I adore this cinema, it's vintage and old fashioned theme is just timeless! We have visited here on…read moreso many occasions and every time I love it that bit more. The price is sooo good! As you know most cinemas can be very pricey, however here it isn't at all. Being a one screened cinema it's never overly busy either. The old time tickets are just amazing too!

I used to go here as a child, but, because of the fact it only has one screen and doesn't always…read morechoose to show stuff that takes my fancy, I only go about once a year now (and it's always for Harry Potter). Despite this, the Cottage Road is still my favourite cinema in Leeds, even if going there does make you feel older than you actually are. To my knowledge the setup is the same as it was twenty years ago - one screen that's a bit crackly, a vague arc of slightly stained red-velvet chairs, and occasionally an interval in which ice-cream is offered to customers. Essentially, the Cottage Road maintains a balance between a traditional stage theatre and a cinema, and, to anyone sick of the multi-screen complexes where popcorn and a ticket costs you more than a tenner, the Cottage Road will be a breath of fresh (not literally, 'cause it has that great musty old smell about it) air.

Hands down the best experience of a cinema yet. If you're not a fan of your average multiplex, then…read morethis upmarket setup should be right up your street. Everything from having comfy sofa's to sit on to the more mature food/drink on offer made the whole experience great.

So very surprised in how good the food was. How do you make…read morecarbonara more interesting? You add spice. And wow it was nice. Another thing, I need to find out where they get their bacon. So smokey it was amazing. Pizza was good too with nice base and excellent ingredients. All in all the food was brilliant. Now onto the film...

Hyde Park Picture House is a bastion of local culture and experience here in Leeds. It's one of the…read moremore long-standing establishments, and being central to Hyde Park, for many it is one of the first experiences you may have if you move here as a student. The building itself is something to behold, a beautiful Victorian building with exquisite features. As a picture house it hosts screenings to some of the most interesting, diverse, challenging and delightful films. Whether it is one of their many foreign extravaganzas, art hosue films, occult classic (and so on) you will feel that visiting this cinema is much more of an experience than your standard box office cinema. Not only do they have the accolade of many a great screening in their timely history, but they even hold cinematic events - often themed, with Halloween for example, so it's well worth checking in every now and then for one of those. An absolute treasure of Leeds, I've not seen anything like it anywhere else, you simply must check out their playlist.

I just think there's something magical about sitting and watching a film in a historic building…read more(it's one of the oldest cinemas in the world) with a coffee served by someone who actually gives a crap. If you have a leeds card you get concessionary rate making it half the price of Odeon etc and along with arty stuff and cult old films you'd love to get see at a cinema, they often show films on general release around a month after so you don't miss out. There are a suprising number of places like this hidden away across the North but this is probably one of the nicest - well worth a visit for all sorts of reasons, no excuse!!!

Those with a keen nose for secrets would have already spotted this gem, hidden in plain sight, just…read moreup in Far Headingley. But a stone's throw from Cottage Road Cinema, Sebby's Deli, Beer Ritz and the other gems in the area, this little shop-come-art gallery-come-cafe is a real treat. I've wandered by a few times and cursed myself for not having the time to pay them a visit, so on a weekend wander, I made sure to pick this spot for a coffee. As you go in, there's a counter of fresh goodies right before you, including home baked cakes at seriously cheap prices. They've a deli shelf, with all manner of world-friendly and nicely made things, such as specialist teas, biscuits, Fentimen's drinks, and more. It's a treasure trove of treats, and that's before you've even ventured beyond the initial entry. It appears to be family-run, and the friendly chap who served us was incredibly pleasant, smiley, and welcoming. We ordered two coffees, and went through to the dining room area. This gorgeous front room (the café must be a part of their actual home) is beautifully decked out in red and white table cloths, kitsch little things, a cabinet of locally made jewellery, and all manner of local art adorns the walls. Paintings of various styles take up all available space, making this quaint room come alive with colour. I loved it. Then, you can step through into the secret garden. Literally just across the road at one of the pubs was a crowd of rowdy Otley Runners, and despite still hearing the odd 'waaaaaay!', I felt transported elsewhere. Somewhere serene, safe and as the name suggests, secret. The garden is shaded by a huge tree, and it's a fabulous little spot to sit and enjoy a cuppa. At the time, there was an unfortunate moment, where a fledgling wood pigeon had fallen to the ground and so the lady (who I assume co-runs the cafe) warned us that it was frightened and to watch out for it. The poor thing looked pretty bewildered, fingers crossed it survived the fall and lived to fight another day. The coffees we enjoyed were fabulous, freshly made, and huge. It's not often you get such a generous cup, so you're definitely in for a treat if you're a caffeine fan. They serve a range of sandwiches made to order, croissants, cakes, and other bites too should you feel peckish. This time, I fancied something more brunch-y, but I'll definitely be back soon for a bacon sarnie in the garden! Needless to say, I'm a real fan. It's a local family run business, supporting local artists, who frame pictures too, and serve up a great coffee. What's not to love? Sneak away for a secret moment, it's worth it.

Here we have yet another example of something amazing that the city holds each year, which makes it…read morethe unique and creative place it is. I love film, of all different kinds, but mostly I am into a really good foreign film. As you can imagine that makes Leeds International Film Festival a bit of a no brainer for people like me. It hosts a huge variety of film, from animation, shorts, horrors, thrillers - you name it. It has something for every kind of audience, of all ages, of all ethnicities, of all tastes. For this yearly delight a vast number of Leeds venues pull together and get involved, hosting film nights over the course of the festival, and offering a great cultural night out. Really, it is difficult to express how awesome a cultural spectacle it is. Each year it seems to grow in popularity, with a wider range of film and a larger audience. I can only advise that you book mark next years in your diary, lest you miss out. Leeds International Film Festival - making the city the cultural capital that it has become!

I am a huge fan of cinema and go every week, so obviously it is my kind of thing, but even some of…read moremy friends who 'don't really do cinema' have come along and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. It is the pick 'n' mix of cinema, and with such a diverse range of films to choose from, you will want to see more than a few. This is the 23rd Leeds International Film Festival and has once again impressed attendee's and participants with the fantastic selection of films on offer. The vast variations of styles, genres, concepts, and techniques lures in all sorts of different people to it's screens. From animation and short films, hyper reality and documentaries, to dry comedy and gory horror. Created by some of the most talented directors and producers, and some never heard of, this is a definite film lovers delight. The festival runs for roughly 2 weeks every year from early November, with showings taking place in various venues. This year the venues include Hyde Park Picture House, The Carriageworks, The Town Hall, Vue Cinema, The Wardrobe, The Hi Fi Club, Howard Assembly Room, University of Leeds, Saviles Hall, Nation of Shopkeepers and Seven. Which is a lot! They come from a range of directors and producers, some of the most talented in the world to some you may never have heard of. They are split up into the following sections: Official selection, Cinema Versa, Short Film City, Cherry Kino, Fanomenon, and Thought Bubble. You can find out about what each section contains on the website above. If you have missed this years, make a note for next as it is a true winter treat!

This is possible the most frustrating cinema on earth. Having bought my tickets online - and…read morebegrudgingly paid an astonishing £7 - for the latest Harry Potter film, my friend and I found ourselves trapped in a never-ending labyrinth of escalators, promotional displays and condescending staff as we attempted to find the correct screen. The 13 screens are laid out in a way that makes no sense at all, and at every twist and turn the cinema never misses the opportunity to sell you something else. Popcorn? Hotdog? Cuddly toy? Once we finally made it to the right screen we then had to sit through what felt like hours of low-quality adverts for local businesses. The film started late as people were still cramming in, and the usher had the nerve to ask people who'd got their early and bagged prime spots to move up to the outside seats so latecomers could sit together. Although the actual showing of the film was fine once it started and the seats were passably comfortable, I will think long and hard before choosing to visit this cinema again.

Once upon a time this cinema was fantastic; and then time took it's toll. And now it's not. Why you…read moreask? 1. The screens, which once were brand new, are now old. I don't believe (or at least you'd never guess to look) that these have ever been replaced/cleaned, and there are a number of them that have fairly significant discolouration in the form of huge dark spots. Having a "Sony 4K digital cinema experience" means absolutely nothing at all when the screen been projected onto are stained. 2. The sounds, which ring out over light fixtures which still have old Ster Century logo's on, promise amazing Dolby 'Profound Sound'. This would be fine except for again, it's like this was set up on day 1 of the cinema opening and hasn't been looked at since. A number of the screens have audible distortions, which really irritates. Equally, because the walls are so thin, when you have loud showings of an action movie next to showings of more emotional quieter movies, then there is bleed. This is unforgivable. 3. The seats, which much like the light fittings, all are emblazoned with Ster Century Logos and all at least 10 years old. Which means that lots of them sag. Or are just plain uncomfortable. Except the new VIP seats! Which are a few quid more per seat. You might think that VUE could invest this extra money into replacing all of the seats with Super VUE Stepped Seating. 4. The Prices of tickets go up in price what seems like 4 times a year, but not only this VUE have seen fit to introduce new categories of ticket... Like the Over 18 Ticket, where VUE promise that for an extra couple of quid on the ticket price you'll get to experience movies without distraction. I'm not being funny when I say that a) that's what I pay you for in the first place - why aren't you doing your jobs kicking idiots who are making noise out? And b) invariably, the people who are being noisy, irritating and obnoxious are generally over 18! So your plan's failed. 5. The staff are obviously all lobotomised. Or just incapable. 6. The popcorn is abysmal! There once was a time that it was moderately priced, tasted YUM and was worth eating. Now you're about 50% likely to get stale old cold popcorn that's about 15 hours old. Much like the bread in the hotdogs. If only Leeds centre had another better cinema...

We had so much fun here! The staff was hilarious and just seeing this place made me think of the…read morepictures in the textbooks I read as a child about the industrial times in England. The view outside is gorgeous and my children and I had so much fun seeing all the exhibits and different textiles. A really good part of the exhibit were the ages of the workers and the stories of all the health-related problems they were through. So fascinating.

Located in the dreary Leeds suburb of Armley, this large museum occupies a former industrial site…read morealongside the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and the River Aire. At the time of my visit the whole of the outdoor area was closed because of flood-defence work so I wasn't able to see everything it offers. There is a lot of interesting stuff in this museum, particularly about the textile industry, and some of the other industries that helped to make Leeds one of England's great cities. However some of the interpretation is limited and some old machinery isn't restored. Being located beside the canal it is surprising that nothing at all was said in the exhibitions about the canal, which was an artery of industry in its heyday. Unfortunately access by public transport is poor, the nearest bus stop doesn't offer a very frequent service and doesn't connect very well to the main Leeds station. If you have time it is easier to walk from the City along the canal towpath.