woodwork is dark and sturdy. The stairs give you an entrance -- if you care for it, it's an opportunity for those shoes/that skirt/those trousers. Intimate couples tables, or hang fly at the bar. Something like that. The music is not intrusive. Upstairs the open kitchen gives diners a chance to get excited about their light bites before they arrive. It's standard tapas style, in that the dishes you order come as they're made, so it's a staggered affair. It's your usual British version of tapas -- tapas-made-restaurant -- but I like eating to be an event so that's great. (As opposed to ordering a beer at the bar and being given a free tapas.) The waitress was actually unbelievable -- so passionate, knowledgeable, and gave us a stellar wine recommendation. Do not miss: the calamares, risotto, and orange salad. The croquetas are lovely, but aren't they always? The calamares was among the best I've ever tasted -- deliciously salty, perfectly crispy, and not in the least bit rubbery! The risotto was utterly more-ish and the orange salad was the freshest, most delicious choice to accompany everything. Fine, but not for me: Mackeral special, gambas, salt cod and squid ink paella. I know mackeral is fishy, and usually I love it, but this was too fishy for me. The gambas were a little overdone for my liking, but tasty. The salt cod was just not to my taste -- I think the squid ink paella overwhelmed the fish. However, my companion devoured all of the above with relish, so that's just personal, like. I'm actually going back this evening for more, so updates are to be expected -- I've got all the cold meat and cheese to try, yet! Absolutely worth your while -- check these guys out. They're fab.

I've just moved from London to Leeds, and happened to visit Pintura for a Saturday brunch. Let me…read moretell you, I could have been sitting in any cool eatery in any of the trendiest areas of London. The decor inside was dark and moody, yet open and inviting. The food was top notch - no complaints there. The coffee, when it arrived, was of amazing quality. But on that note, the service was terrible. Slow, unsure, abrupt and - at times - just downright incompetent. Given the atmosphere and quality of the food and drink, though, I'd give Pintura the benefit of the doubt and hope that on return visits the service wouldn't be quite so abysmal.

Headed here whilst in Leeds for the day and pre-dinner at a nice Italian round the corner! Very…read moresimilar to the layout in Manchester but very quiet as it was a Monday. We took a booth and opted for a quiet corner to take advantage of the 241 cocktails. We both went for a passion fruit number (I really am bad with names) and it arrived in a pineapple glass - nice touch! I went up to the bar to order and was stood for 10 minutes for the only bartender to serve me - after asking if I could order her said he was the only one on tonight. Looking over to the right you could see a huddle of waitresses who were gossiping - not great. We only stayed for the one drink but lack of service wasn't great.

I came here for a bottomless brunch on an early Sunday afternoon. The service was perfect, drinks…read moretasty, and food was AMAZINGGGGGG. The food was not lacking in any flavors and the drinks kept coming.

Well now. I've been back to Sandinistas plenty since my last penning, and I have to admit, in all…read morethat time I'd only back for drinkies. Excellent, raucous, rambunctious, drinkies. The kind where you probably tried to dance on a table, the kind where you definitely felt as though your neck was broken the next day from head banging, the kind where you almost certainly meet a squadron on new best friends because you're having that good a time. (And it's as much to do with the awesome clientele, as the drunkenness, I can tell you.) So, yes. Go to Sandinista for drinks. I know, it's always busy on a weekend. But once you get in there you'll have an amazing time, I'm certain of it. The music policy includes all the classics, something to suit most tastes, without venturing down the processed pop route in any shape or form. They also have regular live music, I believe, which is also commendable. However, you mightn't have noticed, they also serve food. What's that? Yes. Where have you been?! (That question is mostly directed at my own foolish self.) They serve the most excellent tapas. Of course, you can go down the route of fajitas, and such like, but on this occasion I wanted a range of foods to stuff. Oh my word. So, firstly, a special mention must be made of the mushrooms in peppercorn sauce. They were absolutely flipping divine - perfectly cooked, soaked in flavour, and the sauce was out of this world. The meatballs were also fabulous, with a delicious tomato sauce, and the garlic bread was beautiful. The crispy pork belly was wonderful, and came with an amazing apricot (?) compote (?!). The patatas were also addictively tasty, especially with melted cheese and spring onion. Of course, the service was fantastic, as ever, but the discovery that there's yet another place to eat fantastically made, freshly cooked, delicious bites is the thing I'll be shouting about for the moment. Dishes come in around £4, which makes it incredibly affordable to try a few different things, and perhaps even splash out on one of their yummy cocktails. Of course, there's the danger that you'd go for tea and not quite make it out until 4am, but hey -it wouldn't be such a bad thing would it? In fact, top idea Batman, Sherlock and Brian Cox, you geniuses. Even the door signage says, "You can check out any time you like but you can never leave." Of course, I'm thinking The Eagles must have been to Leeds. And, given half the chance, I'd say this to be true. I checked-in, but my mind clearly hasn't left them yet. Nom.

I don't think you could say anything bad about sandis. It's one of, if not the best bar in Leeds…read more They serve a wide variety of drinks including cocktails and spirits from around the world. They also have an awesome menu so you could pop in for your dinner! In fact you should do that, yes you! Sandis weekend nights have music for everyone but none of it is cheesy ,this always seems to make for a lovely crowd of people. Weekdays are nice and chilled. They normally have a few bands on a Wednesday night and they're always good. Sandis seem to have a good vetting system! Sandinista is awesome i recommend going there everyday