Lovely Scandinavian inspired cafe. The staff were super friendly and completely professional, an…read moreabsolute credit to the cafe. We will definitely be coming back, the hot chocolate was sublime.

From the owner: Speciality espresso bar.read more

Best coffee shop in Leeds. The food is amazing, the service is on point and the ambiance is…read moreperfect. They have a limit on the amount of time you can work from there.

This place serves proper coffee, it's in the Laynes espresso league!…read more This is a very good thing, Leeds needs more of these and no more chains, don't get me wrong I frequent them too! This place is a hidden gem tucked behind HSBC.

Very good restaurant, good food, people quite nice people are working , and food so testread more

Since moving to Leeds I've been trying to find a good coffee shop to replace my favourite back in…read moreYork. Next stop was Mrs Atha's. Trying to locate Mrs Atha's was not the easiest. The proverbial vulture circling in the sky looking for its prey I eventually located and headed towards. You'd be forgiven for following suite, the outside is painted black to match the shops that surround it. This is a slight downfall from it's location and one I presume they have no control over due the nature of the area. Time to take the plunge, my caffeine levels where dropping rapidly. Upon entering you are greeted with the feeling of entering a cave, dark and sparsely lit. On your right is the coffee station, to your left are the stairs downstairs and in front a selection of eclectic seating. A warm greeting was given and after a short perusal I plumbed for my statuary cappuccino. Now normally it takes about 15 seconds for me to place an order but this never happened. My eyes kept wandering, looking at the delights and my mouth kept watering. I have a weak spot for chocolate and cakes and my knees started to tremble. Laid before was a bevvy of delights for me to try. I had to have a nibble and so I did. Just a quick nibble, a little delight, a chocolate truffle shaped piece of heaven. So I ordered my cappuccino and truffles and was asked to take a seat while my coffee was readied. Unfortunately upstairs was full to the brim so I plumbed for a seat downstairs. That was a shame, upstairs is quaint, quirky and generally original. What a difference to upstairs. Crammed between the entrance to the toilets and a small kitchen area are a few seats/tables, the highlight being an old school desk. Not the atmosphere I thought it would be. While talking to the friendly staff member while she cooked was nice it's not the type of area I really want to sit and enjoy a coffee. I think if I come back I'll make sure I get a seat upstairs. My coffee arrived after about 5 minutes along with my truffles and I sat back to do some work and enjoy my caffeine fix. I know there are people that like a drink as hot at the inside of a volcano and I know there are those that like to tip it down their throats but me, I like to sip on it over a period of 30 minutes to enjoy the full potential of the ground beans. This could not happen with this coffee. By the time 5 minutes had reached my coffee was on the verge of the next Ice Age. Not good. Don't get me wrong, it's a damn fine coffee, not as good as La Bottega/Laynes but damn good non the less. So in a nut shell, the coffee was good (if a little too cold), the downstairs is not good, the truffles AMAZING and the service good indeed. I will return if only to try more chocolaty delights.

Le Chalet is an oddity, but it has the potential to become a new favourite, provided they iron out…read morea few kinks. It's very new, and to some extent it ticks all my boxes - nice and light, fairly spacious, white / turquoise / silver decor, elegant but homely, loose leaf teas (including green tea with jasmine pearls, a favourite when out and about)... Oddly, given how new the place is, it feels somehow a bit tired. The beautiful, opulent crystal chandelier is dangling drunkenly askew, with its fitting on the ceiling not quite - well - fitting. The ceiling itself is a bit coarse, too, a bit of a plasterboard magnificence, and in general reflects a sense of just Not Quite Ready. In short, the detail didn't deliver on the promise of the general aesthetic. When visiting here with two old schoolfriends, we were but one of two tables downstairs that were not part of a large afternoon tea party - the place was not busy - but we seemed to be waiting an age for service, even just drinks. The reason, given swiftly on our arrival, was that there were no menus available. It seems odd to me that there should be so many empty seats and yet still insufficient menus to go around. And the menus, once they did arrive, were battered in slightly torn plastic folders. We had been there for nearly an hour by the time our food arrived. It was all very strange. Side note: they could also do with specifying that their pink lemonade is the Fentiman's Rose Lemonade that I do so dearly love (roses being my Thing etc etc) instead of just "pink lemonade", because what to me was a delightful surprise might be less so to the less florally inclined customer. HOWEVER... that's all of the criticism done with. The food - light bites, largely - was excellent. I had a quiche lorraine, expecting the usual slice of cold quiche, but what arrived was a beautiful, hot, delicate quiche for one, siting in perfect pastry, served atop a lovely fresh salad that itself wore a fine dressing. It made for a perfect light lunch and at less than £6 you could do far worse. A macaron for just 85p is definitely stealing the show as well. They had a range of flavours - strawberry, chocolate, lemon, pistachio - and initially the wrong flavour was brought to me - but they were very nice macarons and for that price you can't go wrong. It was £2.50 for a pot of tea, which is also pretty decent, especially given the sheer capacity of those beautiful glass pots. They appeared only half full but did a good three full cups, and the waitress arrived shortly after we'd finished to offer hot water refills. With some great-looking cakes on display and a nice two-slate-tier afternoon tea for £12.50, it'll definitely be worth another visit, and I'm sure they'll iron out their odd little kinks with a bit of time. I'm looking forward to another trip here at some point.

I can't believe that no one has left a review for Le Chalet!…read moreIt's a lovely French cafe/tea/bakery room with friendly and helpful staff. As well as the menu, there are gateaux, cakes, biscuits, light as air macaroons and all sorts of sweet delights to choose from. There are over a dozen types of tea, all served in beautiful glass pots. Prices are really good value; 85p for a macaroon, then between 12 and 2, a main course and a hot drink costs £5.50. The galette is fantastic and the omelette looks lovely. If you need a comparison think Valerie's but hand made rather than mass produced.

A cute little stall within a visually stunning arcade, I stumbled across Opposite by accident. But…read morewhat a happy one at that. I was aware of the main Opposite cafe from my student days, often providing a welcome distraction when procrastinating during dissertation season. During a chat with the barista, I realised it was their smaller, centrally located sibling. Whilst the original Opposite is a totally relaxing place to while away a few hours; this one is more of a place to refuel with gorgeous, fairly traded coffee and a refreshing range of teas to choose from. I enjoyed visiting Opposite in the Victoria Quarter, reminiscing about the carefree hedonism that was student life! I had to get one of their chocolate brownies, just to check that they were as good as I remembered them to be. They were.

Opposite had their first site opening 'opposite' the Parkinson building at Leeds University and due…read moreto its success they opened another in the Victoria Quarter. They were named as one of the top ten coffee shops in the UK by the Daily Mail so you know they're doing something great! The describe themselves as being a Boutique Espresso Bar but they also have a selection of fresh, healthy food. Alongside the homemade brownies.... Seen as though they primarily set out to attract students, they aim to have affordable, tasty, healthy, food....check, check and check! Pop over to the stand and try them out!

I just loved Banyan. The atmosphere, the wide range of food options from healthy veggie to meaty…read moreand delicious. Service was delightful - warm, attentive & funny. I went twice while in Leeds on business because the healthy options were just what I needed at day's end. A great option in City Centere for all types of tastes & palates.

Yep, loved this place. Great food, good atmosphere.read more

Now, I don't often get out to Chapel A, but on the odd occasion I do a visit to this little treat…read morestop is an absolute must. Granted, there are not many tables so it can be hard to grab a seat, but I'd suggest it's worth the wait given what's in store. A few Saturdays ago, treats we're on the agenda. As I'd not been here in ages, we decided to seek out some delectable sustenance here, as that is precisely what I got my friends. I had heard tell these guys do a mean burger, and since I've been banging on about seeking out Leeds' best it seemed only fair to tackle that for lunch. Oh. My. Word. After an enticing wait the food arrived and what lay before me was some kind of demi-god, as far as patties go. A beautifully baked sesame seed bun, with all the fluffy, crispy, freshness you could hope for in a bread cake. The accoutrements included a wonderfully fresh bit of salad, perfectly melted cheddar, and a delightful home made piccalilli. The meat? Seasoned to perfection, juicier than I've known, and cooked like a dream. Slightly pink, like a real burger should be, and a right ruddy messy affair. I was in heaven. Of course, you know all about their award winning cupcakes by now, so I needn't wax lyrical about the white chocolate as raspberry nirvana that I polished off at home, but what you probably didn't know is that I've found a contender for one of Leeds' finest burgers. Try for yourself and let me know how you get on... Moar treats? Check in on Yelp and you get 25% off afternoon tea!

The Sunshine Bakery is a delightful and delicious new addition to Chapel Allerton's row of pretty…read morelittle shops on Harrogate Road. I just love the name - so twee and smile-inducing! As soon as I heard about it I just knew I had to check it out ASAP! I have both the requisite sweet tooth and and a love of all things kitsch and vintage-inspired. Hence I LOVE The Sunshine Bakery! The outside of the shop is painted a sumptuous deep plum colour and the sign features gold, hand-painted lettering with a quaint feel. Inside the walls are covered in oh-so-vintage pink flocked wall paper...but to be honest that's not exactly what your eyes are drawn to with all the tasty treats on display! Anyone with a particular predilection for sweetmeats will be literally drooling all over the shop! The cupcakes cry 'EAT ME' with their generous helpings of many-coloured icing and array of flavours. There are also such delights as champagne truffles, as well as slightly less exciting (though very delicious I'm sure) savoury items including sandwiches and soups as well as tea and coffee. There is a lovely atmosphere at The Sunshine Bakery, with friendly, smiling staff, and the customers seeming very happy to be there and oh so close to their next cupcake fix! I also opted for Eton Mess...it was absolutely delicious! If you live in Chapel Allerton you may find yourself trying desperately to avoid the temptation to visit the Sunshine Bakery daily...luckily for my health I live a reasonably long bike ride away...however, the exercise required to get there will probably just allow me to justify a rampant gorge-fest upon arrival! YUM!

Fantastic coffee, pastries, canolli. Brilliant place to start off your day in Leeds really relaxed…read morevibe. Absolutley lovely staff

True Italian coffee. Too bad the cannolo was a bit soggyread more

Out of the Woods is my local sandwich shop & all round fab independent cafe (yes, I am that lucky!)…read moreand I'm telling you, they do a mean sandwich. They also do lots of other goodness that you're bound to love. I can be a fussy eater. I don't do rocket, I've only just tried brie, I'm a bit strange about chutneys but the salami, goats cheese and mango chutney sandwich is one of the best sandwiches I've had. Even the rocket in it tastes nice. If its breakfast you're looking for, the choice ranges from porridge & granola to pastries and fruit. The breakfast smoothie is one of the best I've ever had. Seriously good. On top of all that, you can even buy Yorkshire Crisps and Lottie Shaw's parkin!! YES! Seriously though, this is a good place, it isn't too pricey and the menu is varied. Plus, they won't judge you. I went in in PJs once when I was unwell & they didn't bat an eyelid! Nice peeps!

Out Of The Woods is an awesome little coffee shop. I've never visited their original store on Water…read moreLane but the Granary Wharf place is a beauty. Really nice food (I recommend the ginger and cinnamon oatmeal cookies!), very good coffee and a really, really nice atmosphere. The place is decked out perfectly, really rustic yet somehow super modern. Really great place to visit. I'm just hoping they open another store closer to my place of work - hows about it guys? =)

Lovely little cafe in Holbeck, a short walk from the train station and city centre. Serves super…read morenice coffee, all sorts of fruity brews and really good snacky food. Think door-wedge sandwiches, freshly made soups, salads, sushi etc. They also have local produce in stock - I bought some Yorkshire Honey in there the other day. Gorgeous. Price isn't cheap but - you get what you pay for. There's not much room to sit in but good for taking friends / clients. You could sit outside on the patch of 'grass' - but I'd wait for the summer months for that. Staff are super friendly and there's a selection of magazines / papers to grab if you're feeling the need to consume some literature along with your nosh. They tweet too - @outofthewoodsuk - in a nice personal way. Watch out for the cupcakes on the counter, they're very hard to not buy.

Opened in December, the second Out of the Woods in Leeds adds a delightful offering to Granary…read moreWharf. With such a fantastic reputation and community following from the first Out of the Woods on Water Lane in Holbeck Urban Village, the new juice bar serves coffee, soup, smoothies, juice, sandwiches, all things wholesome, just as good if not better than the last. In all the madness of opening a new shop in the christmas period, Ross & Jon (OOTW parents) even had time to open a 'pop-up' Christmas Shop also in Granary Wharf - selling gift boxes and presents that my parents loved. The interior is chic, so is the graphic or 'branding', very simple and decadent but most of all the staff are genuinely lovely. Out of the Woods provides very affordable prices for high quality local produce and excellent personal service. I have, like most, a thing for good coffee and well delivered service with a sense that your custom is valued. For me this is exactly what Out of the Woods is about and does a damn good job at that! Get down there for a coffee / meeting, lunch date, walk along the canal, breakfast before work, comfortable chat, healthy smoothie. etc, etc. I cannot recommend it enough. OH, THEY HAVE FREE WI-FI!!!! THANK YOU Out of the Woods.